Blow Out the Moon

June 14, 2004
Billed as a novel, this debut describes the year and a half the author spent as an American child in England during the late '50s; like a scrapbook, it incorporates a few family photos, ephemera, handwritten letters, as well as short sidebars explaining terms like "counterpane" and "lemon curd." "I'll start the story one fall afternoon," it begins ingenuously, quickly cutting to Libby's excitement at the news that her father has been transferred to "the London office of J. Walter Thompson." The chapters move episodically from one memorable event (to Libby, at least) to the next: Every one of Libby's classmates makes her a farewell card when the teacher gives them the opportunity ("I was surprised that the girls liked me so much!"); on the trans-atlantic crossing the family is seated at dinner with a man who wears a "huge feathered headdress... a kind of turban with big feathers" and long pale green robes, but no one investigates his identity; and at her school, the teacher joins the children in laughing "in a mean way" at Libby's accent. The book becomes more interesting when Libby's parents find her a wonderful boarding school and Libby delivers the skinny on school matrons, prefects, horses, uniforms—even a midnight feast. Rarely does the author link the episodes or explore young Libby's emotions, and consequently the text feels more like a series of extended travel anecdotes than a work of fiction. Ages 8-12.

November 1, 2004
Gr 3-6-In this novel based on the author's childhood in the 1950s, Libby, an engaging and feisty girl, moves from New York to London with her parents and three younger siblings. Her first school in London is a less-than-positive experience-the children tease her, and even the teacher is unkind. But things look up when she is sent to Sibton Park, a boarding school in the countryside, where everyone is nicer. Koponen is a gifted writer whose distinctive style has a conversational rhythm from frequent use of colons, dashes, and the like. She is especially good at describing what to modern children will seem like a very different time, with adults thoroughly in charge and children expected to sit quietly while the grown-ups talk. The author is very good at a kind of straightforward subtlety, an asset in a quiet book whose main focus is on emotions. The book's visuals are another asset, with small photos placed throughout, showing the author's childhood letters, pictures from her favorite fairy tales, the ship her family sailed on to England, and more. As a novel, the story lacks dramatic tension, especially after Libby leaves her first English school, but overall this is a thoughtful and interesting book.-Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2004
Gr. 3-6. " Delightful" is a word that is overused in reviews, but it's difficult to find one that's more appropriate for this novelized memoir--though " warm" and " cozy" would do in a pinch. During the 1950s, Koponen's family moves to London. Leaving America is difficult, and life is no easier there. A fan of boarding-school stories, Libby jumps at the chance to go away to Sibton House in the English countryside, where she does make friends, learns to ride a horse, and is noticed for her writing talent. This seems to be a book that first-time author Koponen has waited a lifetime to write. Almost every page is dotted with photos or souvenirs, but more intriguing than the visuals are the images she offers of herself: a bit of a swaggerer who proudly informs the Brits about the Boston Tea Party but a girl who can also appreciate the silvery light of the English countryside. Today's readers, especially Harry Potter fans, will love the British bits and the details of boarding-school life. One thing will surprise them. Having read about Libby's taking the Tube alone and going off to school by herself, they'll assume she is 11 or so. When she matter-of-factly states she was 8 during her time in England, they'll more clearly grasp the idea of a simpler time.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)