Moon Window [Hardcover]

Jane Louise Curry (Author)

Book Description

JoEllen resents having to stay with Granty in her home, Winterbloom, while her mother is on her honeymoon, but after the discovery of the magic round window, allowing her to travel back in time, she begins a grand adventure of her own. Jr Lib Guild.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-Jo Ellen is so hateful to everyone over her mother's remarriage that no one but an unknown great-aunt, Ellen Macallan, will keep her during her mother's honeymoon. At Winterbloom, Granty's castlelike home in NH, Jo discovers a turret window that takes her back into time and reveals a puzzling mystery. Meanwhile, agoraphobic Granty feeds her stories of their ancestor, Witch Ellen who, Jo Ellen discovers, still lives at Winterbloom despite her 200 years. When Jo double-crosses her evil ancestor, the house burns to the ground, finally freeing Granty from her phobia. Though the opening pages of exposition lack finesse, the story follows a logical line. Unfortunately, the tension is not well sustained throughout Jo's adventure, and plot points (Jo's initial ugliness toward her new stepfather, neighborhood resentment of Witch Ellen) either disappear or are never fully developed, resulting in a rather superficial treatment of events. Despite some clumsy writing, Jo is a strong protagonist worth knowing. It is because she stops to think about her actions that she averts a fatal mistake. Smart, brave heroines are not unusual, but they should always be encouraged. Moon Window lacks the haunting quality of Alison Uttley's A Traveler in Time (Faber and Faber, 1981; o.p.) and the tension of Curry's Poor Tom's Ghost (Atheneum, 1977; o.p.), but it will pass away a few pleasant hours for fantasy fans.
Patricia A. Dollisch, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-8. When her widowed mother remarries and leaves on a European honeymoon, Joellen is packed off to northern New Hampshire to stay at Winterbloom with Granty Macallan, an elderly cousin. Jo's plans call for bolting back home to Boston at the first opportunity, but when she escapes out the round attic window (through which the moon always appears full), she discovers that it takes her back in time. There she meets several ancestors, including the first Ellen Macallan, a mysterious Scottish woman who had had Winterbloom built during the 1700s. Jo is drawn to the house and its mysteries, and in several trips through the moon window, she uncovers a secret room, its supernatural inhabitant, and Ellen Macallan's hold on both Granty and Jo. Curry, long regarded as a master of fantasy and suspense, successfully weaves contemporary characters and situations into a timeless adventure. Give this one to time travel buffs, especially fans of the author's earlier Bassumtyte Treasure (1978). Kay Weisman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 170 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry; 1st edition (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068980945X
• ISBN-13: 978-0689809453
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,316,305 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Moon Window, November 19, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Moon Window (Hardcover)

I really like the Moon Window. I like it because even though it is some what slow in the beginning, it is in pretty good detail. I find it interesting bercause Jo Ellen has so many emotions and when things get tough, she always tries to either fix it or go along with it until she can do something about it.

I think the best part of the book is when Jo Ellen dreams that she is running away. When she woke up, she was in the clothes that she originally planned to run away in. Her hair was messed up and she was very dirty.

I believe that Jane Louise Curry did a great job on showing how the characters felt, especially Jo Ellen. Each character had something unique about them whether it was their family background or their ambition. Thoughout the whole book you can tell what the conflict is. Jo Ellen is constantly battling herself and other people that are around her on her feelings, family and how she wants and wishes her life to be.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Moon Window, April 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Moon Window (Hardcover)

JoEllen has has her mom all to herself for a long time until her mom meets George in the church choir and decides to get married. During the honeymoom, JoEllen gets shipped off to her Granty's mansion. Her plan is to escape during the night and be home by late morning. She finds the perfect way to get out, a moon window in the attic leading out to a sturdy tree branch. All is going well until she discovers that she is walking through the past. She returns to the mansion only to travel through the moon window again and again and learn more and more about her past.