The Sun & The Moon

Posted on 15 March 2011 in Library Blog by Louise Ellis- Barrett

Well the sun may be shining and bringing with it a promise of Spring but the book I want to share with you today is Moon Pie by Simon Mason.

Moon Pie is a fantasy yet also a reality for Martha and her younger brother Tug.  At the ages of 11 and 5 they are too young to truly understand what it the matter with their Dad, at first anyway.  Martha is level headed and clever, able to hold things together for the family and make sure that Tug has his beloved pies.  But at the age of 11 how long can one child continue to play the role of an adult.  As things come to a head and the children go to live with their grandparents to allow their father time to recover we also learn about the dreams Martha harbours of becoming an actress.  When some important auditions are due she is racked with nerves, will everything work out for the best?

With echoes of many a Jacqueline Wilson story I do worry that children are being given a taste of an unreal reality very young yet this is a well written and moving story that is as much about families as dreams and being yourself.  A charming read with a satisfying ending.