Moon An "EnMagickal" Middle Grade Adventure

 

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Dark and gloomy, the Protectorate is a village beset by fear—fear of the Elders, who rule the town; fear of the wicked witch, who watches from the forest; and fear of bearing children, one of whom must be sacrificed every year in order to protect the village.  Not everyone supports the annual tradition of leaving a newborn in the woods for the witch, but no one has the courage to speak out against the practice.  It's simply what has to be done.  

Xan, a witch who is not wicked in the least, does her best to ferry the Protectorate's unwanted children to better homes in happier locales.  One night, however, she accidentally "enmagicks" a baby girl, infusing her with a strong dose of moonlight.  The safest solution to the problem is for Xan to raise young Luna herself, which she does with the help of a swamp monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon.  

Everything is well and good until Luna's magic grows too strong to control, Xan's body starts to fail her, and a determined farmer plunges into the woods, determined to kill the witch.  What ensues is a tense, exciting quest for truth, right, and justice.   

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill is a magical fantasy that is both lovely and uplifting.  The prose is lyrical, poetic.  A layered tale, it instructs on many levels, teaching lessons about thinking for one's self, finding courage to do what is right, the importance of truth, and the endurance of love.  I'm sure a digger could find much in the way of symbolism and allegory in this story; me, I just enjoyed it for its surface sweetness.  If you love fantasy stories with a timeless feel, you'll definitely want to let The Girl Who Drank the Moon "enmagick" you.

(Readalikes:  I can't really think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

 

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

 

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find