The Girl Who Drank the Moon

The Girl Who Drank the Moon
By Kelly Barnhill

Genre: Fantasy
Interest Level: Grades 5-8
Reading Level: T
Where to find this book: Winship School Library

Every year on the Day of Sacrifice a baby is left alone in the woods for the witch. The sacrificed baby, say the Elders, pacifies the witch and keeps her from attacking the village or Protectorate. Most of the sacrificed babies' families are numb to this annual reality and do not fight to save the children. A cloud of sorrow perpetually hovers over the Protectorate. But not every family is giving up their baby without a fight. One mother defiantly takes her daughter in her arms and evades the soldier-like Sisters of the Tower who have come to take her baby away. But only for a brief time. The Sisters forcefully take the baby, who has a crescent-shaped birthmark on her forehead, for the sacrifice and lock the mother up in a Tower prison cell.

The people of the Protectorate do not know that the witch who lives in the woods is a kind, gentle witch named Xan. Xan discovers the babies in the forest each year and locates new families for them in the Free Cities on the other side of the forest. The witch does not know why the babies are left in the forest each year--she just rescues the babies when they appear. But if the witch is not demanding an annual sacrifice from the Protectorate, then who is?! The evil Elders who govern the Protectorate use the Day of Sacrifice to control the people and maintain their power. The Elders are backed by a much darker magical being called the Sorrow Eater, someone who feeds on people's sadness as if it were food. The people are kept perpetually sad in order to feed the Sorrow Eater.

Xan discovers the baby with the crescent-shaped birthmark and decides to raise the girl, who she names Luna, as her own granddaughter. But while caring for Luna on the journey home, she runs out of milk and decides to let the girl drink the light of the stars and moon. She accidentally gives Luna too much moonlight, which is full of magic. Luna acquires a destiny as a witch. Xan carefully trains Luna in how to use her magic to help people, not hurt them. Despite Xan's kindness in raising Luna and giving her a home, Luna has dreams and vague memories about her mother and her roots in the Protectorate. As Luna subconsciously explores her Protectorate origins, she confronts the reasons why she became a Day of Sacrifice baby. Can Luna and her grandmother Xan free the Protectorate from the terrible cloud of sorrow that blocks even the sun from shining on their village?

The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a full-fledged fantasy with magic, dragons, witches, and a magical force of love that rules the world. If you liked Harry Potter, I'm pretty sure you'll like this Newbery Award-winning book too!

Nothing But the Truth

Nothing But the Truth
By Avi

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Interest Level: Grades 5-8
Reading Level: P
Where to find this book: Boston Public Library

Phil Malloy is nearly failing his 9th grade English class. The explanation for the grade is of course that his English teacher, Miss Narwin, doesn't like him. Or so Phil says. It has nothing to do with the fact that he goofs off in class or that instead of writing an essay on his last test, he wrote a joke making fun of the book The Call of the Wild. The poor grade is a big problem because the coach of the track team will not allow Phil to run with the team unless he improves his English grade.

Phil's solution is to lay a trap for Ms. Narwin. If he can get her into trouble with the principal, then maybe the principal will switch him to a different English class. When Miss Narwin corrects him one morning for loudly humming or singing while the national anthem is being played over the school's sound system, Phil seizes the opportunity. Never mind that making any sounds during the national anthem is against the school rules and is considered disrespectful. Phil tells his parents that Miss Narwin will not let him sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at school. Phil's parents tell a local politician running for school board, who tells a newspaper reporter, who tells the superintendent of schools. Soon everyone in Harrison, New Hampshire and even in the whole state is wondering why a boy is not allowed to sing the national anthem in school.

Why shouldn't kids be allowed to sing the national anthem in school? Of course, most people don't know the real story. But the consequences that come from Phil's plan are out of control. Phil may not only get his wish of being transferred out of Miss Narwin's class; he also puts Miss Narwin in danger of losing her job. Will Phil lose control of this whole situation? Will he be allowed to join the track team? Will Miss Narwin be fired? Read Nothing But the Truth to find out the answers to these questions!

If you like realistic stories about problems in high school, then you'll want to read Nothing But the Truth. 

The Crossover

The Crossover
By Kwame Alexander

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Interest Level: Grades 5-8
Reading Level: Q
Where to find this book: Winship School Library, Boston Public Library

Dribbling

At the top of the key, I'm

  MOVING & GROOVING,

POPping and ROCKING--

Why you BUMPING?

  Why you LOCKING?

Man, take this THUMPING.

Be careful though, 

'cause now I'm CRUNKing

  CrissCROSSING

FLOSSING

flipping

and my dipping will leave you

S

 L

  I

    P

     P

      I

       N

        G on the floor, while I

SWOOP in

to the finish with a fierce finger roll...

Straight in the hole:

Swoooooooooooosh.

Crossover, a novel in poetry by Kwame Alexander, begins with this poem. It perfectly captures the athletic and emotional energy of this story of Josh and Jordan Bell, 13 year-old identical twins who are the stars of their junior high basketball team. Narrated in the first person by Josh, the story has plenty of confident basketball trash talk. But the reader also peeks into Josh's thoughts and feelings as he transitions from child to teenager. In this book, Josh and Jordan mature as basketball players under the coaching of their father, ex-pro player Chuck Bell. But their father teaches them much more than that. Josh learns from his father how to deal with the "loss" of his brother to a girl--when Jordan begins dating a new girl at school, Josh is for the first time left to eat lunch alone, walk home alone, and study alone. As if this weren't enough, Josh's father begins to have health problems that increase the stress level of the whole family. Although it is not easy, Josh brings the same strength and confidence that he uses on the basketball court to cope with the other difficulties in his life. Josh emerges from these trials as a victorious, but changed and matured, teenager. 

If you are an 11 to 13 year old boy who loves basketball, you will LOVE this book! There are lots of comparisons in this book between basketball and wisdom about living a good life. At the end of this excellent book, Josh is able to reflect on Basketball Rule #10: 

"A loss is inevitable, 

like snow in winter. 

True champions

learn

to dance

through

the storm."