The Girl Who Drank the Moon (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 KirkusReviews’ Best Books of 2016
2017 Booklist Youth Editors’ Choice
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. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon. Xan rescues the 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 girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. As Luna’s thirteenth birthday approaches, her magic begins to emerge--with dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Deadly birds with uncertain intentions flock nearby. A volcano, quiet for centuries, rumbles just beneath the earth’s surface. And the woman with the Tiger’s heart is on the prowl . . .
The Newbery Medal winner from the author of the highly acclaimed novel The Witch’s Boy.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a captivating and enchanting middle-grade novel by Kelly Barnhill that has captured the hearts of readers worldwide. This magical tale follows the extraordinary journey of Luna, a young girl adopted and raised by a witch in the woods. As Luna grows, she discovers that she possesses a unique ability – the power to spin moonlight into silver thread. This magical gift sets her on a remarkable adventure, filled with twists, turns, and extraordinary encounters.
The story begins in the quiet village of Prue, where the people live in harmony with the surrounding forest. However, this peaceful existence is disrupted when a group of travelers arrives, led by the mysterious and enigmatic Antain. They bring with them a terrible secret – the knowledge of Luna's true identity. Luna is not just an ordinary girl; she is the daughter of the fearsome Witch in the Wood. This revelation sends shockwaves through the village, and Luna is forced to confront her destiny.
Accompanied by her loyal friend Glerk, a talking fox, Luna embarks on a quest to discover the truth about her past and her powers. Along the way, she encounters a cast of unforgettable characters, including the gentle and wise protector, Xan, the mischievous and enigmatic faerie, Selkie, and the sinister and manipulative White Hand Society. As Luna unravels the secrets of her lineage, she must also confront the darkness within herself and the consequences of her choices.
With lyrical prose and vivid imagery, Kelly Barnhill weaves a spellbinding tapestry of magic, friendship, and self-discovery. The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a powerful and moving story that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of love. It is a tale that will stay with readers long after they finish the last page, leaving them with a profound sense of wonder and enchantment.
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