Blow Out the Moon

My 10-year-old daughter and I read this book when it first came out, and we both loved it. It's not the usual fare you find for young readers these days: there are no wizards, dragons, or talking animals, just a spunky young american girl who grows up a lot while spending a year at an English boarding school in the 1950's. Libby is a great character for kids to relate to--she's not perfect, and though her high spirits get her into trouble sometimes, her heart is in the right place. And she's willing to change to become a more thoughtful and considerate person. There are few contemporary books for kids that deal with the subject of manners and etiquette--and that's not all this book is about--and it's refreshing to see it dealt with in a playful, yet enlightening way. Kids will also be capitivated by the world of Sibton Park School, with the horseback riding, dormitory life, and all of its English ways. Christmas is coming, and we're going to give BLOW OUT THE MOON to all of my daughter's friends. Thank you, Libby, for such a wonderful book. We look forward to your next book!

Blow Out The Moon was an unbelievable book! Not only was it a page turner, but a true story! Knowing that this book was a true story, it made me think of all of the things eight year old Libby went through. One day because of her father's job, Libby Koponen and her family move from America to London. When Libby arrived she was amazed with the scenery and people who surrounded her. Libby eventually started to go to school. The other kids would tease her about her accent and name. Libby never made any friends at the school and the only person she ever talked to was her seven year old sister, Emmie. Libby was so unhappy with her life Libby's parents decided to send her to a bording school. At first Libby is uncomfortable with the bording school and the other borders, but Libby soon learns to love the bording school and has many great adventures with her new friends.

I just this minute finished reading Blow Out the Moon. I love reading about English schools, and I think your book conveys the experience very well. The love of reading, the determination to do what is difficult, the appreciation for freedom, and learning to live graciously come across beautifully in your charming book. Thank you for writing it!

I found and bought this book while looking for books about growing up (for my daughter). My ten year old daughter read and loved it. I too enjoyed it! Libby is definitely a character young girls will be able to relate to. You can really hear her "voice."

Set in England in the 1950s, this endearing tale is a wonderful mixture of memoir and fiction. Libby, the main character, is forced to move for a time with her family to England. While she enjoys some aspects of this new venue, life is not quite as easy as it had been in America. Libby is not popular with her classmates nor her teachers (who make fun of her accent, her ideas, and her bangs). Things get better, however, when she is sent to a boarding school in the countryside. At the boarding school-Sibton Park-she makes friends, is trained how to ride a horse, and learns how to speak, eat, and behave as a proper lady might. One simply does not, for example, comment on the food one is served. And to her credit Libby does not, even though "the English idea of spaghetti" is a plate of "plain spaghetti.and a small pitcher of completely smooth, very runny ketchup to pour on top." The descriptions of time and place are wonderfully vivid. Readers will slip slowly into Libby's world without realizing it. Soon the words on the page disappear and you are there with her, in the garden, sitting under an old oak, the sun making "little wavering patches of light and shadows on the lawn;" the grass warm to the touch. At story's end Libby and her family move back to America. There, she realizes she is not the same person as when she left. Back in her old school, she glances at the tall windows that went almost to the ceiling. "I'd never liked how much sky you could see (it was too blank)," Libby writes. But now, she realizes, she did enjoy the "bright blank blue sky." It was "filled with light and wide open to everything. I felt that way, too; and bursting with energy." The text is interspersed with sidebars, black and white photographs, and illustrations which help readers picture the scenes and visualize unfamiliar items-such as Wellington boots and lemon curd. The story is deftly written. It never lapses into sentimentality nor does it ever veer from the child's-eye view. Libby's voice shines through-honest and authentic. At heart this is a moving portrait of growing up, formative moments, and lessons learned. Highly recommended.Reviewed by the Education Oasis Staff