Bloggin' 'bout Books: 06/21/17

2026 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama

- ~~Alaska~~ (1)

- Arizona

- Arkansas

- ~~California~~ (7)

- ~~Colorado~~ (1)

- ~~Connecticut~~ (1)

- Delaware

- Florida

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- ~~Illinois~~ (1)

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- West Virginia

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- Washington, D.C.*

International:

- Australia (5)

- Austria (1)

- Canada (2)

- England (16)

- France (1)

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Moon An "EnMagickal" Middle Grade Adventure

3:51 PM

(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.

http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberymedal

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

Books Read in 2026 (asterisks denote favorites)

1. Such a Clever Girl by Darby Kane (Jan)
2. When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore (Jan)
3. Atomic Habits by James Clear* [re-read] (Jan)
4. Murder on the Farm by Kate Wells (Jan)
5. Murder at Ochre Court by Alyssa Maxwell (Jan)
6. Not Dead Yet: The Memoir by Phil Collins* [audio] (Feb))
7. The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen (Feb)
8. The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers (Feb)
9. One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day (Feb)
10. A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard (Feb)
11. Bluebird by Sharon Cameron* [re-read] (Feb)
12. The Lake Escape by Jamie Day (Feb)
13. Treacherous is the Night by Anna Lee Huber [audio] (Feb)
14. The Last Resort by Erin Entrada Kelly (Feb)
15. The Missing by Kristen Landon (Feb)
16. Dark and Bright by Catherine Lyon (Feb)
17. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown* [audio] (Feb)
18. Boiled Over by Barbara Ross (Feb)
19. Some of Us Are Looking by Carlene O'Connor (Feb)
20. Coach by Jason Reynolds* [audio] (Feb)
21. The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey (Feb)
22. The Claiming by Jasmine Warga (Feb)
23. Dark and Deep by Catherine Lyon (Feb)
24. Ours is a Tale of Murder by Nora Murphy (Feb)
25. Zoom With a View by Jess Cannon (Feb)
26. The Nowhere Child by Christian White (Feb)
27. An Ordinary Kind of Evil by Kelley Armstrong* (Feb)
28. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater (Feb)
29. Murder at 30,000 Feet by Susan Walter (Feb)
30. Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (Feb)
31. You Were Always Mine by Nicole Baart [audio] (Feb)
32. In Case I Go Missing by R.N. Swann (Mar)
33. A Lie for a Lie by Ren DeStefano (Mar)
34. Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton [audio] (Mar)
35. Murder is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns [audio] (Mar)
36. Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon (Mar)
37. Death at the Dinner Party by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Mar)
38. The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives by Elizabeth Arnott (Mar)
39. A Holiday Homicide by Elile Alexander [audio] (Mar)
40. Summer's Never Over by Darby Bozeman (Mar)
41. The Body in the Woods by April Henry [audio] (Mar)
42. Every Borrowed Beat by Erin Stewart (Mar)
43. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (Mar)
44. Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen (Mar)
45. This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone by Catherine Mack (Mar)
46. A Victim at Valentine's by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Mar)
47. Rock-Solid Relationships: Strengthening Personal Relationships With Wisdom from the Scriptures by Wendy Watson (Apr)
48. A Body at the Book Fair by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Apr)
49. Our Marriage is Murder by Carol Goodman (Apr)
50. A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee (Apr)
51. Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce [re-read] [audio] (Apr)
52. Live and Let Chai by Bree Baker (Apr)

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Moon An "EnMagickal" Middle Grade Adventure

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2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

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Books Read in 2026 (asterisks denote favorites)