Synopses & Reviews
When Libby finds out that she is moving to London with her family, she never imagines anything but wonderful adventures. However, when the ocean liner docks in gray, cold England, she's not so sure. Her English school is quite a shock and she misses her friends in America dreadfully-especially her best friend, Henry. But once she decides to leave London and her family for boarding school, everything changes.
This exuberant coming-of-age story follows very American Libby to her boarding school deep in the English countryside. In her struggle to learn proper English ways-from riding horses to eating with a knife and fork the "right" way she grows from a reckless little girl into a young lady. But Libby never loses her sense of adventure, and the English are in for some surprises, too! First-time novelist Libby Koponen tells her story with humor and honesty. Blow Out the Moon is based on her own life and includes photographs and other souvenirs from her schooldays. This is a joyful, poignant book that young readers will love and treasure for years to come.
Review
"This winsome, nostalgic memoir is as delicate and old-fashioned as a doily on a wingback chair." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"The word delightful 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." Booklist
Review
"...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.'" Publisher's Weekly
Review
"...Libby's experiences before, during and after this period of her life are documented in a fictionalized fashion that is entirely refreshing!" Children's Literature
Review
"Koponen is a gifted writer whose distinctive style has a conversational rhythm....She is especially good at describing what to modern children will seem like a very different time..." School Library Journal
Synopsis
Peppered with black-and-white photographs, illustrations, personal letters and documents from the author's own youth, this humorous and touching coming-of-age story follows a young American girl as she attends an English boarding school in the 1950s.
About the Author
Libby Koponen received her MFA in writing from Brown University. She is a freelance writer and also does volunteer work with children. She lives in Boston.