Customer Reviews

Blow Out the Moon

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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."

I love this book. It reminds me of being a kid again. I forgot what it was like until I read this book. I can't wait for Ms. Koponen to write another book. I'm going to gobble it up!!!!

Subj: wow

I just finished this book (in 2 readings) ...and I definitely wanted to do nothing else but read it.....which lately means a lot. I really LOVED it and I don't say LOVE very often. Here's what I liked...most 1) exposure to a new culture from a child's perspective...so naive and yet honest and perceptive, 2) the connection of manners and customs to the bigger picture of consideration and morality, 3) all the little tidbits of facts and knowledge for those little sponges who just have to know more, and 4) the heroine's endearing qualities.....humor, self-doubt, delight at what's really delightful. Children (and parents and teachers) are going to love this book. It exposes the reader to another culture in such a clever way. The author should travel more and have Libby visit Japan, S. Africa, the Mid East etc...and in the same daunting fashion help children see new ways of being and help them learn the etiquette. Any child who is going to travel to another country should read this book. Also it helps kids realize a bit more of why it is cool to be an American...( a hard concept to grasp these days)so all sorts of groups...of all political persuasions will love this. Certainly on the back of this terrrible, shameful war, it is nice to have a book honestly expose some of the good parts of being an American and remind us all about tolerance and freedom. And last...I remember those dolls and I miss them and kids would love them....especially a Libby doll that came with riding clothes, a mackintosh, a horse etc.... Anyway. Thanks for writing such a good book. I read it with children I know in mind...and they will love it. And even when I wasn't thinking of them...and reading from a parent's perspective. It is a good book.

Libby Koponen's 1950s childhood was given an exciting spin when her family moved to England for a year and a half. Eight-year-old Libby, a headstrong child who loved to write, looked forward to the adventure though she knew she'd miss her friends in New York.

"Blow Out the Moon" is Libby's memoir, written for the 9-to-12 age group. She tells of the family's ocean voyage on the Liberte and their new life in a London flat. The gloomy London winter and her isolated, unhappy days at school tarnished the adventure. Fascinated by stories about boarding school, she persuaded her parents to send her away to school in the Kent countryside.

At Sibton Park Libby learned to ride horses and to behave with proper English manners. Today's more sophisticated children have grown up at Hogwarts with Harry Potter, as pointed out by Megan Tingley, editor in chief for young readers at Little, Brown. They may find 1950s England a bit tame; but as long as there are kids interested in looking over the horizon, charming books like this will be well-loved.

The book is illustrated with photos of Koponen and her family, and other related drawings and photos. They are somewhat poorly rendered in the book, but come to life on the author's web site, ifyoulovetoread dot com.

"Blow Out the Moon" was marketed in an unusual way: Koponen put the entire book on the internet and after collecting raves from kids, was accepted for publication by Little, Brown. The web site is a feast of photos, reviews, and extra chapters. Anyone interested in this aspect of the book business should check out the Boston Globe article under the REVIEWS section of Libby's web site.

I recommend the book as a nostalgic memoir of another time and place; there is much for children and adults to enjoy here.

Dear Libby,

I am in awe. Libby Koponen's Blow Out the Moon drew me in from the first page and kept me fully engaged until the end. In fact, my only complaint is that the book had to end at all. Why am I so enthralled with this author's story? Because she opened her heart and her mind and left them on the pages, paragraphs, and sentences. She has done the finest job that I have ever read of combining memoir, biography, history, fancy, hope, and humor. I laughed. I cried. I felt her excitement of cruising on the Liberty and her fear of spending her first night at boarding school. I was with her because she invited me into her world with her insightful and concise writing style. She used very few words to evoke very vivid images. She used very few words to speak volumes about the life and world of a child. By weaving in personal photographs, journal entries, drawings, diagrams, and trinkets from her childhood, Libby Koponen created an icon of childhood itself. The book is a triumph. I am in awe.

We chose this book as one of our family read together, aloud, before bed selections. I absolutely loved this book as did my two daughters, 8 & 10. It was so refreshing to find a book that appeals to tweens that doesn't contain sex, violence, profanity or just nasty, sassy, mean talk. This is a tender, coming of age story that captures the beauty of everyday events and true, emotional growth. My girls loved the little drawings and old photographs that are scattered throughout the book. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.