The Half-a-Moon Inn [Paperback]

Paul Fleischman (Author), Kathryn Jacobi (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

A twelve-year-old mute boy sets off to find his mother in a blizzard, and becomes the captive of an evil woman in the Half-a-Moon Inn. ‘A suspenseful tale with archetypal characters and a haunting atmosphere. . . . The brisk pace and steady accumulation of events build tension, while Fleischman's fine writing begs to be read aloud." —BL.

1980 Children's Reviewers' Choices (BL)
Notable Books of the Year 1980 (NYT)
1980 Golden Kite Award Honor Book for Fiction (SCBW)
Children's Books of 1980 (Library of Congress)
1980 Silver Medal for Literature (Commonwealth Club of California)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California in a house with a printing press, a grand piano, a shortwave radio, and his father—children’s author Sid Fleischman. Playing recorder in early music consorts led to his books of verbal duets—I Am Phoenix, Joyful Noise (winner of the 1989 Newbery Medal), and Big Talk. His novels built from monologues include Bull Run, a 16-character account of the Civil War's first battle, and Seedfolks—the chronicle of the first year of a Cleveland community garden. His interest in theater inspired his young adult novels Mind's Eye, Seek, and Breakout, all of which revolve around the spoken word. His historical fiction includes Saturnalia and The Borning Room. He's written nonfiction and picture books as well, including Time Train, Weslandia, and Sidewalk Circus.

Alongside the Newbery Medal, he's won a Newbery Honor Book, the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, the PEN West Literary Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and most recently was a finalist for the 2003 National Book Award. He makes his home in the village of Aromas, California.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (February 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064403645
• ISBN-13: 978-0064403641
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #688,700 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California, the son of children's book author Sid Fleischman. Drawing on history, music, art, and theater, his books have often experimented with multiple viewpoints and performance. He received the Newbery Medal in 1989 for JOYFUL NOISE: POEMS FOR TWO VOICES, a Newbery Honor Award for GRAVEN IMAGES, the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for BULL RUN, and was a National Book Award finalist for BREAKOUT. He lives on the central coast of California.

For more information, visit paulfleischman.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars MAGIC AND VILLAINY IN NEW ENGLAND, May 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Half-a-Moon Inn (Paperback)

Twelve-year-old Aaron is mute and lives with his widowed mother near a coastal village. Lost or delayed in a snowstorm she fails to return home, so the brave son decides to seek her in the frosty, robber-infested forests. His wandering takes him to a decrepit, inn where the vicious landlady takes him prisoner (by hiding his boots) and then makes him her slave. Nor can he say a word in his defense, even when falsely accused of being a Fingersmith (what a quaint expression)!

The cruel proprietress proves to be even worse than a thief and a kidnapper, for she dabbles in evil magic to ferret out the secrets of her sleeping guests. And now she forces young Aaron to help her by reading their dreams for her personal gain.

The hero never speaks, though his hearing is fine, so his handicap decreases his likelihood of escaping and finding his mother. This is a fast read; kids will enjoy the obstacles to Aaron's happiness and rescue. They are sure to be intrigued by the element of magic in this tale. I like the clever way that the author dispenses Justice to the crooks without overt violence. Just be sure that YOU don't spend the night at the Half-a-Moon Inn!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightfully Dark Adventure Tale For Young Readers!, May 19, 2002

By 

Shanshad "shanachie_shadowfax" (Discworld) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Half-a-Moon Inn (Paperback)

This is, at its heart, a tale of adventure and danger undertaken by a mute boy named Aaron. When his mother doesn't return from her journey, Aaron sets off in search of her, braving the dangerous woods and uncertain terrain of winter. When he stays a night at the Half-A-Moon Inn, he becomes a prisoner of the unscrupulous proprieteress, Mrs. Grackle. Aaron is a virtual slave--unable to tell anyone his plight and forced to help Mrs. Grackle as she spies into her guests dreams. It's up to Aaron to use his wits and courage to figure out a way out of this situation.

This is one of those, "what happens next?" stories that keep you reading and [pull] you in until the last page. And perhaps the best part of this story is the proactive young hero. Aaron's adventure comes about because of his own choices and his own abilities. Young readers will readily identify with the young man and feel his frustrations and triumphs. While the story is certainly one of the "coming of age" variety, it is also a hearty adventure tale. This is a fabulous read-aloud to share with younger children.

Although published in 1980, this book is timeless in its appeal. Like any good fairy tale, or adventure, the hero wins out and the villains get their come-uppance. This is a valuable addition to my library!

^_^ Happy reading!
shanshad

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Will Aaron escape or will he be stuck there forever?, September 20, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Half-a-Moon Inn (Paperback)

The Half-A-Moon Inn book is about a boy named Aaron who's mute. Aaron has just turned 12 and his mother decides he is old enough to stay home alone. One night a blizzard holds her up and she doesn't return. Aaron gets worried and goes looking for her. While out looking, he gets lost and finds refuge in an inn. When he's there the innkeeper turns out to be mean and decides to keep him there for good and makes him stay pick pocketing and peeking into people's dreams will he have to stay there forever or will he escape?

What I liked about the book was that it had you in suspense at the end of every chapter. The Half-a-Moon Inn,
I personally think, is a "page-turner!"