95 pages 3 hours read

Kelly Barnhill

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2016

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Introduction

Teacher Introduction

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

  • Genre: Fiction; middle-grade fantasy
  • Originally Published: 2016
  • Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 640L; grades 4-6
  • Structure/Length: 48 chapters; approximately 400 pages; approximately 9 hours, 31 minutes on audiobook
  • Protagonist/Central Conflict: The story is centered around Luna, a young girl who was accidentally fed moonlight by a witch, giving her magical powers. In a world filled with magic, monsters, and witches, Luna must learn to control her magic, understand her true origins, and challenge the misconceptions and fears of her world.
  • Potential Sensitivity Issues: Violence and peril; themes of sacrifice; loss of a parent; death of a loved one; witchcraft and magic; use of ableist language regarding mental health

Kelly Barnhill, Author

  • Bio: Born in 1973; worked as a teacher, park ranger, and waitress before becoming a writer; writes middle-grade novels and short stories; focuses on themes of magic and nature in her works
  • Other Works: The Witch’s Boy (2014); Iron Hearted Violet (2012); Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories (2018)
  • Awards: Newbery Medal (2017); Texas Bluebonnet Award (2017)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

  • The Relationship Between Sorrow and Hope
  • Knowledge and the Repression of Ideas: The Power of Stories
  • The Consequences of Repressed Memory
  • Transformation: Growing Up and Changing
  • The Strength of Hope and Family Bonds
  • The Cycle of Creation and Death