Maggot Moon

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Maggot Moon
Maggot Moon.jpg
AuthorSally Gardner
IllustratorJulian Crouch
GenreYoung adult fiction, dystopian fiction
PublisherCandlewick Press
Publication date
February 12, 2013
Media typePrint (hardcover, paperback)
Awards
ISBN9780763665531

Maggot Moon is a young adult novel written by Sally Gardner, illustrated by Julian Crouch, and published February 12, 2013 by Candlewick Press. The book takes place in an alternate timeline of 1956 as the characters live in "The Motherland," telling a tale of what could have happened had the Nazis won the Second World War.[1]

In 2013, the book won the Carnegie Medal.[2]

Reception[]

Maggot Moon received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly,[3] The Horn Book,[4] and Booklist,[1] as well as positive reviews from The School Librarian,[5] The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books,[6] and School Library Journal.[7]

Publishers Weekly wrote, "Parts of the story are very hard to read—early on, a classmate is beaten to death by a teacher in the schoolyard—but the violence asks readers to consider what the world would be like if certain events in history had turned out differently."[3] They continue the review, noting that "Gardner does a masterful job of portraying Standish’s dyslexia through the linguistic swerves of his narration, and although the ending is pure heartbreak, she leaves readers with a hopeful message about the power of one boy to stand up to evil."[3]

Writing for The Horn Book, Deirdre Baker noted that the "tale has the terse, energetic tension of poetry" and the main characters' "phrases and sentences roll out with irony, tenderness, horror, or love, but always vividly."[4]

Margaret Pemberton, writing for The School Librarian, stated, "This is one of those ‘Wow’ books that come along now and then," noting that Gardner has written a "true classic."[5]

Kirkus reviewed the book poorly, explaining, "Despite short chapters and simple vocabulary and syntax, the detailed, sadistic violence makes this is a poor choice for younger readers, while oversimplified characters, a feeble setting and inauthentic science make it a tough sell for older ones."[8] They finished the review by saying, "Despite intentions, this tale never connects past to present, resulting in a book with a message but no resonance."[8]

Beyond popular media, Maggot Moon has been discussed in academic journals for its multimodality.[9]

Awards for Maggot Moon
Year Award Result Ref.
2012 Costa Book Award for Children's Book Winner [10]
2013 Carnegie Medal Winner [2]
2014 Michael L. Printz Award Honor [11]
American Library Association's Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Selection [12]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Maggot Moon". Booklist. 2013-01-01. Retrieved 2022-01-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b "Carnegie Medal Winners". The CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards. Retrieved 2022-01-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b c "Children's Book Review: Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner, illus. by Julian Crouch. Candlewick, $16.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-7636-6553-1". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  4. ^ a b Baker, Deirdre (2013). "Review of Maggot Moon". The Horn Book. Retrieved 2022-01-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ a b Pemberton, Margaret (Spring 2013). "Maggot Moon". The School Librarian. 61 (1): 54 – via ProQuest.
  6. ^ Quealy-Gainer, Kate (2013). "Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner (review)". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 66 (7): 332–332. doi:10.1353/bcc.2013.0177. ISSN 1558-6766.
  7. ^ Tran, Allison (2013-03-01). "Maggot Moon". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2022-01-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ a b "Maggot Moon". Kirkus Reviews. 2012-12-01. Retrieved 2022-01-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ Reid, Stephanie F. (May 2021). "Novel Ways of "Writing" with Images". English Journal. 110 (5): 106–108. – via ProQuest.
  10. ^ Buchanan, Cathy Marie (2013-01-03). "Awards: Costa Category Winners". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 2022-01-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "2014 Michael L. Printz Winners". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2015-02-02. Retrieved 2022-01-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults 2014". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2014-01-30. Retrieved 2022-01-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Awards
Preceded by Carnegie Medal recipient
2013 		Succeeded by
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