*A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

Young readers will find kindred spirits in A Place to Hang the Moon, a story of three displaced children in wartime Britain.

*A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus. Margaret Ferguson Books, 2021. 320 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grade, ages 10-12

Recommended For: Ages 8-12

The story begins in1940s London with a funeral. But it’s not that sad because none of the three children really knew Grandmother. She was just there. Until she isn’t, and that brings a problem for the children. Where are they to go since Grandmother left no guardian? Despite a war going on, the children are actually well off, but what if people want to adopt them for the wrong reasons? Then their solicitor hatches an ingenious plan. Why not send them to the country as evacuees on the chance that the family who hosts them might turn out to be, well, a forever family? So off to the country go the children: responsible William, mischievous Edmund, and sweet Anna. They soon find the plan is fraught with difficulties, but books, a kind librarian, and each other provide constant refuges.

If you heard echoes of Narnia in this story, you aren’t alone! It was inspired by the Pevensies’ evacuation, and Edmund’s character is based on Lewis’s Edmund. (And while there are similarities, this Edmund is much nicer, truly!) As a historical fiction, this book is a pleasure with primary sources worked in, facts about life in wartime Britain, the evacuee experience and most of all —the books children of that time period could have read. (Complete with a recommended booklist at the end!) A Place to Hang the Moon is a love letter to readers of all ages. What’s more, its sweetness is mixed with wittiness and so it avoids being “too” sweet. All in all, an excellent family read aloud with the makings of a classic story.

Considerations:

• The children encounter kindness and cruelty with some bullying and one appalling scene (not graphically described) that involves a rat hunt and leaves poor William and Edmund in a sad way . . . All this is very well told for the intended audience, and we are only mentioning this as an alert for the most sensitive of readers!
• One vulgar character exclaims “For God’s sake.”

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 4.5 out of 5
• Literary/Artistic Rating: 5 out of 5

Read more about our ratings here.

Related Reading From Redeemed Reader

• A Review: *Catherine’s War by Julia Billet
• A Resource: Heroes of WWII: A Booklist for Tweens and Teens
• A Reflection: On All Fronts: New Nonfiction of World War II

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