The Next Full Moon [Paperback]

Carolyn Turgeon (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 13, 2012 | Age Range: 9 and up

The author of GODMOTHER (Three Rivers, 2009) and MERMAID (Three Rivers, 2011) brings her signature magical realistic spin on fairy tales to 9-12 year-olds.

This thoroughly compelling, gorgeously told tale begins as the weather turns warm enough to swim in the local lake. Ava is on the brink of her twelfth birthday, and her crush, Jeff, is most definitely taking notice of her. Everything is going beautifully. Until Ava starts to grow feathers—all over her shoulders, arms, and back. Horrified, mortified, and clad in a turtleneck, she hides out in her bedroom, missing her dead mother and worrying about the summer, and the rest of her freakish life...

Carolyn Turgeon has a gift for imagining magical worlds. In Ava’s case, this otherworldly place belongs to the Swan Maidens, one of whom is Ava’s mother. Ava goes back and forth between middle school and this magical realm, taking the reader along for an exhilarating, extraordinary ride.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Next Full Moon" is as magical as a moonbeam on a mid-summer's eve. When you've finished this enchanting story, you'll close your eyes and fly.

--Kathi Appelt, author of THE UNDERNEATH and KEEPER

About the Author

Carolyn Turgeon is the author of RAIN VILLAGE, GODMOTHER, and MERMAID.

Product Details

• Age Range: 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Downtown Bookworks; Original edition (March 13, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193570334X
• ISBN-13: 978-1935703341
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #493,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Carolyn Turgeon is the author of five novels: Rain Village; Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story; Mermaid, which is currently being developed for film by Sony Pictures; The Next Full Moon, her first children's book; and the upcoming The Fairest of Them All, which is the story of Rapunzel growing up to be Snow White's stepmother. Carolyn lives between Pennsylvania and New York, and is a faculty member of the University of Alaska at Anchorage's Low-Residency MFA program. Visit her online at carolynturgeon.com and read her mermaid blog at iamamermaid.com/.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a warm-hearted wonder of a book April 7, 2012

By jillg

Format:Paperback

I'm not the middle school-aged girl The Next Full Moon is aimed at, but I loved this book! I picked it up because I'm a huge fan of Turgeon's novels for grown-ups, including Rain Village, Godmother and Mermaid, and I figured I'd give this one a whirl. It sucked me in immediately. It may be the tale of a girl who finds out her mother is a swan maiden - and starts to grow feathers herself - but its portrayal of the terrible angst and profound joy of those tween years is utterly real. So are the characters, including leading lady Ava, so smart, so funny, so good-hearted I found myself wishing she'd been my best buddy in school.

Full of the poetic imagery and gorgeous magic of Turgeon's other novels, The Next Full Moon is a warm-hearted wonder of a book. I'm keeping my copy for myself, but will be picking up two more for my 12-year old cousins.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous fairy tale for all ages March 30, 2012

By Mary McMyne

Format:Paperback

This lovely and accessible middle grade novel, written for girls, is also beautiful and layered enough to delight their mothers. When Ava, a motherless girl, nears thirteen, she begins to grow feathers. Ashamed at first, she tries to hide them, until she realizes the magical world they open up. Girls will enjoy the way Ava blossoms as the story progresses, her hilarious best friend Morgan, their budding relationships with boys, and the fun they have planning her thirteenth birthday party. Mothers will appreciate the rich meaning of the story, the beautiful and simple language, and Ava's heartache for the mother she has lost. Everyone will adore the magical elements and moving ending. I cried. A fast read, and fun. A fairy and coming-of-age tale in one.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Whimsical twist on an old tale April 9, 2012

By D. C. Simms

Format:Paperback

I've read all of Carolyn Turgeon's adult novels. It was only a matter of time before she shared her whimsy with a younger audience. The Next Full Moon is a wonderful twist on old tales about swan maidens, magical creatures who can shed their feathers to take human form.

Ava is a smart, charming 12-year-old on the verge of discovering a secret about herself and her family. Her struggle between horror and wonder is believable. The characters in the story have personalities of their own, and what stands out is how Ava's friends and family truly care about her. Even the popular boy she likes turns out to be sweet, courteous, and intelligent. Her awareness of her body's changes and feelings is handled with sensitivity and honesty.

I would have enjoyed a book like this when I was a girl, and I'd give it to any middle-grade reader who appreciates a magical tale.