Kelly Barnhill lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children. She is the author of four novels, most recently The Girl Who Drank the Moon, winner of the Newbery Medal. The Witch's Boy received four starred reviews and was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Awards. Kelly Barnhill has been awarded writing fellowships from the Jerome Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and the McKnight Foundation. Visit her online at kellybarnhill.wordpress.com or on Twitter: @kellybarnhill.
2017 Newbery Medal Winner
A New York Times Bestseller
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2016
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2016 "Impossible to put down
. . . The Girl Who Drank the Moon is as exciting and layered as
classics like Peter Pan or TheWizard 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 "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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