A Place to Hang the Moon
By Mary Eisenhart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Bookish orphan sibs seek family in old-school WWII tale.
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Based on 1 parent review
Sooo good!
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What's the Story?
A PLACE TO HANG THE MOON opens in London in June of 1940, as World War II is getting serious. Also getting serious is the situation of William, Edmund, and Anna Pearce (ages 12, 11, and 9), whose last living relative, their grandmother, has just died. She never cared for them, but now they've got no one. On the plus side, they've got a sizable inheritance and a family solicitor who advises them that their best hope of finding a real guardian is to join the evacuation of schoolchildren from London to the countryside, where they may find a nice family that wants to keep them -- but to keep quiet about the inheritance until they're sure they've found the right home. Since only William is old enough to remember having parents at all, and one of the important things is that their mom thought they hung the moon, they hope to find someone who feels the same, but instead get a lot of bullying and bad treatment. Will they be able to stay together against the odds and get through this?
Is It Any Good?
There's a charming, old-fashioned, bookish vibe to Kate Albus' tale of orphaned, book-loving siblings in search of a new family, evacuated to the British countryside at the beginning of World War II. Kids who love the retro feel of early 20th century classics, from The Story of Ferdinand to A Little Princess, will be right at home in A Place to Hang the Moon. William, Edmund, and Anna lost their parents at an early age and have never known a proper home, but being avid readers they have a clear idea what it should be like based on their favorite stories. What they find in the countryside is much harsher -- but also there's kindness, a glimmer of hope, and something to cheer for as they connect with the local librarian.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about orphan stories like A Place to Hang the Moon, and why they're so popular. A character in the story speculates that kids love to imagine themselves living free of adult supervision or restriction. Do you agree, or think it's something else?
How would you feel if some disaster made it necessary for you to live apart from your family, with strangers? Would it be a grand adventure or a horrible experience?
What other stories have you read about kids in World War II? How does A Place to Hang the Moon compare?
Book Details
- Author: Kate Albus
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models, History
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Margaret Ferguson Books
- Publication date: February 2, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 12
- Number of pages: 320
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: March 4, 2021
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