Moon Over Manifestby Clare Vanderpool

Published in 2010. 351 pages.
2011 Newbery Medal.

Twelve-year-old Abilene Tucker is the daughter of a drifter who, in the summer of 1936, sends her to stay with an old friend in Manifest, Kansas, where he grew up, and where she hopes to find out some things about his past.

I loved this book! It is well deserving of its Newbery Medal, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys children's literature and/or historical fiction. "Vanderpool illustrates the importance of stories as a way for children to understand the past, inform the present, and provide hope for the future," said Newbery Medal Committee Chair Cynthia K. Richey.

Moon Over Manifest was the pick for the April meeting of Natalie's Book Club. As individuals we've enjoyed many of the Newbery winners, and this is the second we've read as a group, the first being the 2009 winner Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book.

Tricia at Library Queue says that Moon Over Manifest is "heartbreaking, heartwarming, witty, and well-written." Melissa at Gerbera Daisy Diaries - who adored the book - suggests, "This is a book that needs to be read in a day or two to fully embrace the richness of the narrative." The book's website is here.

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