The Moorchild (Newbery Honor Book) [Hardcover]

Eloise McGraw (Author)

Book Description

Series: Newbery Honor Book

Raised among her Moorfolk clan, young Moql's life changes when the secret of her parentage is discovered, revealing her to be half-human, and when she is cast out by the Folk, she struggles to adjust to human village life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Incorporating some classic fantasy motifs and icons, McGraw (A Really Weird Summer) conjures up an appreciably familiar world that, as evidence of her storytelling power, still strikes an original chord. Elves, an invented vocabulary with Anglo-Nordic roots, medieval folk elements, herbalism, gypsies-all contribute to the atmosphere of mysticism and magic that suffuses the story of the changeling Saaski. The misbegotten offspring of a moorfolk (small, elf-like beings) and a human, Saaski is secretly switched with a human baby when the moorfolk discover she lacks certain powers. But she is not an ordinary mortal, either; her eyes, for example, change color with her mood, and, as she gets older, the local villagers view her as an outsider. Rather than a typical fantasy adventure, this is a saga of self-discovery as Saaski learns to cope with the pain, often physical, of not fitting in and as she learns her true heritage. Transcending genre, these themes will likely resonate with a wide audience. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6?This well-written novel incorporates elements of folklore into an examination of society's response to those who are perceived as different. The plot centers on the experiences of Saaski, a changeling who was cast out by the "Folk" because of her human father. While she does not initially recall her past life, persecution by the villagers eventually rekindles her memories and fires her resolve to rescue the human child for whom she was exchanged. Aided in her quest by Tam, an orphan who accepts her oddness and cherishes her friendship, Saaski is ultimately successful and thus repays the kindness of her "foster" family by returning their daughter to them. Some readers may find Saaski's cruel treatment by the villagers upsetting and her future with Tam unsettlingly vague, but both are consistent with McGraw's clear intention of using her novel to expose peoples' prejudices and emphasize the importance of being true to oneself. While this unusual blend of fantasy and contemporary concerns may not find a wide audience, the quality of McGraw's writing ensures that for those, like Tam, who can appreciate the unusual, The Moorchild will truly be a magical find.?Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books; 1st edition (April 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068980654X
• ISBN-13: 978-0689806544
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #454,269 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five stars? It deserves thirty!, December 23, 2000

By 

"kandladin" (Castle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Moorchild (Aladdin Fantasy) (Paperback)

This was one the best books I ever read. From the dedication: To all children who have felt different, to the very end it seemed as if this beautiful story had been written solely for my benefit. In it, Saaski begins life as a happy elf child, untill the other elves discover that she is half human, and thus cannot perform many of the essential elf magic spells. They then change her for a human child and put her in it's place. At first she is confused and angry, but gradually her memories begin to fade and she believes herself a human. All her young life she has to deal with the cruel prejudices of the simple village folk, as she also deals with confusion of her own strangeness. Untill that fatefull time when she is eleven years old.... Any way, this was an excellent book with some of the best writing and characterizations I have ever seen in a book, and I would reccamend it to anyone, but most especially, as the auther herself put it, To all children who have felt different.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for children..., May 29, 2006

By 

Janet Dwyer (Hastings, NE United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Moorchild (Aladdin Fantasy) (Paperback)

I'm a little chagrined that the recommended age level for this book is 9-12. I'm middle-aged and thoroughly enjoyed it. Previous reviewers have give ample plot analysis - the only thing I will add is that it was well-written and had a satisfactory ending. (I hate reading books that end badly, no matter how enjoyable they were up to that point!) I read this book yesterday, and woke up today still thinking about it, which is always a sign to me of a good book. My only "criticism" is that, as a former teacher who loves to read out loud to children, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to pronounce her fairy name!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving and tender story about a child half-human, half-fairy, February 8, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Moorchild (Newbery Honor Book) (Hardcover)

My daughter and I listened to the Recorded Books version read by Virginia Leishman, one of the most beautiful readings of a children's book I have ever heard. The story is suited for older children and might be too upsetting for some children under the age of 9 or 10. There is a scene which will be upsetting to anybody--as well it should--but it should be "digestible" for most older children exposed to the evening news or history books, and the scene is sensitively resolved by the courage of the child's human father's quite heroic behavior.

The character of the child's human family members is one of the most comforting aspects of the book, as their courage and integrity is contrasted with the ignorance and fear of the villagers and the mob among both the fairies and the human villagers. The similar ignorance of both groups with regard to anyone "different" is also an illuminating and sensitively depicted facet of a truly excellent book.

The story is about a child half-fairy, half-human, and as one character in the book states, "neither here nor there"....she doesn't belong anywhere, and that is the story's dilemma. However, the story is so beautifully told that even for children who don't feel "different", it is hard to imagine a sensitive child of 10-14 who wouldn't enjoy hearing this story or reading it themselves.

The child in the story, Saaski, inspires hate in the medieval villagers who fear her difference as a threat to their well-being. She also inspires deep abiding love in her human "family" whose real baby has been stolen by the fairies to make a place for the half-fairy child they have rejected as "dangerous" as well.

The examination of the origins of feelings of hate and love via the tale is illuminating for both children and adults, and I enjoyed the book as much as my daughter. There are elements of the story which are reminiscent of the witch hunts in American history and legend, and common elements shared with stories which detail more recent racist hatemongering.

At the same time, the life of the "folk" or the fairies from the Celtic tradition is well-illustrated and explained. My daughter recently had a passage in one of her homework assignments that talked about the time difference between the fairy and the human worlds which was very much in tune with the interpretation of fairy or folklore as told by McGraw. This pleased my daughter a great deal and helped make the story feel more "authentic" for her.

I recommend this book highly for both classroom and personal reading as there is sufficient depth to generate active and relevant classroom discussions, as well as tremendous enjoyment for avid readers.