book review for the girl who drank the moon

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The girl who drank the moon, common sense media reviewers.

Entrancing fantasy spun with magic stresses power of love.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Introduces sophisticated vocabulary, such as &quot

Strong spiritual messages: Love is more powerful t

Strong female role models: Xan carries abandoned c

Babies are taken from families on an annual Day of

Parents need to know that The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill ( The Witch's Boy ) is an expertly crafted fantasy with spiritual undertones, and it won the 2017 Newbery Medal. It has a strong female protagonist, Luna, described as having curly black hair and amber skin. Luna's taken…

Educational Value

Introduces sophisticated vocabulary, such as "undulating," "murmuration," "calcify," "novitiate," "desiccate," "obfuscate." Lots of fresh similes, metaphors, and verb choices, such as, "Her mother's magic was more like a jumble of trinkets left in a basket after a long journey -- bits and pieces knocking together" or "The Grand Elder steepled his fingers together."

Positive Messages

Strong spiritual messages: Love is more powerful than hate or greed. Revenge doesn't solve anything. Human connection is richer than power. Violence is "uncivilized. Reason, beauty, poetry, and excellent conversation" resolve disputes. "Some of the most wonderful things in the world are invisible. Trusting in invisible things make them more powerful."

Positive Role Models

Strong female role models: Xan carries abandoned children to good homes, adopts and cares for Luna, and heals those in need. Luna is physically strong and spirited, actively tries to save Xan, has "a mechanical mind," and studies botany and inventing. Ethyne leads the effort to capture the evil witch. Male role models: Gerk recites and writes poetry. Antain's a peaceable soul who combats wrongs.

Violence & Scariness

Babies are taken from families on an annual Day of Sacrifice, and the citizens assume that they're left to die or killed by an evil witch. Brief mention of a torture chamber and "assassinry," the art of killing.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill ( The Witch's Boy ) is an expertly crafted fantasy with spiritual undertones, and it won the 2017 Newbery Medal . It has a strong female protagonist, Luna, described as having curly black hair and amber skin. Luna's taken from her family and saved by a kindhearted witch who lovingly raises her but accidentally imbues her with magical powers. Other members of Luna's adopted family are a frisky young dragon and a wise, poetry-loving bog monster. Multiple storylines come together in a dramatic climax espousing the power of love and nonviolence. A great choice for middle-grade fantasy lovers.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (16)
• Kids say (46)

Based on 16 parent reviews

Fantasy Newbery Medal Book with Heavy and Violent Themes

Rich story with hopeful and dark themes, what's the story.

THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON is the story of Luna, taken as a baby from her family in the Protectorate as part of a cruel ritual designed to keep the populace fearful and compliant. Though the Elders circulate a story that an evil witch demands the annual sacrifice, they don't realize there's actually a good witch who saves and protects the babies. When Xan rescues Luna, she accidentally feeds her moonbeams that "enmagic" her, so she decides to adopt and raise Luna in a family that includes a dragon and a wise bog monster. Luna's magical powers prove to be unpredictable and unruly, so Xan casts a spell that cocoons the magic until her 13th birthday. Will Luna harness her magic successfully? This story is interwoven with stories from the Protectorate about an antagonist who feeds on the sorrow of others, Luna's mother who yearns for her lost daughter, and a brave couple who challenge the status quo.

Is It Any Good?

This fantasy, a brisk-paced mix of magic and witches set in an enchanted land shadowed by a rumbling volcano, has high stakes and multiple threads that bind together in a spiritually resonant climax. Luna, The Girl Who Drank the Moon , is a young girl "enmagicked" by moonlight and raised by a loving witch she knows as Grandmama. There are multiple characters -- one unexpectedly evil -- in this seamless story, and the values are solidly peace-loving and open-hearted. Where other fantasies might culminate in an extended, blood-soaked battle, this one has a satisfyingly thoughtful resolution.

Author Kelly Barnhill is a crisp writer with a lyrical flourish. She sprinkles in sophisticated language, inviting readers to stretch their vocabularies with words such as "undulating" and "murmuration." Her similes are strikingly fresh -- roads unwind "like great spools of yarn" -- and her verb choices vivid -- "The Grand Elder steepled his fingers together." It's an original fairy tale with the feel of a classic.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the fate of the evil characters in The Girl Who Drank the Moon . How does what happens to them compare with what happens to evildoers in other books you've read? Do you agree or disagree with the book's take on revenge?

What do the likable characters value? How about the unlikable ones? How can you tell by their choices or actions what they value?

Though the story is a fantasy with magic and witches, are there elements that correspond to your life? How can you relate it to your own circumstances or experiences?

Book Details

• Author : Kelly Barnhill
• Genre : Fantasy
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Fairy Tales , Friendship , Great Girl Role Models
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Algonquin Young Readers
• Publication date : August 9, 2016
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 14
• Number of pages : 400
• Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
• Award : Newbery Medal and Honors
• Last updated : August 22, 2019

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Children’s Books

A Novel’s Good Witch Saves a Sacrificial Girl

• Share full article

By Diana Wagman

• Oct. 7, 2016

THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON By Kelly Barnhill 388 pp. Algonquin. $16.95. (Middle grade; ages 8 to 12)

Many books we read when we’re young want to teach us lessons about life. True, the things we learn in them can stay with us forever. But lessons can be so dull. Luckily, Kelly Barnhill’s wonderful fourth novel, “The Girl Who Drank the Moon,” educates about oppression, blind allegiance and challenging the status quo while immersing the reader in an exhilarating story full of magical creatures and derring-do.

The people of a dingy, fog-covered town, nicknamed the City of Sorrows, are convinced that every year they must sacrifice their youngest child to an evil witch or she will destroy them all. The town’s pompous, prissy Elders perpetuate this lie. They don’t believe in the witch, but they know the lie makes for “a frightened people, a subdued people, a compliant people.” It is a governing style that deserves thinking about.

The Elders don’t know that the babies are collected by a good witch named Xan, who carries them to a happier city with waiting families. They are called Star Children because on the journey Xan feeds them starlight. Unlike the morose children in the town, the babies thrive and their eyes sparkle. It is an exquisite metaphor for the benefits of love and compassion.

One mother rebels and refuses to give up her baby. A young Elder in Training, Antain, watches in horror as the ­mother is grabbed by a ruthless all-female ­military force, and locked away as a madwoman. The baby is left in the woods as always, and Xan falls in love with her “gaze that reached into the tight strings of the soul and plucked, like the strings of a harp.” Because she is so enamored, Xan inadvertently feeds the baby not starlight but moonlight, and the baby becomes “enmagicked.” Nothing for it, but Xan must bring the child up as her own. She names her Luna and for 13 years contains her magical abilities.

Xan’s family also includes a ­sentimental monster who writes poetry and a pocket-size dragon. They all have memories of an unhappy and violent past that must be kept locked away. Why must they hide their sadness? And why is it so important the town be kept sad? When we learn the answer, the entire story falls into place and becomes impossible to put down.

It is Antain, obsessed with the madwoman, who begins to suspect all is not what it seems. Barnhill excels at characters who don’t fit in, like Antain, whose face is covered in scars. Ned, in her previous novel, “The Witch’s Boy,” doesn’t speak; Jack in “The Mostly True Story of Jack” and Princess Violet in “Iron Hearted Violet” are both unusual and lonely outsiders. Barnhill looks past their oddness to their humanity, and we identify with them and root for their success. As Luna approaches 13, we feel her magical powers threatening to burst from her — right along with other less appealing signs of puberty. We feel the terror when it’s disclosed that Antain’s baby is next in line to be sacrificed and cheer when he and his wife come up with a plan. A chase, a quest, an arranged murder: The story is so well plotted the pages fly by.

Barnhill’s language is lyrical and reminiscent of traditional fairy tales, but ­never childish or stereotypical. She writes impressively from a variety of points of view, not only those of Luna and Xan, but also of Sister Ignatia and the ­mother who has lost her mind. Magic abounds, both beautiful and dangerous. Origami birds fly, but their paper wings also slice and cut. Enchanted but enigmatic images appear on rocks, and there are seven-league boots so “black . . . they seemed to bend the light.” Almost every female character turns out to have some supernatural ability when needed, but maybe that is another hidden truth: We have the power to make things happen. Speak up. Ask questions. Trust your instincts. Valuable instructions for any reader.

“The Girl Who Drank the Moon” is as exciting and layered as classics like “Peter Pan” or “The Wizard of Oz.” It too is about what it means to grow up and find where we belong. The young reader who devours it now just for fun will remember its lessons for years to come.

Diana Wagman’s first novel for young adults, “Extraordinary October,” will be published this month.

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Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

Kirkus Reviews' Best Books Of 2016

New York Times Bestseller

Newbery Medal Winner

THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON

by Kelly Barnhill ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 9, 2016

Guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and enmagick.

An elderly witch, a magical girl, a brave carpenter, a wise monster, a tiny dragon, paper birds, and a madwoman converge to thwart a magician who feeds on sorrow.

Every year Elders of the Protectorate leave a baby in the forest, warning everyone an evil Witch demands this sacrifice. In reality, every year, a kind witch named Xan rescues the babies and find families for them. One year Xan saves a baby girl with a crescent birthmark who accidentally feeds on moonlight and becomes “ enmagicked .” Magic babies can be tricky, so Xan adopts little Luna herself and lovingly raises her, with help from an ancient swamp monster and a chatty, wee dragon. Luna’s magical powers emerge as her 13th birthday approaches. Meanwhile, Luna’s deranged real mother enters the forest to find her daughter. Simultaneously, a young carpenter from the Protectorate enters the forest to kill the Witch and end the sacrifices. Xan also enters the forest to rescue the next sacrificed child, and Luna, the monster, and the dragon enter the forest to protect Xan. In the dramatic denouement, a volcano erupts, the real villain attempts to destroy all, and love prevails. Replete with traditional motifs, this nontraditional fairy tale boasts sinister and endearing characters, magical elements, strong storytelling, and unleashed forces. Luna has black eyes, curly, black hair, and “amber” skin.

Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-61620-567-6

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Algonquin

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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More by Kelly Barnhill

BOOK REVIEW

by Kelly Barnhill

CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS AND THE TERRIFYING RETURN OF TIPPY TINKLETROUSERS

From the captain underpants series , vol. 9.

by Dav Pilkey & illustrated by Dav Pilkey ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 28, 2012

Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel.

Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment.

Not that there aren’t pranks and envelope-pushing quips aplenty. To start, in an alternate ending to the previous episode, Principal Krupp ends up in prison (“…a lot like being a student at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, except that the prison had better funding”). There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers). The villain sets off after George and Harold, who are in juvie (“not much different from our old school…except that they have library books here.”). Cut to five years previous, in a prequel to the whole series. George and Harold link up in kindergarten to reduce a quartet of vicious bullies to giggling insanity with a relentless series of pranks involving shaving cream, spiders, effeminate spoof text messages and friendship bracelets. Pilkey tucks both topical jokes and bathroom humor into the cartoon art, and ups the narrative’s lexical ante with terms like “pharmaceuticals” and “theatrical flair.” Unfortunately, the bullies’ sad fates force Krupp to resign, so he’s not around to save the Earth from being destroyed later on by Talking Toilets and other invaders…

Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-545-17534-0

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION

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NOWHERE BOY

by Katherine Marsh ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 7, 2018

A captivating book situated in present-day discourse around the refugee crisis, featuring two boys who stand by their high...

Two parallel stories, one of a Syrian boy from Aleppo fleeing war, and another of a white American boy, son of a NATO contractor, dealing with the challenges of growing up, intersect at a house in Brussels.

Ahmed lost his father while crossing the Mediterranean. Alone and broke in Europe, he takes things into his own hands to get to safety but ends up having to hide in the basement of a residential house. After months of hiding, he is discovered by Max, a boy of similar age and parallel high integrity and courage, who is experiencing his own set of troubles learning a new language, moving to a new country, and being teased at school. In an unexpected turn of events, the two boys and their new friends Farah, a Muslim Belgian girl, and Oscar, a white Belgian boy, successfully scheme for Ahmed to go to school while he remains in hiding the rest of the time. What is at stake for Ahmed is immense, and so is the risk to everyone involved. Marsh invites art and history to motivate her protagonists, drawing parallels to gentiles who protected Jews fleeing Nazi terror and citing present-day political news. This well-crafted and suspenseful novel touches on the topics of refugees and immigrant integration, terrorism, Islam, Islamophobia, and the Syrian war with sensitivity and grace.

Pub Date: Aug. 7, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-250-30757-6

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Review Posted Online: June 10, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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Book Review: The Girl Who Drank the Moon, by Kelly Barnhill

When it comes to book recommendations, I always take them with a grain of salt. What might be magical and wonderful for one, might be lame and boring for another. So, when someone recommended The Girl Who Drank The Moon, I was hesitatingly hopeful.

And, it was wonderful. Sweet, yet profound. Childlike, yet complex. After the year I’ve had, my heart wasn’t quite prepared for it.

There is a witch in the woods and she demands a sacrifice of a baby every year or bad things will happen. Or, at least that’s what the people living in the Protectorate have been led to believe. They are only half right. There is a witch in the woods, but she is the embodiement of love and selflessness. Every year she collects these abandoned babies to prevent them from a more gruesome fate and every year she feeds them starlight until they shine before she finds them loving families on the other side of the forest.

Then, one day, she feeds one of these babies moonlight which gives them incredible magic. Xan, the witch, can’t stand the thought of giving this particular baby away and instead chooses to raise the baby as its grandmother. Back in the protectorate, the mother of this child is so grief stricken that she goes quite mad and is taken into the Tower to be tended to by the benevolent sisters. She has magic as well, although in her mental state can’t quite understand what it is or what she can do with it.

Meanwhile, there is a boy, Antain, who is destined to be a part of the Council of Elders in the Protectorate, except he really would rather not. He was there the day that the child was taken. He watched the mother as she climbed into the rafters to keep her baby safe only to have it stolen from her anyway. The sight haunted him so much that when he grew older, he feels compelled to visit with the mother, if only to make sure she’s being well cared for. What Antain doesn’t know, is that there are darker forces at work that feed on the sorrow of the protectorate and it is those forces that demand the sacrifice.

As the child, Luna, grows, it’s clear that she has too much magic and too little understanding to use it safely. Xan is forced to lock the magic away until Luna turns thirteen and is old enough to learn how to use her magic for good. This comes with a terrible consequence, Xan starts to fade away and her own magic begins to dry up.

The story sweeps into a climax when Luna approaches her thirteenth year at the same time that Antain and his wife realize that their own child will be the one sacrificed to the witch. Antain vows to kill the witch, none other than the kind Xan, to save his child. The mad woman, also drawn to her child’s magic, escapes the tower to go find her. None of them are prepared to face the real villain, the one who has kept the Protectorate in sorrow, who is coming right on their heels.

I know I’ve said this before, but I adore a story with lovely language. The Girl who Drank the Moon uses language in a way that’s both poetic yet simple enough to be accessible to all readers. The story itself is the same, while there are multiple story lines to follow, there’s never any question about what’s going on and why. Each point of view character has their own unique voice, and it’s very clear what the stakes are.

What I loved the most was that since the reader understands what’s happening so well, when all the pieces start falling together, there is a huge emotional rollercoaster of worrying about what might happen and how hard it will be for all the characters involved. When you can get behind a story enough that you start worrying for the characters, that’s when you know that you are well and truly immersed.

My Recommendations

For those of you who light a lighter fantasy with lots (I mean lots!) of heart and just a slight hint of dystopia, The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a great choice. There is no offensive language or any inkling of intimate situations, and while there is some peril, there aren’t depictions of violence. I’d recommend it for all readers ages 12 and up, and also younger readers who are okay with keeping track of multiple storylines.

I rate this book 5/5 stars for being lovely, well balanced, and made me feel all the feels.

Thank you for joining me as I reviewed The Girl Who Drank The Moon today on the blog. If you enjoyed reading this review and would like to see more, please consider connecting with me by either following the blog here on WordPress, liking my  Facebook page , or  subscribing to my newsletter.  As an added bonus, newsletter subscribers receive free books, stories, and special offers every week.

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Book Review: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Title: The Girl Who Drank the Moon

Author: Kelly Barnhill

Genre: Fantasy

Grade Recommendation: Grade 5 & Above

Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a captivating and enchanting novel that is sure to capture the hearts of young and old readers alike. This book tells the story of a young girl named Luna, who is raised by a witch and a swamp monster in a world filled with magic and wonder.

The book is a delightful combination of fantasy, adventure, and coming-of-age themes, which makes it a perfect read for readers of all ages. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the plot is intricate and engaging.

One of the strengths of this book is the author’s ability to create a vivid and immersive world that readers can easily get lost in. From the magical forest to the mysterious and foreboding Tower, every detail is carefully crafted to create a sense of wonder and intrigue.

The narrative structure of the book is also noteworthy, as it is told from multiple perspectives. This allows readers to gain a deeper understanding of the characters and their motivations, as well as the world they inhabit.

The book’s central conflict revolves around the idea of sacrifice and the lengths that people will go to protect those they love. This theme is explored in a nuanced and thought-provoking way, making the book much more than just a simple fairy tale.

Another aspect of the book that makes it stand out is its prose. Barnhill’s writing is lyrical and poetic, and she has a talent for using language to create vivid and evocative imagery. This makes the book a joy to read, even for those who are not typically fans of the fantasy genre.

Overall, The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a beautifully crafted novel that is sure to delight readers of all ages. Its engaging characters, intricate plot, and immersive world-building make it a must-read for fans of fantasy and fairy tales.

In conclusion, The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a must-read for fans of the fantasy genre, as well as anyone who appreciates well-crafted storytelling and vivid world-building. With its engaging characters, intricate plot, and lyrical prose, this book is sure to capture the hearts and imaginations of readers young and old.

Pick from this and many more wonderful reads at the BookGuru Library. Offer your kids a rich reading experience.

Vocabulary Boost:

10 words from the book “The Girl Who Drank the Moon” by Kelly Barnhill

1. Abomination – something that is hated or loathed

2. Befuddle – to confuse or perplex

3. Citadel – a fortress or stronghold, usually on a high hill

4. Coven – a group of witches who meet regularly to practice magic

5. Cryptic – mysterious or obscure in meaning

6. Deluge – a great flood or heavy downpour of rain

7. Inscrutable – impossible to understand or interpret

8. Luminous – emitting or reflecting light; shining brightly

9. Malevolent – having or showing a wish to do evil to others

10. Quaint – attractively old-fashioned or unusual

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Review: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

The girl who drank the moon kelly barnhill algonquin young readers published on august 9, 2016, amazon | barnes & noble | goodreads.

About The Girl Who Drank the Moon Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind and gentle. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster named Glerk and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, Fyrian. Xan rescues the abandoned children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey.

One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this enmagicked girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. To keep young Luna safe from her own unwieldy power, Xan locks her magic deep inside her. When Luna approaches her thirteenth birthday, her magic begins to emerge on schedule — but Xan is far away. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Soon, it is up to Luna to protect those who have protected her — even if it means the end of the loving, safe world she’s always known.

My Review This. Book. Is. Amazing. Seriously. If you haven’t read it, please do! I loved the characters from the Swamp Monster to the village boy who grows up and vows to kill the witch and end the child sacrifices. The creepy assassin sisterhood gave me chills. The love between Luna and Xan and the Mad Woman made me cry. Fyrian made me laugh.

The story world completely engrossed me. It’s rich and clever and weaves around the characters, connecting them in surprising ways. It’s the kind of story that feels like a chess game—where you don’t see the real tension of it until the big pieces move into place for that final check mate. But every chapter along the way is filled with great moments, mystery, and foreshadowing.

Two friends recommended The Girl Who Drank the Moon to me and still it took me way too long to read it. It’s a great book to read aloud, and one of those rare books that any age could read and enjoy. This is likely to remain one of my favorites for a long time. Perfect for fans of Jessica Day George .

Cultural Elements (As the cover suggests) Luna is described as having black hair and brown skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content None. There are a couple references to swearing. In one instance, for example, a character says, “I don’t give a rat’s—” and is interrupted by another character who chastises him for his language.

Romance/Sexual Content A young man and woman get married (not shown). Later, she has a baby.

Spiritual Content Contains magic and mythical creatures (dragons, a swamp monster, a creation story involving the bog and the swamp monster). The villagers believe a witch demands a yearly sacrifice of the youngest child, so they leave the baby in the woods for her. There are rumors that she eats the children or uses them for slave labor (She doesn’t.). In the story, starlight and moonlight contain magic which can be collected and distributed. One witch converts others’ sorrow to power for herself.

Violent Content Some references to cruelty toward children. This shows up in the rumors about the witch in the woods but also in Xan’s vague memories of her childhood.

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Book Review

The girl who drank the moon.

• Kelly Barnhill
• Fairy Tale , Fantasy

Readability Age Range

• Algonquin Young Readers, a division of Workman Publishing, an imprint of Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
• Publisher’s Weekly Best Book, 2016; School Library Journal Best, 2016, Newbery Medal, 2017 and others

Year Published

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine .

Plot Summary

The people of the Protectorate live in fear of the evil witch who haunts the forest. She will leave them alone, but at a terrible cost: They must bring her a newborn baby every year.

The Sisters of the Star control a tower full of books and knowledge within the Protectorate. They refuse to share their resources because they say ideas are dangerous. Along with the Council of Elders, led by the self-centered Gherland, the Sisters concocted the witch story decades earlier to intimidate and subdue the villagers.

With great pomp and ceremony, Gherland collects a designated baby every year. He leaves it in the woods where he expects it to die. Unbeknownst to anyone in the Protectorate, there is a witch who annually collects the babies. This good witch, Xan, can’t fathom why the people of the Protectorate would abandon their own children. She secretly rescues the babies and takes them to loving homes in nearby villages.

One year, the mother of the selected baby dares to fight the Elders by climbing to the ceiling rafters with the child. They seize the child anyway, and they lock the mother in the tower until she goes mad. Xan rescues the baby girl, who has a birthmark shaped like a crescent moon.

Xan usually feeds babies healthy starlight but accidentally gives this child moonlight instead. The girl becomes “enmagicked,” filled to bursting with magical powers. Once Xan realizes what she’s done, she decides it’s too risky to give this baby away. She keeps the girl as her granddaughter and calls her Luna. Xan lives with a swamp monster named Glerk and a pocket-sized dragon named Fyrian. The four become a close family over the years.

Antain, Gherland’s young nephew, is training to be the new Grand Elder as the story begins. Antain has seen enough to feel uncomfortable about the Protectorate’s governing body. The ceremonial removing of the babies haunts him the most. He never forgets the sight of the woman hanging from the rafters fighting for her baby.

Before long, Antain tells his uncle he doesn’t want the Grand Elder position. He leaves his training to become a carpenter. Antain returns to the tower some time later to visit the madwoman. She has collected bits and pieces of magic and taught herself to do strange things with paper. Her folded paper birds attack Antain, leaving sharp, disfiguring cuts on his body.

When Luna starts to discover her magical abilities, Xan puts a protective spell on her. She squelches the powers and makes Luna forget even the word magic . Xan knows that, in spite of the spell, Luna’s powers will become clear to her as she nears age 13. Xan also realizes her own powers will diminish. She will die as Luna grows more powerful.

One year, the weakening Xan goes to collect the Protectorate baby. She changes herself into a bird so she can watch for Gherland’s arrival. Luna, who still knows nothing of the Protectorate or her origins, goes after Xan out of concern for the old woman’s health.

Back in the Protectorate, successful carpenter Antain is married to the woman he has always loved. They’ve just become parents, but the child is slated to be given to the witch. Antain vows to go to the haunted forest and kill the witch before she can steal his or any other children.

Gherland fears his elaborate hoax will be discovered. He talks with Sister Ignatia, known as the Sorrow Eater because she thrives on the sorrows of others. Sister Ignatia says she’ll follow Antain into the woods and kill him. Sensing magical messages about her stolen child’s whereabouts, the madwoman breaks out of the tower and heads into the woods herself.

As Antain enters the forest to hunt the witch, he hears a noise. He shoots and hits a bird, injuring its wing. Antain picks up the bird, Xan, and nestles her in his coat. The madwoman comes upon the home where Xan and Luna lived. She finds Sister Ignatia’s magical boots, which allow her to travel swiftly over great distances. Sister Ignatia chases the madwoman through the woods in an effort to retrieve the boots.

Antain sees Luna and believes she is the baby-stealing witch in disguise. He’s about to kill her when the madwoman and her magical paper birds burst onto the scene. Luna realizes Antain’s injured bird is her grandmother and the madwoman is her mother. Xan, Antain and the madwoman each share their experiences concerning the abandoned babies.

Xan is crushed to learn she’s been keeping children from their real families all these years. Sister Ignatia arrives and tries to make everyone unhappy so she can eat their sorrow. The rest remind each other they must choose hope and love instead of sorrow. Glerk and the now-gigantic dragon, Fyrian, arrive. They all decide not to harm Sister Ignatia since she is locked in a prison of her own sorrow.

A volcano that will destroy the Protectorate and surrounding villages is about to erupt. Xan urges Luna to use her magic and put a bubble around the towns to shelter them. In the aftermath, the villages are covered in ash but are safe thanks to Luna. The Elders are imprisoned.

Antain and his wife visit Gherland and forgive him, even though the Elder shows no remorse. Xan and Sister Ignatia, both weak and dying, are moved to the hospital wing of the tower. Other children who had been taken from their parents return to the Protectorate to meet their birth families. The madwoman cannot remember her name. Luna searches the town history to discover her mother’s real name is Adara.

As Xan’s life comes to a close, Glerk, Fyrian and Luna stay near her. She dies, and Luna returns to her new family, including her mother, Antain, his wife and his child. Glerk awakens Xan, and they walk hand in hand to the Bog.

Christian Beliefs

Other belief systems.

This fairy tale includes witches, magic, spells, flying dragons and a talking swamp creature. The people believe all good comes from the Bog, that the Bog created everything and the Bog loves them. There were once no words or animals or mountains. The lonely Bog created a body for himself and became the Beast.

The Beast loved the Bog and the Bog loved the Beast. The Beast couldn’t express the tenderness he felt, so he created words. Then he created the sky and all of the other things people see. The phrase “Bog be praised” appears.

Glerk frequently mentions the Bog and contends that the Bog is the heartbeat and womb of the world. He is the Bog, and the Bog is him, he says. When Xan dies, Glerk takes her hand and leads her to the Bog.

Authority Roles

The Sisters of the Shadow live in a tower that includes a working dungeon and torture chamber. They have expansive libraries and are skilled in many areas of arts, crafts and combat. They don’t allow others to benefit from their knowledge.

Sister Ignatia thrives on eating the sorrows of others. The self-centered Grand Elder lies to the people to control them. Antain’s mother is concerned with her son’s power and status more than his happiness. Xan lovingly cares for Luna. She keeps secrets she feels Luna should not yet know.

Profanity & Violence

The Lord’s name is used in vain a time or two. The word d–ned appears once. The madwoman and Antain lie in pools of blood after her paper birds attack him.

Sexual Content

Discussion topics.

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

Lying/Deception: Antain lies to his mother and Sister Ignatia when it is easier than explaining himself. Luna and Xan lie and keep secrets from one another for years. The Sisters lie to the madwoman, telling her she left her baby in the woods and lost it, or that she never had a baby at all.

You can request a review of a title you can’t find at [email protected] .

Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

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Book Review: The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Prepare to be enmagicked.

It happened to me before I even read Kelly Barnhill’s  THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON . When I saw the enchanting cover art so many months ago, I knew the book would have to be mine. It called me. And then I won an ARC from Goodreads, like it was my destiny.

It arrived the day I got back from vacation. I opened the cover, and it swallowed me whole.

It will happen to you too. You are powerless to resist Luna’s story. Stripped from her mother’s hands by the Protectorate and left in the woods as a mere babe. Nurtured by an elder witch, Xan, who accidently lets her drink the moonlight. Moonlight filled with magic.

Luna can’t be left with a good family nearby like the other abandoned babies that Xan has rescued. Her magic makes that too risky. Luna is raised by the witch, a teeny tiny dragon who thinks he’s a Simply Enormous Dragon living in a land of giants, and a swamp monster who writes lovely poetry. To keep Luna safe from her own power, Xan locks the magic inside Luna. It emerges on schedule as she approaches her 13 th birthday.

Just. In. Time.

Just in time because things are changing in the safe, magical woods of Luna’s childhood. Dangerous changes. Luna must unlock her magic to protect those who have protected her.

THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON is filled with deeply drawn characters: sinister, daring, enchanting, and endearing. A thickly satisfying plot, threaded with magic and love and millions of paper birds, makes it an unforgettable read.

Sigh. I wish I could read it all over again for the first time.

But don’t just listen to me, because remember I’m under Kelly Barnhill’s spell. Check out these starred reviews!

“Rich with multiple plot lines that culminate in a suspenseful climax, characters of inspiring integrity (as well as characters without any), a world with elements of both whimsy and treachery, and prose that melds into poetry. A sure bet for anyone who enjoys a truly fantastic story.  ” –  Booklist , starred review

“Guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and enmagick.” –  Kirkus Reviews , starred review

“Captivating… Barnhill delivers an escalating plot filled with foreshadowing, well-developed characters, and a fully realized setting, all highlighting her lyrical storytelling.” –  Publishers Weekly , starred review

THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON is available for pre-order

and releases on August 9th!

Goodreads   |   Amazon   | Barnes & Noble  | IndieBound  | Algonquin YR

To read an excerpt from THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON , click here .

To read Kelly Barnhill ‘s beautiful prequel to THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON , click here for part one and here for part two .

Check out our INTERVIEW  with Kelly Barnhill  about THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON!

And always remember…

You are ever so much more than you realize.  —Kelly Barnhill, THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, chapter 28

Subscribe to The Winged Pen and never miss a post, including our monthly #FourOn400 writing contest for middle grade and young adult. Click to SUBSCRIBE!

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3 thoughts on “ book review: the girl who drank the moon by kelly barnhill ”.

It’s going on my TBR list! Thanks for the recommendation!

You’re making my reading list so hungry! The cover is gorgeous and the story sounds like just the ticket. What excellent reviews you write!

Aww…thanks, ladies. I’m not much into reviewing books, but when I read this story I could not control my urge to tell the world about how amazing it is!

What do you think? Leave questions or comments below! Cancel reply

Published by

Michelle leonard.

Michelle is a We Need Diverse Books advocate and volunteer, a member of SCBWI Carolinas, and a Masters of Library and Information Studies student on her way to becoming an academic STEM librarian. She blogs about libraries and information studies at michelletleonard.com (More Than Stacks). You can also find her on Twitter @mleonardwrites. View all posts by Michelle Leonard

The Girl Who Drank the Moo n  by Kelly Barnhill is one of the freshest stories I’ve read in years. If you love fairy tales, strong storytelling, lyrical writing and a bit of quirkiness, this is the book for you.

My top ten reasons to love The Girl Who Drank the Moon :

1. Wonderfully weird  –  It is a quirky blend of dark fantasy and humour, a super cool blend of ~ Oooh~ and HA! It’s a story that tugs your heart-strings and tickles your sides. The lyrical prose soothes while the stark truths stab you in the heart. It’s disturbing, entertaining, heartwarming, intriguing, satisfying … and plain old good.

2. Adorable characters :

• Fyrion , the stunted dragon who believes he’s enormous, is completely endearing. He had some of the funniest lines in the book. I liked him so much I want to name a future pet Fyrion, but it would have to be a reptile, and I can’t go there so…
• Xan the misunderstood old witch. What a great character. Generous, kind and principled—and she makes mistakes.
• Glerk , the swamp monster-poet and theologian  is so steadfast, so stable. Put the four together, sprinkle some Kelly Barnhill brand pixie dust, and KaPOW! Magic and delight on the pages.

3. Fantastic world building – “In the beginning was the bog … the bog is the poet and the poet is the bog …” Sounds silly here, but in the world of the book, the swamp monster’s origin story was perfect. Then there’s the wood and the bog and the volcano. The dreadful history of the Protectorate. The Sorrow Eater’s spectre. Magic that thrums and glows in Technicolor with flashes of silver. The shameful politics! So much to admire.

4. The lyrical writing – I noticed quite a few reviewers who tired of the writer’s repetition. It is true that the author’s makes great use of repetition, but it’s not arbitrary. The Mad Woman repeats, “She is here, she is here, she is here. ” It’s both a symptom of her madness and a device in the book. It was cleverly used, when her daughter picked up the phrase. To the nay-sayers, I suggest they “hear” the prose rather than just read it. It sounds sublime. Listen to the audiobook to experience the musicality of the prose. You may change your mind.

5. And speaking of the audiobook, the narration was pitch-perfect. Narrator Christina Moore gives a  stupendous performance. It was beguiling and heart-rending and joyful. A lot of my attraction to Xan had to do with the narrator’s voice. There was something beguiling about Xan’s voice. I rarely pick audio books by the narrator, but I will definitely look for out for her.

6. The storytelling – intriguing, exciting, and ultimately satisfying.

7. The cover –  Oh.my.bog. (a little in-text joke there, not a typo) The cover. It’s tantalising!

8. The words – Kelly Barnhill  lavishes beautiful, challenging words on her young readers. (She says she had fifth graders in mind when she wrote it. I love that she extends rather than simplifies.) This book may make its readers into logophiles.

9. The fluid concept of family – This story portrays different types of families. I especially like the “family” of Xan, Fyrion, Glerk and Luna. The ending of story initiates a beautiful new family constellation (I’m treading carefully to avoid spoilers…). Kids in adoptive, kinship or foster homes may be able to relate and find encouragement in the variety of loving, positive arrangements the book portrays.

10. Uplifting themes – Love and hope triumph over malice and sorrow. More than ever before, in this shifty, grey age of fake news and imploding politics, we need stories of hope and love .

4.7 stars good. A few niggly little things made me scratch my head, but none was serious enough to mar my enjoyment of the book.

I have ordered a physical copy for my favourites shelf — that’s how good.

If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Read (and like) more of my reviews on Goodreads .

Image Credit

Flock of Geese, Photo by  Ethan Weil  on  Unsplash

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2 responses to “book review: the girl who drank the moon”.

I haven’t read it but I’m going to after your recommendation Ali. Perfect for school holiday reading I think.

Like Liked by 1 person

I’m very glad to hear you enjoyed this book since it’s already on my reading list. 🙂 I love the cover!

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Wednesday 16 May 2018

Review: the girl who drank the moon.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

Kelly barnhill, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Throughout the novel, an unnamed parent tells their child about the history of the Protectorate and the Day of Sacrifice. The parent lost a baby to the sacrifice years ago, and they say that an evil Witch demands an infant every year. Long ago, the Witch forced dragons to make the volcano explode, and killed a wizard. She poisoned the forest and the Bog that was once life-giving. According to the parent, it’s pointless to stand up to the Witch.

In the novel’s present, young Antain , an Elder-in-Training, is participating in his first Day of Sacrifice. It’s horrific: the mother refuses to hand over her baby, and Antain’s uncle Gherland doesn’t even stay in the woods to make sure that the Witch gets the baby. The narrator says that this is because, as far as Gherland is concerned, there is no Witch. The Witch is a convenient narrative to keep the population sad and under control. But unbeknownst to Gherland, a kindly witch named Xan has been saving abandoned babies for the past 500 years. She doesn’t ask why their mothers abandon them, but she feels it’s her responsibility to rescue them. Xan takes them to the Free Cities after feeding them on starlight, which is why they’re called Star Children. This year, Xan discovers a baby with a crescent moon birthmark. She takes her time traveling with the baby, and after 10 days accidentally feeds the baby moonlight. This enmagicks the baby. Xan knows this means she can’t leave the baby with anyone else, so she names her Luna and decides to keep her. At home, the swamp monster Glerk isn’t impressed while the dragonling Fyrian is ecstatic. Fyrian is the size of a dove, but he believes that he’s a Simply Enormous Dragon and lives in the land of the giants.

Glerk and Xan watch closely as Luna grows, as they know that her magic is going to burst at some point. They know that there’s something they should remember and that sorrow is dangerous, but they don’t know why. When Luna turns five, her magic erupts. Luna has no idea what she’s doing and Xan can’t teach her. Xan also grows weaker and weaker. Finally, Xan places Luna in a cocoon and returns to the old castle to reconnect to her memories of Zosimos , her mentor. After nine days of study, she comes up with a spell to encase Luna’s magic in a small grain in her brain, turning her into a compliant student of magic. It will open when Luna turns 13, at which point Xan will die. When Luna wakes up, she feels different. She goes into trances whenever she sees or hears anything to do with magic, which disturbs Xan. However, Xan tells herself that Luna will be fine and that it’s too sad and dangerous to think about what might happen in the future.

Meanwhile in the Protectorate, Antain remains haunted by seeing the madwoman ’s baby taken. He goes to visit Sister Ignatia , the head of the Sisters of the Star. She allows him to visit the madwoman, whose cell is filled with paper birds and maps that say, “she is here.” Antain is terrified, and the madwoman’s birds attack him. His face scars horribly and he resigns from the Council of Elders. Though he loves his job as a carpenter, Antain feels as though he lost something important. His prestige grows, but he continually walks past the Tower and thinks of the madwoman. One day, he speaks to Sister Ignatia. He thinks that she looks oddly content until Sister Ignatia asks him to help Ethyne , a former Sister, move out of the Tower—she broke tradition and decided to leave the Sisterhood. Ethyne is the only person who looks Antain in the face without flinching, and Antain feels hopeful.

Meanwhile, the madwoman can’t remember her own name, but she doesn’t see the point in remembering anyway. She knows that she’s mad, but also that her madness has allowed her to discover magic and conjure paper out of the bends in the universe. She feels horrible for hurting Antain, but she watches him closely. Because of her magic, the madwoman now knows where the Witch lives. She draws maps leading into the forest and one day, Antain catches one.

As Luna grows, she experiences headaches and dizzy spells. Xan visits the Free Cities twice per year but she only takes Luna once per year, something that annoys Luna. Luna begins to realize that Fyrian never seems to get any older. One morning as Luna muses about Fyrian, she has a flash of a memory of a woman with black hair. Fyrian calls to her and she comes to, crying. She lies that she’s just thinking about how much she loves her family. Meanwhile, as Xan rescues another abandoned baby, Antain steps in her path. Antain is now married to Ethyne and is now filled with hope, so he suspects that he can reason with the Witch.

Later that year, Xan takes Luna to the Free Cities. Xan’s health is clearly deteriorating, but she insists that it’s not. On the trip, Luna sits with Star Children and tells them about her memories of a woman with black hair. Xan insists that they’re not true, but neither Xan nor Luna will talk about the truth. Luna begins to experiment with telling stories about a girl who can’t remember things and a grandmother who lies. One night, she and Fyrian fall asleep. When Luna wakes up with a burn on her thigh from Fyrian’s snout, she tells him to get out. Fyrian finds himself in a strange place and though he tells himself that his feet always stomp and his wings always blow leaves off of trees, he knows that this is odd. He finds a pair of tiny boots and then hears growling. He remembers Xan telling him to call for her if he needs help. Calling for Xan doesn’t help, so he calls for Luna. Fyrian finds himself back in Luna’s bed. In the morning, Luna discovers a pair of mysterious boots. They make her head hurt, so she throws them in her trunk and decides to ask Glerk about them. By the time she gets outside, she forgets about the boots.

Luna leaves Xan a note and goes up the hill to draw. A crow follows her and Luna remembers that somehow, she created the crow yesterday. Fyrian sneakily tags along and falls asleep while Luna goes into a trance and draws. She wakes up after noon and runs back home, feeling as though everything is strange. Xan is still in bed. Luna discovers that she drew a detailed map of how to get to the Protectorate. At the same time, Antain tricks the Council into letting him speak. He insists that since Ethyne is pregnant and their baby will be the next one sacrificed, he’s going to go into the forest and kill the Witch. Luna wakes up with a pounding headache and walks to a large stone. It lets her into a workshop where paper swirls around her. She’s able to read the word “magic,” and the papers tell her about how, 500 years ago, magicians enmagicked a child. That child and Zosimos tried to fight someone called the Sorrow Eater, but Zosimos died. The papers tell Luna that the child in question was Xan. In the Protectorate, Sister Ignatia assures Gherland that she’ll go into the forest to kill Antain herself—the Witch must kill him. She seems to taste Gherland’s sorrow with pleasure.

Xan wants to explain everything to Luna, but she knows she can’t. Knowing that there’s an abandoned baby waiting for her, Xan leaves Luna a note and turns herself into a swallow to fly to the Protectorate. Luna discovers the note later, and doesn’t finish reading it before tearing it up and heading into the forest with the crow, though a scrap of paper from the note crawls into her pocket. The madwoman watches Antain step into the forest and thinks that it’s too dangerous for Antain to go alone—the Witch lives in the Tower and will follow him. She turns the bars of her window into paper, and her paper birds carry her into the forest. Later that morning, Sister Ignatia assures Gherland that she’ll deal with Antain. They discuss that Antain’s journey is stirring up hope. In the swamp, Glerk and Fyrian discover the empty house and Xan’s note. It’s been repaired with Luna’s magic and it’s missing the word “magic.” Glerk decides that it’s time for Fyrian to grow up, so the two of them set out to help Xan and Luna. They sense that the volcano is rumbling ominously, like it’s about to erupt again.

The madwoman’s birds let her down in the swamp, where she discovers that her baby’s name is Luna. She turns to caring for the animals, wearing a pair of boots that she’s found. Luna is terrified, especially when a flock of paper birds descends around her—though she decides that they’re okay when they protect her from Sister Ignatia, who’s trying to find her Seven League Boots. Sister Ignatia goes to fetch them from the madwoman and congratulates herself on starting all the stories in the Protectorate about the Witch. At the same time, Antain, terrified, throws a rock at a sparrow (who is actually Xan) and breaks her wing. He carries Xan with him. Fyrian begins to grow at an alarming rate. Back in the Protectorate, Ethyne discovers that Sister Ignatia is gone and begins to plan a rebellion. Knowing that Sister Ignatia is the Witch who cultivates sorrow, she locks unsympathetic Sisters up and opens the library for everyone. Mothers who lost babies inexplicably begin to experience visions of their children growing older, and they feel hopeful for the first time.

Luna suddenly remembers being a child. She saw Xan create a scrying glass and went into a trance, and Xan insisted that she and Glerk couldn’t tell Fyrian the truth—he’d tell Luna that Xan is a witch, which would mean that Luna then wouldn’t be able to see Xan. Luna instinctively creates a scrying device and asks it to show her Xan. It shows her a sparrow. Xan tries to convince herself that Luna is safe at home as Antain starts to talk about the Day of Sacrifice and tells Xan that he’s going to kill the Witch. Xan is horrified to learn that the babies she saved were sacrifices. Antain hears someone coming up the hill. At the top of the hill, Luna, the madwoman, Xan, and Antain all converge with paper birds. Luna recognizes the madwoman as her mother and returns Xan to her human form, and Antain realizes that none of these women are the Witch he seeks. Xan apologizes for taking the abandoned babies and asks for forgiveness. As the three women stand, Sister Ignatia—the Sorrow Eater—appears. Antain is confused, but the madwoman explains that Sister Ignatia is the Witch and tells Luna that a piece of her is still human. Luna peers into Sister Ignatia’s heart, which is encased in a pearl, and sees that it’s full of sorrow. She unlocks it just as Fyrian and Glerk bound over the ridge. Fyrian now knows that Sister Ignatia is responsible for his mother’s death, so he threatens to kill her. Xan and Glerk talk him down and then, as the volcano rumbles, Fyrian says they need to get to the Protectorate to save everyone from the eruption.

In the Protectorate, Luna joins hands with Xan and the madwoman, and Xan coaches her through creating protective bubbles around everyone. In the aftermath, everyone in the Protectorate remains hopeful. They put the Elders in prison and Luna begins traveling to the Free Cities to tell the Star Children the truth about their parentage—and that their hearts can always hold more love. Luna discovers that her mother’s name is Adara. Xan and Sister Ignatia’s health deteriorates, and on the day that the first Star Children arrive in the Protectorate, Xan dies of happiness. Glerk takes her to the Bog with him. The parent explains to the child that the kind and generous Witch claimed the Protectorate, and that is the reason why they’re prosperous and healthy.

Eustea Reads

A life in books and tea, book review: the girl who drank the moon by kelly barnhill.

So, I’m sure I’ve read this book before (especially once I started actually reading the book – it’s all familiar and I’ve either read it before or had a scarily accurate dream about the story). But because I can’t find any review of the book on this blog or on Goodreads, the completionist in me decided to reread the book and write a proper review. Without further ado…

The Girl Who Drank The Moon is a charming and heartwarming tale about family, growing up, and magic. Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering for the Witch. What the elders know, however, is that there’s no witch, they made her up to keep the people compliant. What the elders don’t know, however, is that there IS a witch (Xan) and she’s been rescuing the babies and giving them to loving families in the Free Cities. One year, while bringing another baby to the Free Cities, Xan accidentally feeds the baby moonlight and enmagick’s her. This begins Luna’s story of her life with Xan.

The most magical thing about this story is probably its characters. Luna grows up with Xan (witch) Glerk (swamp monster) and Fyrian (Simply Enormous Dragon who’s currently a Perfectly Tiny Dragon). The three are quirky but loving and Luna grows up very well cared for. I really adored reading their interactions with one another and it was easy to feel the love they had for Luna. In the Protectorate, we follow the story of Antain, the nephew of the Grand Elder who isn’t quite fit for such a callous role. His story is smaller than Luna’s but no less important.

In terms of story, what starts as a simple story about Luna’s magic threatening to overflow quickly turns into something much more complex. We learn about Xan and the Protectorate’s history and all the different plot strands come together at the end for a very exciting finale. My “gift edition” of the book that I borrowed from the library also comes with a story about Xan’s childhood, which was lovely since it colours in even more detail.

If I had any complaints, it would be that the pacing of the book was quite uneven. The first half was rather slow and gentle while the last section was a wild ride. But still, we do follow Luna over quite a long period of time and I was charmed from the start so I didn’t really mind the uneven pacing.

Overall, this is a great Middle Great fantasy. It’s filled with so much love and magic, as well as quirky adorable characters, that it was difficult to put this down once I started. I definitely recommend this to fans of fantasy.

Featured Image: Photo from Canva

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The Girl Who Drank the Moon Audio CD – October 15, 2016

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• Print length 1 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Recorded Books, Inc. and Blackstone Publishing
• Publication date October 15, 2016
• ISBN-10 1664457542
• ISBN-13 978-1664457546
• See all details

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Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Recorded Books, Inc. and Blackstone Publishing; Unabridged edition (October 15, 2016)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Audio CD ‏ : ‎ 1 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1664457542
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1664457546
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years, from customers
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.6 ounces
• #25,866 in Books on CD
• #102,313 in Children's Literature (Books)

About the author

Kelly barnhill.

Kelly Barnhill is an author, teacher and mom. She wrote THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, THE WITCH'S BOY, IRON HEARTED VIOLET, THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF JACK and many, many short stories. She won the World Fantasy Award for her novella, THE UNLICENSED MAGICIAN, a Parents Choice Gold Award for IRON HEARTED VIOLET, the Charlotte Huck Honor for THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, and has been a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award, the Andre Norton award and the PEN/USA literary prize. She was also a McKnight Artist's Fellowship recipient in Children's Literature. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her three brilliant children, architect husband, and emotionally-unstable dog. She is a fast runner, a good hiker, and a terrible gardener. You can visit and chat at her blog: www.kellybarnhill.com

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The Girl Who Drank the Moon (Winner of the 2017 Newbery Medal)

Contributors

By Kelly Barnhill

Formats and Prices

• Hardcover (Special Edition)
• Trade Paperback $10.99 $13.99 CAD
• ebook $9.99 $12.99 CAD
• Hardcover (Special Edition) $19.95 $24.95 CAD
• Hardcover $18.99 $24.99 CAD

This item is a preorder. Your payment method will be charged immediately, and the product is expected to ship on or around April 30, 2019. This date is subject to change due to shipping delays beyond our control.

Also available from:

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Description

• Children's Books
• Juvenile Fiction
• Fantasy & Magic
• Winner of the 2017 Newbery Medal The New York Times  Bestseller An Entertainment Weekly Best Middle Grade Book of 2016 A New York Public Library Best Book of 2016 A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2016 An Amazon Top 20 Best Book of 2016 A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2016 A School Library Journal Best Book of 2016 Named to Kirkus Reviews ’ Best Books of 2016 2017 Booklist Youth Editors’ Choice “Impossible to put down . . . The Girl Who Drank the Moon is as exciting and layered as classics like Peter Pan or The Wizard of Oz .” — The New York Times Book Review   “A gorgeously written fantasy about a girl who becomes “enmagicked” after the witch who saves her from death feeds her moonlight.” — People    “[Barnhill’s] next middle grade sensation.” —EW.com   “With compelling, beautiful prose, Kelly Barnhill spins the enchanting tale of a kindly witch who accidentally gives a normal baby magic powers, then decides to raise her as her own.” —EW.com, The Best Middle-Grade Books of 2016   « “Guaranteed to enchant, enthrall, and enmagick . . . Replete with traditional motifs, this nontraditional fairy tale boasts sinister and endearing characters, magical elements, strong storytelling, and unleashed forces.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review   « “Rich with multiple plotlines that culminate in a suspenseful climax, characters of inspiring integrity, a world with elements of both whimsy and treachery, and prose that melds into poetry. A sure bet for anyone who enjoys a truly fantastic story.” — Booklist , starred review   « “An expertly woven and enchanting offering.” — School Library Journal, starred review   « “Barnhill crafts another captivating fantasy, this time in the vein of Into the Woods . . . Barnhill delivers an escalating plot filled with foreshadowing, well-developed characters, and a fully realized setting, all highlighting her lyrical storytelling.” — Publishers Weekly , starred review   « “Barnhill writes with gentle elegance, conveying a deeply emotional and heartrending tale with accessible, fluid prose. Characters are skillfully developed: the heroes are flawed, the villains are humanized, and they are forgiven for sins they may or may have not intended. The swamp monster and dragon provide plenty of moments of humor to leaven the pathos, while the setting is infused with fairy tale elements, both magical and menacing, and given a tragic history. Fans of Barnhill’s The Witch’s Boy and Iron Hearted Violet will find similar intersections of love, loss, and identity here.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review   « “The Girl Who Drank the Moon takes a probing look at social complexity and the high cost of secrets and lies, weaving multiple perspectives, past and present, into one cleverly unfolding fairy tale. Barnhill crafts wonderfully imperfect characters with poetic prose, warmth and wit. The resiliency of the heroes may be partly because of magic, but also because of critical thinking, empathy, deep love and the strength of family in all its unconventional manifestations. Thoughtful and utterly spellbinding.” — Shelf Awareness for Readers, starred review   “Heart-stopping and heart-rending . . . Good and evil square off in this highly original fantasy that satisfies in time-honored ways . . . Poetic turns of phrase, intriguing subplots and fast pacing yield a rich mix of suspense, surprise and social commentary, splendidly exploring ‘memory, hope, love, and the weight of human emotion.’” — San Francisco Chronicle “Good in the best of ways: full of adventure and compelling characters and mystery and surprisingly poetic language. And it’s pushed me close to tears more than a few times.” —Jesmyn Ward, National Book Award winner   “Magic, witches, moonlight, starlight, a baby dragon and baby sacrifice swirl together in this spell-binding high fantasy.” — San Francisco Chronicle (Holiday Roundup)   “If your kids have already read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , and they can’t get enough of Neil Gaiman, they’re going to love Kelly Barnhill’s new fantasy, The Girl Who Drank the Moon .” — St. Paul Pioneer Press    “ The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a story of love, curiosity and the magic of the everyday world . . . this is a novel about the journey, not the destination — one filled with wisdom and heart.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune   “Magic, witch-lore, an evil Council of Elders, a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, twists and turns and an utterly fantastical world—this book keeps you hooked!” —Kim Childress, book editor of Girls’ Life   “An involving—and often wondrously strange—adventure. Though aimed at middle grade readers, this has plenty of marvels and tongue-in-cheek moments to keep older readers entertained as well.” — Locus   “Infused with unique forms of magic. Philosophy and plots intertwine, woven together with bejeweled language and themes of love, secrets, power, belonging and family.” —Charlotte Observer “A fresh take on fantasy.” — Iowa City Press-Citizen   “This story of a girl who gains magical powers after a witch saves her life by ‘feeding her moonlight’ has drawn comparisons to The Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan .” — New York Post   “There’s much to love about this fast-paced story. The characters are charming, good and evil battle it out in scenes that keep the pages turning as the story builds to its climax, and the real witches come out of the woodwork. There are plenty of surprises as the author wends her way to a conclusion, leaving not a single stone unturned. Children, and adults too, will be “enmagicked” by this addictive tale.” — Washington Missourian   “A delightful read, especially for upper elementary and middle schoolers who love traditional fantasy.” —Providence Journal (Providence, RI)   “Refreshing, magical, oftentimes comical, and full of adventure and heart, The Girl Who Drank the Moon soars off the pages. Readers will be fascinated in a spell that will sing to them and wrap them up in a finely woven tapestry of fantasy and magic. Few storytellers have the gift of so deftly arranging a fantasy or building a world so magical that readers want to live there, but Kelly Barnhill is the best at her craft. If you loved The Witch’s Boy, you will love The Girl Who Drank the Moon even more . . . An instant classic, a book that today's children will read someday to their children. Highly, highly recommended. I would recommend this book over all others this year. It is honestly the best book I’ve read in years.” — El Paso Times   “Kelly Barnhill is an artist, weaving a tightly-developed world from prose that reads like poetry. The Girl Who Drank the Moon is high fantasy at its finest and belongs on the same shelf with legendary tales like The Once and Future King, The Hobbit, Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising Sequence, and Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain.” — Nerdy Book Club   “ The Girl Who Drank the Moon is pure magic . . . Barnhill weaves together poetic prose—along with a few actual poems—well-developed characters, a perfectly escalating plot, and a beautiful message to create the extraordinary tapestry of this nontraditional fairy tale that will engage readers of any age.” — Barnes Noble Kids Blog   “This entrancing novel is full of beautiful detail with a very well-crafted plot line and exquisitely developed characters. Light and dark magic combine to weave a complex, twisting vine of a tale.” —Skipping Stones   “From pure hearted characters to beautifully detailed backdrops, everything about this story is truly mystical . . . The Girl Who Drank the Moon is an unforgettable story that is so beautifully written it must have taken magic to write it.” —YM2 (Young Mensan BookParade e-zine)   “It is the strong element of emotional entanglement between parents and children that sets this book apart from the bursting shelves of middle grade fantasy. Barnhill does an excellent job of reminding us that, while sorrow can be a dangerous and overwhelming force, love is an even greater magic.” — Cleaver Magazine   “Just lovely—a worthy precursor to authors like Gaiman and LeGuin. Barnhill has a knack for telling a complex story in deceptively simple, lyrical fairy tale language, and the way she teases the individual threads of this story together—the brave boy, the magical girl, the witch’s forgotten history, the mad mother—is brilliant. The characters—minor and major—live and breathe; the world of the story feels sturdy enough to stand on its own . . . go ahead and add  The Girl Who Drank the Moon  to your reading list.” — home |school | life magazine     “This fantasy book about the unexpected power of magic, love and sorrow is told with beautiful prose and some humor . . .” — Free Lance-Star (Ferdericksburg, MD)   “Get lost in the magic of a middle grade read with The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Beautifully written and poetic, this is a tale that defines magic and love in a whole new light . . . Kelly Barnhill has a magical way of bringing a story and moral to light, while delicately dealing with deep issues. Perfectly suited for young readers, this book is also entertaining for an older reading audience.” — Independent Voice (Dixon, CA)    “A page turner for all ages. A rich cast of characters that includes a highly intelligent swamp monster, a tiny dragon, and a child imbued with powerful magic form the heart of this enchanting middle grade novel from Barnhill, who weaves an engrossing plot involving family, truth, and sacrifice.” — Tullahoma News (Tullahoma, TN)   “The Girl Who Drank the Moon  is a marvelous children’s story about fear, secrets, and the power of love . . . a wonderful book that older children and teens should enjoy reading.” —Portland Book Review   “Sure to delight readers of other fairy tale-style stories like Neil Gaiman’s Stardust with its deliberate mixture of allusions, satire, and playfulness.” — Midwest Book Review   “This novel is as magical as the magic that threatens to burst from Luna. There is no way to escape its touch as you dream through the pages. It has everything a good story needs – a mystery that is not figured out by the reader until the very end; several unlikely heroes, as well as an unconventional family; so much love mixed with so much pain and sorrow; and magic so unbelievable, it becomes as believable as the age of its painter. Read this book.” — Geeks of Doom   “A fantasy set around Luna, a girl whose magic begins to emerge on her thirteenth birthday, set in a rich fantasy world.” — Asheville Citizen-Times (Asheville, NC)   “A misunderstood witch, a poetry-spouting swamp monster, a tiny dragon with a simply enormous heart, a girl fed from moonlight and a town filled with tragic sadness all come together in this brilliant new novel from the author of Witch’s Boy. Fans of Maile Meloy, Alice Hoffman and Shannon Hale will devour this sad, funny, charming, clever stand-alone fantasy adventure.” — Angie Tally of The Country Bookshop for Pinestraw Magazine (Southern Pines, NC)   “A spellbinding book that will keep you at the edge of your seat . . . Not only does the story show compassion and hope, it shows unconditional love . . . Look for this book to become a classic . . .” —Young Voices of New York   “A modern fable about a witch named Xan, who accidentally gives a baby moonlight instead of starlight, and the child, Luna, who grows up to be magical and dangerous. Factor in a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, a swamp monster, a not-so dormant volcano, and a mysterious woman with a tiger’s heart and, well, you’ve got something truly magical.” — NW Book Lovers   “Barnhill’s impeccable writing makes for effortless reading, while she spins her plot with perfect pacing. Packed within the story are some tremendously thought-provoking themes which elevate this quite beyond an ordinary fantasy and make it a superb choice for a middle-grade-and-older book club.” — OrangeMarmaladeBooks.com

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Kelly Barnhill

About the author.

Kelly Barnhill lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children. She is the author of six novels, including  The Girl Who Drank the Moon , winner of the 2017 John Newbery Medal. She is also the winner of the World Fantasy Award and has been a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award, a Nebula Award, and the PEN/USA literary prize. Visit her online at kellybarnhill.com or on Twitter: @kellybarnhill.

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Righter of Words

editor, book reviewer, word lover

Book Review | The Girl Who Drank the Moon

I like when you read a book and think, “Yes, I see why this won an award.” The Newbery was very well deserved in this case.

In The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill, Xan is a witch in the forest. She is loved by the townsfolk on one side, and feared by the other. The latter believes they must sacrifice a child each year to appease her; but Xan, unaware of their reasoning, rescues the babies and finds them new homes in the other cities. She feeds each baby starlight to give them a hint of magic, ensuring a good life. But when she accidentally feeds one baby moonlight, thus giving her far more power, she decides to raise the child herself. So the baby, Luna, grows up with Xan, the small dragon Fyrian, and the swamp monster Glerk as her family. As Luna gets older, though, her magic manifests strongly, and Xan fears for her own survival as she is drained of strength. Meanwhile, in the city Luna came from, the authorities have a stranglehold on the people thanks to their fear-mongering about the witch. So when one citizen decides to eliminate the threat of the witch, Luna has to face the reality of who she is and what she can do in order to protect those she loves.

I’ve read several books by Kelly Barnhill so far, and the more I do, the more I wonder why it took me so long to discover her. She’s so talented at spinning a magical, atmospheric world that’s as rife with peril and sharper edges as it is full of whimsy and comfort.

I really liked the setting of this, a vast forest and various neighboring towns. The way the people have such differing attitudes and views, especially toward magic, felt realistic and layered. And the characters are excellent. I loved this strange little family of beings, from tiny sweet Fyrian to grumpy but affectionate Glerk. Luna is lovely, too, full of youthful wonder but also a seriousness that makes her a great protagonist.

As for Antain, the young man in Luna’s original village, his storyline was fantastic. I loved how it ended up intertwining with everything else in the plot. And Xan’s backstory too was cleverly incorporated. This aspect was particularly moving; memory and secrets are a major theme here. The way Barnhill explores both is wonderful. Really, this book is about the power of stories, but also about the dark power of secrets. Barnhill demonstrates that even secrets kept to protect someone can cause harm, can cause people to not truly know themselves fully. And the truth, even one that’s difficult to face or that will incite major change, is always better out in the open. There’s probably a commentary on censorship I could pick out here, but that’s just one former English major’s interpretation. I bet I could write a decent essay on that theme’s portrayal in this book, but I’ll spare all of you.

In the end, this is one of those novels that feels like it’s good for any age, and proves that “children’s” literature isn’t just for children. We all need stories like this. The author doesn’t talk down to her intended audience (middle grade), but also does show that there is a good spirit in humanity, despite the harshness that sometimes arises in life. The characters are delightful, with some fun banter and genuine heart. This book is a fairytale that’s sometimes dark and dangerous, but ultimately full of light and love. I really enjoyed it, and I think by now I need to accept that Kelly Barnhill is on my list of “I need to read everything they’ve written.” She’s so talented!

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