The Girl Who Drank the Moon
core novel 2016 The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Record
| First published | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.11 (119,382 ratings, collected 2026-08-26) |
| Page count | 388 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9781616205676 |
Synopsis
Every year the people of the Protectorate leave a baby in the forest as an offering to a witch, believing this sacrifice spares them her wrath. In truth the witch, Xan, is kind, and rescues the abandoned children each year to place them with loving families in other towns, unaware of the superstition her people have built around the ritual. One year Xan accidentally feeds an infant girl moonlight instead of starlight during the journey, filling her with dangerous, uncontrolled magic, and rather than give her away, Xan decides to raise the child, whom she names Luna, herself. As Luna grows, Xan must find a way to help her understand and contain her unusual power, even as the Protectorate continues its yearly sacrifice in ignorance of the truth behind it.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Girl Who Drank the Moon
- Series: not part of a registered series (standalone work within its universe)
- Author: Kelly Barnhill
Awards (verified)
- Newbery Medal, 2017: won
Notes
- A standalone middle-grade fantasy: a witch accidentally enchants an abandoned baby with moonlight and raises her as her own, while a nearby town remains convinced the witch demands a yearly child sacrifice.
Sources
← The Girl Who Drank the Moon dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.