What do you think?
Rate this book
Moonleapers
From
New York Times
bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix comes a suspenseful duology opener about a girl whose first phone connects her to a network of time travelers who want to change the world. Perfect for fans of
The Mysterious Benedict Society
and
City Spies
!
When Maisie’s mom gives her an old phone, Maisie can’t believe her luck—finally, she can keep up with everyone at school! Unfortunately, her mom also tells her that the whole family will be moving to spend the summer taking care of Maisie’s great-aunt Hazel. Maisie’s only getting a phone because she’ll be responsible for her younger siblings during the entire trip. With that, Maisie is ready to give the phone back.
Then the first puzzling text comes in.
Between the mystery texts and a not-completely-blank book from Great-Aunt Hazel, Maisie finds herself thrown into the world of moonleapers. Will she be able to learn more about the secretive group, and—gulp—help them accomplish their crucial mission in time?
When Maisie’s mom gives her an old phone, Maisie can’t believe her luck—finally, she can keep up with everyone at school! Unfortunately, her mom also tells her that the whole family will be moving to spend the summer taking care of Maisie’s great-aunt Hazel. Maisie’s only getting a phone because she’ll be responsible for her younger siblings during the entire trip. With that, Maisie is ready to give the phone back.
Then the first puzzling text comes in.
Between the mystery texts and a not-completely-blank book from Great-Aunt Hazel, Maisie finds herself thrown into the world of moonleapers. Will she be able to learn more about the secretive group, and—gulp—help them accomplish their crucial mission in time?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 16, 2025
21 people are currently reading
4856 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Peterson Haddix
130 books6,337 followersMargaret Peterson Haddix grew up on a farm near Washington Court House, Ohio. She graduated from Miami University (of Ohio) with degrees in English/journalism, English/creative writing and history. Before her first book was published, she worked as a newspaper copy editor in Fort Wayne, Indiana; a newspaper reporter in Indianapolis; and a community college instructor and freelance writer in Danville, Illinois.
She has since written more than 25 books for kids and teens, including Running Out of Time; Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey; Leaving Fishers; Just Ella; Turnabout; Takeoffs and Landings; The Girl with 500 Middle Names; Because of Anya; Escape from Memory; Say What?; The House on the Gulf; Double Identity; Dexter the Tough; Uprising; Palace of Mirrors; Claim to Fame; the Shadow Children series; and the Missing series. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, the tenth book in the 39 Clues series. Her books have been honored with New York Times bestseller status, the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award; American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations; and more than a dozen state reader’s choice awards.
Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio, with their two children.
She has since written more than 25 books for kids and teens, including Running Out of Time; Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey; Leaving Fishers; Just Ella; Turnabout; Takeoffs and Landings; The Girl with 500 Middle Names; Because of Anya; Escape from Memory; Say What?; The House on the Gulf; Double Identity; Dexter the Tough; Uprising; Palace of Mirrors; Claim to Fame; the Shadow Children series; and the Missing series. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, the tenth book in the 39 Clues series. Her books have been honored with New York Times bestseller status, the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award; American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations; and more than a dozen state reader’s choice awards.
Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio, with their two children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
September 12, 2025
2.7 Stars
One Liner: Interesting but not charming
Twelve-year-old Maisie is delighted when her mom finally gives her a phone. However, her happiness is short-lived when her mom tells her the entire family will be moving to Maryland that summer to take care of great-aunt Hazel. Maisie gets a phone because she has to babysit her siblings, Rufus (8) and Dora (7).
Maisie neither wants the phone nor the babysitting responsibility, but when she gets a riddle as a message from a mysterious sender and Hazel gives a guidebook that is not entirely blank, Maisie has to find out who Moonleapers are and how she can help them in their mission.
The story comes in Maisie’s third-person POV.
My Thoughts:
This is the first book in the duology. While it has a proper ending, there is also a lead (cliffhanger) for the next book.
Maisie is a typical not-like-others tween who just wants to have a ‘normal’ life and a phone so that she can try to make some friends at school. Her parents are always busy, so she has to help deal with her siblings as well.
The premise of a phone leading to a superpower is interesting. The concept of Moonleapers and the rhyme are also cool. However, the story went from keeping too many secrets (aka, not providing enough information) to accelerating the third quarter in a blink. We went from barely any detail to information overload.
While I appreciate the use of a WWII backdrop (after all, nothing has changed; Nazis just have a different name today), the last section is a bit too overwhelming. I don’t know how many kids would enjoy the intention behind the concept. There needs to be enough breathing space for readers to process the developments.
That said, there are quite many elements the MG group will enjoy. We meet a cat and a dog. Both have good roles once they are introduced. All these should help kids relate to Maisie.
There’s a detailed author’s note explaining which parts are based on true events. Interesting, of course, but since I zoned out twice, I’m not sure if kids will like it as much unless the topic appeals to them.
I haven’t been around 7 & 8-year-olds in a while and never around foreigners, so I can’t say with authority, but Rufus and Dora don’t seem to act their age.
The parents are strange, too. How do you expect a twelve-year-old to remember someone she met as a one-year-old? And faux chocolate? While I understand the importance of bringing up kids with sensitivity and better social awareness, maybe don’t ruin their childhood in the process. (Though from what I’ve seen by googling fake chocolate, the use of artificial flavouring and vegetable fat is more dangerous than cocoa, right?)
The cover is terrific, though. Suits the plot very well!
To summarize, Moonleapers has a great premise, but the uneven execution dampens the enjoyment. Still, I’ll read the second book (if I can get an ARC) and see how it takes the story forward.
Thank you, NetGalley and Quill Tree Books (HarperCollins Children's Books), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #Moonleapers
***
PS: I read another MG fantasy with Maisie (by Jack Jackman) as the main lead and recommend that series wholeheartedly.
One Liner: Interesting but not charming
Twelve-year-old Maisie is delighted when her mom finally gives her a phone. However, her happiness is short-lived when her mom tells her the entire family will be moving to Maryland that summer to take care of great-aunt Hazel. Maisie gets a phone because she has to babysit her siblings, Rufus (8) and Dora (7).
Maisie neither wants the phone nor the babysitting responsibility, but when she gets a riddle as a message from a mysterious sender and Hazel gives a guidebook that is not entirely blank, Maisie has to find out who Moonleapers are and how she can help them in their mission.
The story comes in Maisie’s third-person POV.
My Thoughts:
This is the first book in the duology. While it has a proper ending, there is also a lead (cliffhanger) for the next book.
Maisie is a typical not-like-others tween who just wants to have a ‘normal’ life and a phone so that she can try to make some friends at school. Her parents are always busy, so she has to help deal with her siblings as well.
The premise of a phone leading to a superpower is interesting. The concept of Moonleapers and the rhyme are also cool. However, the story went from keeping too many secrets (aka, not providing enough information) to accelerating the third quarter in a blink. We went from barely any detail to information overload.
While I appreciate the use of a WWII backdrop (after all, nothing has changed; Nazis just have a different name today), the last section is a bit too overwhelming. I don’t know how many kids would enjoy the intention behind the concept. There needs to be enough breathing space for readers to process the developments.
That said, there are quite many elements the MG group will enjoy. We meet a cat and a dog. Both have good roles once they are introduced. All these should help kids relate to Maisie.
There’s a detailed author’s note explaining which parts are based on true events. Interesting, of course, but since I zoned out twice, I’m not sure if kids will like it as much unless the topic appeals to them.
I haven’t been around 7 & 8-year-olds in a while and never around foreigners, so I can’t say with authority, but Rufus and Dora don’t seem to act their age.
The parents are strange, too. How do you expect a twelve-year-old to remember someone she met as a one-year-old? And faux chocolate? While I understand the importance of bringing up kids with sensitivity and better social awareness, maybe don’t ruin their childhood in the process. (Though from what I’ve seen by googling fake chocolate, the use of artificial flavouring and vegetable fat is more dangerous than cocoa, right?)
The cover is terrific, though. Suits the plot very well!
To summarize, Moonleapers has a great premise, but the uneven execution dampens the enjoyment. Still, I’ll read the second book (if I can get an ARC) and see how it takes the story forward.
Thank you, NetGalley and Quill Tree Books (HarperCollins Children's Books), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #Moonleapers
***
PS: I read another MG fantasy with Maisie (by Jack Jackman) as the main lead and recommend that series wholeheartedly.
August 6, 2025
Moonleapers is about a 12-year-old girl named Maisie. She receives a used cell phone that previously belonged to her Great-Aunt Hazel, whom Maidie hasn't seen since she was a year old. That's followed by the news that her family is moving to Maryland, and into the house that belongs to great-aunt Hazel for the summer, as Hazel is in a nursing home and not doing well. Then, Maisie receives a bizarre text on her phone that reads:
"Hey diddle diddle,
Are you ready for your riddle?"
Who on earth could have sent the message? And what does it MEAN??
Maisie finds that she has also been given a mysterious book from Great-Aunt-Hazel, called The Guide for Moonleapers, but it contains only blank pages ... and what is a moonleaper?? Poor Maisie is confused beyond words!
I very much enjoyed most of the book, although there was a place towards the end of the book that felt like huge info-dump. Too, TOO much to process. I'm happy to say that once I made it through the info-dump, the very end of the book was, in my opinion, perfect. And, I absolutely loved Cat-the-Great and Little Dog!!
A big thank you to #QuillTreeBooks, for providing this book for review and consideration via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Moonleapers has an expected publication date of September 25, 2025.
#MargaretPetersonHaddix #Fantasy #MiddleSchool #Mystery
"Hey diddle diddle,
Are you ready for your riddle?"
Who on earth could have sent the message? And what does it MEAN??
Maisie finds that she has also been given a mysterious book from Great-Aunt-Hazel, called The Guide for Moonleapers, but it contains only blank pages ... and what is a moonleaper?? Poor Maisie is confused beyond words!
I very much enjoyed most of the book, although there was a place towards the end of the book that felt like huge info-dump. Too, TOO much to process. I'm happy to say that once I made it through the info-dump, the very end of the book was, in my opinion, perfect. And, I absolutely loved Cat-the-Great and Little Dog!!
A big thank you to #QuillTreeBooks, for providing this book for review and consideration via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Moonleapers has an expected publication date of September 25, 2025.
#MargaretPetersonHaddix #Fantasy #MiddleSchool #Mystery
September 12, 2025
ARC review!
This is a good book!
The storyline is amazing and the characters are very good!
The beginning was a little slow, but then as I read closer to the middle it only got more and more intriguing!
This is definitely 5 stars! ⭐️🌟⭐️🌟⭐️
This is a good book!
The storyline is amazing and the characters are very good!
The beginning was a little slow, but then as I read closer to the middle it only got more and more intriguing!
This is definitely 5 stars! ⭐️🌟⭐️🌟⭐️
October 25, 2025
When I picked this up, I wondered if it was written by a ghostwriter since Haddix has been publishing for so long. After reading it, I’m pretty sure it isn’t. It reads exactly like a sixty year old trying to write how kids use technology.
It feels a bit like she’s trying to fill a quota of TikTok references. She talks about Wi-Fi, but her heart isn’t in it. The whole book revolves around a child’s phone, but she keeps calling it a ‘cell phone’ which no child I’ve met has done.
Still, it’s Haddix. The awkward social media references are amusing but not a huge hindrance. There’s mystery and likable characters. It’s worth a read.
It feels a bit like she’s trying to fill a quota of TikTok references. She talks about Wi-Fi, but her heart isn’t in it. The whole book revolves around a child’s phone, but she keeps calling it a ‘cell phone’ which no child I’ve met has done.
Still, it’s Haddix. The awkward social media references are amusing but not a huge hindrance. There’s mystery and likable characters. It’s worth a read.
July 19, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.
The summer after sixth-grade, twelve-year-old Maisie hopes that she can finally fit in with kids her age when she is gifted her first cellphone–a hand-me-down from her Great-Aunt Hazel. But when she begins receiving strange text messages, she finds a mystery to be solved–and maybe a chance to be special.
This was such a fun read! I grew up enjoying books by Margaret Peterson Haddix, and it was neat to get to revisit her latest work. While I remember her books as a bit dark and edgy, Moonleapers is mysterious and intriguing, while at the same time, sweet and sort of…cozy? I don’t want to give too much of the story away, but Haddix does a great job highlighting the significance of small acts of genuine love, kindness, and compassion. She handles darker themes like grief, death, and failure gently, without shying away from their presence in our world.
To me some of the dialog was a bit stilted, but I appreciated the inclusion of larger words despite the book’s target audience. There were a few chapters that meandered too much for my preference, but overall the plot, pacing, and puzzles were compelling.
This is a four star middle-grade read! If you (or the kids in your life) like cozy mysteries, puzzles, and sci-fi that focus on family, perseverance, and looking out for others, give this one a try!
Content warnings: some name-calling and unkind words, implied violence, reference to heavy historical topics (including wars, bombings, and the holocaust) and death of a loved one
The summer after sixth-grade, twelve-year-old Maisie hopes that she can finally fit in with kids her age when she is gifted her first cellphone–a hand-me-down from her Great-Aunt Hazel. But when she begins receiving strange text messages, she finds a mystery to be solved–and maybe a chance to be special.
This was such a fun read! I grew up enjoying books by Margaret Peterson Haddix, and it was neat to get to revisit her latest work. While I remember her books as a bit dark and edgy, Moonleapers is mysterious and intriguing, while at the same time, sweet and sort of…cozy? I don’t want to give too much of the story away, but Haddix does a great job highlighting the significance of small acts of genuine love, kindness, and compassion. She handles darker themes like grief, death, and failure gently, without shying away from their presence in our world.
To me some of the dialog was a bit stilted, but I appreciated the inclusion of larger words despite the book’s target audience. There were a few chapters that meandered too much for my preference, but overall the plot, pacing, and puzzles were compelling.
This is a four star middle-grade read! If you (or the kids in your life) like cozy mysteries, puzzles, and sci-fi that focus on family, perseverance, and looking out for others, give this one a try!
Content warnings: some name-calling and unkind words, implied violence, reference to heavy historical topics (including wars, bombings, and the holocaust) and death of a loved one
November 2, 2025
Off the top of my head, I can’t remember any bad content in this. Probably just some disrespect to parents and sneaking out at night but other than that, it was clean.
The reason it only got 3 stars was because I was so confused half the time and it was kinda boring. There was a lot of twists that didn’t make much sense and the ending while I understood it, just made everything even more complicated.
I did like how it was all themed on a nursery rhyme. And I like the cat. That’s pretty much it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.
The reason it only got 3 stars was because I was so confused half the time and it was kinda boring. There was a lot of twists that didn’t make much sense and the ending while I understood it, just made everything even more complicated.
I did like how it was all themed on a nursery rhyme. And I like the cat. That’s pretty much it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.
July 19, 2025
I just want to start out saying I am not the age demographic for this book. I got it on NetGalley for free.
I made it 10 percent in, I love the cover and I like the idea of the book but I couldn’t get past the characters.
The 7 & 8 year old talk like 12-14 year olds and the 12 year old is supposed to baby sit them? She’s not even legally allowed to be left home alone herself. None of the characters are really likable so far and the mom is described so oddly in the beginning it felt off. And the daughter’s “scribble scrabble hair” yes, that is actually how it was described.
She’s supposed to remember someone from when she was 1? Is the mom not very intelligent? She works all day and barely has time to come out and then someone is very sick and you expect a child to remember them?
Maybe I’m thinking way too much into this.
The first text message she gets is “hey diddle diddle…. “
I know it’s referring to a children’s book but I couldn’t t get past the fact that it felt so creepy I almost double checked to make sure this was a middle grade still.
I’m not sure this book is for me but I could see how maybe an 8-10 year old might enjoy it. The excitement of getting your own phone and the pain of leaving your friends when you have to move away.
I’m giving it a 3 as a neutral rating being that I’m sure it’s not a bad book it’s just not a book intended for me but I’ve read some middle grade books that I loved and this just didn’t pull me in like some of those. Maybe I’m just not in the mood for this? I’m not sure, I’ll try again later.
I made it 10 percent in, I love the cover and I like the idea of the book but I couldn’t get past the characters.
The 7 & 8 year old talk like 12-14 year olds and the 12 year old is supposed to baby sit them? She’s not even legally allowed to be left home alone herself. None of the characters are really likable so far and the mom is described so oddly in the beginning it felt off. And the daughter’s “scribble scrabble hair” yes, that is actually how it was described.
She’s supposed to remember someone from when she was 1? Is the mom not very intelligent? She works all day and barely has time to come out and then someone is very sick and you expect a child to remember them?
Maybe I’m thinking way too much into this.
The first text message she gets is “hey diddle diddle…. “
I know it’s referring to a children’s book but I couldn’t t get past the fact that it felt so creepy I almost double checked to make sure this was a middle grade still.
I’m not sure this book is for me but I could see how maybe an 8-10 year old might enjoy it. The excitement of getting your own phone and the pain of leaving your friends when you have to move away.
I’m giving it a 3 as a neutral rating being that I’m sure it’s not a bad book it’s just not a book intended for me but I’ve read some middle grade books that I loved and this just didn’t pull me in like some of those. Maybe I’m just not in the mood for this? I’m not sure, I’ll try again later.
August 6, 2025
A fun adventure awaits readers in Margaret Peterson Haddix's new duology, Moonleapers! Maisie and her family are spending the summer in Maryland, to be by Great Aunt Hazel as she is not doing very well in her nursing home.
Great Aunt Hazel sent Maisie a book, but its pages are empty. But the best thing was a cell phone! She finally has a cell phone like all the other 6th graders at her school. Other strange things are happening too. For instance who is texting Maisie these weird "Hey Diddle, Diddle" riddles? Why are they sending them?
Find out all about Maisie, her Great Aunt Hazel, and the rest of the family in Moonleapers!
#Margaret Peterson Haddix #Moonleapers #SchoolLibrary #SchoolLibrarians #PublicLibraries #PublicLibrarians #ReadABook #ReadThisBook #Books #Read #MGReads #MGBooks #MGLit #KidLit #ElementaryBooks #ElemReads #Edelweiss
Spoiler Alerts
.
.
.
.
Spoiler Alerts
.
.
.
.
Spoiler Alerts
.
.
.
.
Spoiler Alerts
I liked how Maisie had both memories of her past and present lives merging together as one. It reminded me of the movie "Frequency" where Dennis Quaid's and Jim Caviezel's characters communicate 30 years into the future through a HAM radio. As they are changing the past and future, the memories for Jim Caviezel's character remembers both versions.
Great Aunt Hazel sent Maisie a book, but its pages are empty. But the best thing was a cell phone! She finally has a cell phone like all the other 6th graders at her school. Other strange things are happening too. For instance who is texting Maisie these weird "Hey Diddle, Diddle" riddles? Why are they sending them?
Find out all about Maisie, her Great Aunt Hazel, and the rest of the family in Moonleapers!
#Margaret Peterson Haddix #Moonleapers #SchoolLibrary #SchoolLibrarians #PublicLibraries #PublicLibrarians #ReadABook #ReadThisBook #Books #Read #MGReads #MGBooks #MGLit #KidLit #ElementaryBooks #ElemReads #Edelweiss
Spoiler Alerts
.
.
.
.
Spoiler Alerts
.
.
.
.
Spoiler Alerts
.
.
.
.
Spoiler Alerts
I liked how Maisie had both memories of her past and present lives merging together as one. It reminded me of the movie "Frequency" where Dennis Quaid's and Jim Caviezel's characters communicate 30 years into the future through a HAM radio. As they are changing the past and future, the memories for Jim Caviezel's character remembers both versions.
July 28, 2025
I’ve been a fan of Margaret Peterson Haddix since her Shadow Children series. It was nostalgic to experience her writing again. Moonleapers has likeable characters, a strong theme about feeling accomplishment in increased responsibility, and thought-provoking powers that are a cross between time travel and telepathy. I was expecting a little more bold of an adventure for Maisy, but it was more of a trivia/puzzle plot. It shows there is value in all knowledge, which I appreciate. I also like how it presented phones as both a portal to adventure, and a vessel of responsibility. It was satisfying watching Maisy as she navigated the limbo between childhood and growing up that middle school is, and how she slowly took charge of herself. I have an odd comparison to make to help readers decide whether this book is for them: in Zelda Breath of the Wild, if you like finding and solving the shrines and discovering the recipes more than you like defeating the monsters and Divine Beasts, then this book is for you. The ending provided a nice resolution to this conflict, and has made me excited to see how book 2 expands the scope.
Thank you Margaret Peterson Haddix and HarperCollins for the review copy! I leave my review honestly and voluntarily.
Thank you Margaret Peterson Haddix and HarperCollins for the review copy! I leave my review honestly and voluntarily.
July 18, 2025
Margaret Peterson Haddix was such an important author of my childhood. I loved The Shadow Children series and eagerly awaited each one. I read Running Out of Time and Found. Moonleapers showed me as an adult what I loved about those books. It was fast-paced, mysterious, and exciting. I loved Maisie and how she grew more confident throughout the book. Maisie's siblings are also funny and relatable. There is something believable about the way Haddix writes her young characters. There are plenty of unanswered mysteries and I will pick up the second book whenever it comes.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollin's Children's Books for an ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollin's Children's Books for an ARC.
August 10, 2025
Maisie's just finishing 6th grade, and she's excited when her mom gives her a phone that used to belong to her Great Aunt Hazel. However, that phone also comes with leaving their home to live at Hazel's house for the summer and strange text message riddles from an unknown person. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical aspects of this book, and it was an interesting, almost time travel story. There were just enough details to develop more curiosity about events of WWII spies, and I learned fun facts about the origin of the name for Bluetooth. The characters of Maisie's family were pretty standard middle grade fare, but Hazel's pets were fantastic and became a key part of the story.
* I received an electronic edition of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
* I received an electronic edition of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
July 15, 2025
Moonleapers is such a fun middle grade read! It starts off feeling like a classic summer family trip, but then Maisie starts getting weird texts and finds a mysterious book and suddenly she’s wrapped up in this secret mission.
It’s got just enough mystery and magic to keep things interesting, but still feels grounded with sibling chaos and middle school struggles. Definitely a cute pick for younger readers or anyone wanting a short, quick, and slightly mysterious adventure.
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this ARC
It’s got just enough mystery and magic to keep things interesting, but still feels grounded with sibling chaos and middle school struggles. Definitely a cute pick for younger readers or anyone wanting a short, quick, and slightly mysterious adventure.
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this ARC
July 2, 2025
Margaret Peterson Haddix has done it AGAIN! I’m eager to read this book aloud to my fifth graders in the fall! You’ll quickly fall in love with the characters and be drawn in by the mystery of Moonleaping! The pace was great and I know my students will be excited to hear the plot unfold. I can already imagine them trying to figure it all out! I also enjoyed how Haddix wove in history and a great lesson for middle grade readers to take from this story!
July 23, 2025
Maisie is disappointed to spend the summer in Maryland while her mom sits beside her dying Great-Aunt Hazel, but she finds out that her aunt was a Moonleaper and that she is to be a time-traveler, too. Haddix has taken a different spin on time-traveling, but this one should appeal to history buffs as well as sci-fi fans. Can’t wait to add it to my classroom library— or to read Book 2.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for the digital ARC.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for the digital ARC.
July 8, 2025
Fascinating and clever time travel book that encompasses two of my favorite things…family and great pets! I appreciated the slow development of the story that kept me turning pages even though I had no idea where we were going. The WWII aspect was brilliant and will surely draw many of my middle school readers to this book.
November 25, 2025
I am not the audience for this book but I think even middle school readers will be unsatisfied by the clunky way Haddix handles time travel in order to teach about Nazi attempts to infiltrate the United States. Like me, however, they will probably love the animals.
December 2, 2025
This had a bit of a slow start, but you can always count on MPH for a fun concept, and it really picked up the pace and got interesting. I'm excited that this is part of a duology.
July 22, 2025
Middle grade mystery
August 27, 2025
This has elements that kids enjoy like time travel and stopping the horrors of World War II, but I found a hard time getting invested in the characters and caring about their personal journeys.
July 13, 2025
What a lovely time-wimey book for younger readers (and older ones too!) I'm so glad to see it's going to be a series, as I'd love to see what Maisie gets up to next. The historical pieces are light enough not to scare off younger readers, while still introducing them to some sad and real parts of history. I particularly liked how hopeful it was, and pulling in the elements of a kid's first cell phone. And who will Ainsley turn out to be?
I'm glad I was able to read this advanced copy from NetGalley.
I'm glad I was able to read this advanced copy from NetGalley.
July 23, 2025
I read Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Running Out of Time a few years after it was published in 1995. It was a Scholastic book fair option and had a compelling premise (so much so that I re-read it as an adult). Fast forward 27 years later or so and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw another of Peterson Haddix’s novels appear on the Camp NetGalley list of options. I didn’t know at the time of reading Running Out of Time that she was a fellow Ohioan and had attended my alma mater. Therefore, I immediately selected Moonleapers as my second camp read.
Within mere pages, I felt as though the characters and setting were reminiscent of another seminal middle-grade novel— A Wrinkle in Time. Maisie, the protagonist in Moonleapers, is a preteen girl unsure of her place in life and feels inadequate when compared to her mother and two younger siblings. While Meg Murry was a bit older in the first book in her series, their introductions were rather parallel. So too did the homes and off-putting environment in the gated community in Moonleapers feel like those that appeared on Camazotz. Yet, unlike the rich world that Madeleine L’Engle envisioned and unfurled in A Wrinkle in Time and the rest of the series, Moonleapers unfortunately reached too far and failed to develop the story in a meaningful way.
Maisie is supposed to be a protagonist to whom each reader can relate, for she seeks to discover her strengths in a world that deems her odd. However, Peterson Haddix’s turned her into quite an annoyance and quickly explained away major plot holes with weak excuses. For example, are we truly to believe that a child who openly admitted that she didn’t retain much from her lessons on Greek, Latin, Morse code, etc. suddenly realized that she knew enough to carry out her mission?
It is interesting that the reader (at least in my opinion) is made to believe the world in which Maisie lived originally parallels our own; only to learn later on that World War II lasted for far longer in that reality. Said discovery was relegated to a mere mention in the clunky action (or lack thereof) of the climax.
Running Out of Time had rather an action-driven plot. Thus, I was disappointed when the climax in this story was all description, with very little build up. The decoding of the letter via child/preteen-Hazel’s phone conversation with Maisie was the climax and the subsequent change in reality/timeline was just described to the reader. Seriously? That choice makes no sense and seems as though Peterson Haddix couldn’t figure out a way to transport Maisie to 1943, or more likely, ran out of pages in which she could develop that point and conclude the story. Not to mention the fact that Gilbert was not properly developed as a character, nor was his life as a POW given any time. Considering he was the key to the change itself (not Maisie), he should have been given his due. However, the most egregious error was the lack of characterization and storytelling regarding Mr. Burlan—the Nazi spy ring takedown was out of left field, as were the plans that were spoiled as a result. Ultimately, the climax should have been an action-driven moment (not a narration) that was a mere stepping stone to the climax (or rather, another plot point).
In my estimation, Moonleapers suffered from the same issues that befall many writers— a focus on world building and not enough on the plot/story itself. While I typically can assume the mindset of a child/pre-teen, and teenager when I read children’s, middle-grade, and YA literature (so I can accurately review it with the target audience in mind), the faults that riddled Moonleapers made it difficult to do so. Let’s hope Peterson Haddix’s next entry redeems this one.
Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books/Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
Within mere pages, I felt as though the characters and setting were reminiscent of another seminal middle-grade novel— A Wrinkle in Time. Maisie, the protagonist in Moonleapers, is a preteen girl unsure of her place in life and feels inadequate when compared to her mother and two younger siblings. While Meg Murry was a bit older in the first book in her series, their introductions were rather parallel. So too did the homes and off-putting environment in the gated community in Moonleapers feel like those that appeared on Camazotz. Yet, unlike the rich world that Madeleine L’Engle envisioned and unfurled in A Wrinkle in Time and the rest of the series, Moonleapers unfortunately reached too far and failed to develop the story in a meaningful way.
Maisie is supposed to be a protagonist to whom each reader can relate, for she seeks to discover her strengths in a world that deems her odd. However, Peterson Haddix’s turned her into quite an annoyance and quickly explained away major plot holes with weak excuses. For example, are we truly to believe that a child who openly admitted that she didn’t retain much from her lessons on Greek, Latin, Morse code, etc. suddenly realized that she knew enough to carry out her mission?
It is interesting that the reader (at least in my opinion) is made to believe the world in which Maisie lived originally parallels our own; only to learn later on that World War II lasted for far longer in that reality. Said discovery was relegated to a mere mention in the clunky action (or lack thereof) of the climax.
Running Out of Time had rather an action-driven plot. Thus, I was disappointed when the climax in this story was all description, with very little build up. The decoding of the letter via child/preteen-Hazel’s phone conversation with Maisie was the climax and the subsequent change in reality/timeline was just described to the reader. Seriously? That choice makes no sense and seems as though Peterson Haddix couldn’t figure out a way to transport Maisie to 1943, or more likely, ran out of pages in which she could develop that point and conclude the story. Not to mention the fact that Gilbert was not properly developed as a character, nor was his life as a POW given any time. Considering he was the key to the change itself (not Maisie), he should have been given his due. However, the most egregious error was the lack of characterization and storytelling regarding Mr. Burlan—the Nazi spy ring takedown was out of left field, as were the plans that were spoiled as a result. Ultimately, the climax should have been an action-driven moment (not a narration) that was a mere stepping stone to the climax (or rather, another plot point).
In my estimation, Moonleapers suffered from the same issues that befall many writers— a focus on world building and not enough on the plot/story itself. While I typically can assume the mindset of a child/pre-teen, and teenager when I read children’s, middle-grade, and YA literature (so I can accurately review it with the target audience in mind), the faults that riddled Moonleapers made it difficult to do so. Let’s hope Peterson Haddix’s next entry redeems this one.
Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books/Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
September 16, 2025
Another winner from prolific middle grade author, Margaret Peterson Haddix, writer of favorites such as the Shadow Children and Found series plus standalones including Turnabout, Double Identity and Running Out of Time. Science-Fiction for middle grades is her usual genre and in sci-fi MOONLEAPERS, time travel is front and center with family relationships keeping the plot relatable to the 10-13 year old readers who are excited by books that make them think about somewhat complicated possibilities. When rising 7th grader Maisie finally gets a cell phone, she excitedly pictures herself texting with classmates and possibly losing her status as “weird.” But weirdness is definitely what this phone begins to generate with a stranger texting riddles and seemingly knowing what Maisie is doing as her family moves temporarily into Great-Aunt Hazel’s house to oversee her end of life care in a senior facility. The weirdness escalates as texts and later, odd calls from a Hazel from 1942, and Ainsley, who claims to be from the future, begin rolling in. Apparently, some in Maisie’s family have an ability to travel in time and communicate with fellow MOONLEAPERS from other time periods. Maisie also discovers that this great aunt she barely knows is the benefactor of her new cell phone and has also been secretly guiding her extra-curricular studies in ancient languages, subjects like Morse code and the evolution of technologies such as Bluetooth. Using the gifted cell phone and two unusual house pets, Cat Queen and Little Dog, the anonymous texter plus Girl Hazel and future Ainsley guide Maisie in her first Moonleaper adventure that could change WWII history as well as events in her family’s history.
First in an anticipated duology, Haddix creates a world of possibilities firmly grounded in a very realistic family scenario thus making time travel itself seem all the more convincing. Librarians and readers will be excited to see a new Haddix novel and once finished, will anxiously await book 2 and more moonleaping. Text is free of profanity, violence and sexual content. Representation: Race is left ambiguous for most characters, but Hazel and her family appear to be Caucasian. Maisie’s family is a traditional two parent home with both parents working and money being a concern. In the later portion of MOONLEAPERS, multi-generational relationships are emphasized and valued highly.
Highly recommended for libraries serving ages 10-13.
Thanks for an early look via eARC, NetGalley.
First in an anticipated duology, Haddix creates a world of possibilities firmly grounded in a very realistic family scenario thus making time travel itself seem all the more convincing. Librarians and readers will be excited to see a new Haddix novel and once finished, will anxiously await book 2 and more moonleaping. Text is free of profanity, violence and sexual content. Representation: Race is left ambiguous for most characters, but Hazel and her family appear to be Caucasian. Maisie’s family is a traditional two parent home with both parents working and money being a concern. In the later portion of MOONLEAPERS, multi-generational relationships are emphasized and valued highly.
Highly recommended for libraries serving ages 10-13.
Thanks for an early look via eARC, NetGalley.
July 18, 2025
The last thing twelve-year-old Maisie wants to do is to watch her younger siblings in an elderly community, while her mom watches over Great-Aunt Ethel on her deathbed. However, this is what her summer is looking like until her very strict mom hands Maisie a phone and Maisie starts receiving texts from an anonymous person. What’s even stranger is that these texts are filled with riddles that Maisie needs to solve in order to understand her new given role as a moonleaper.
Attempting to understand this new role, as well as adjusting to her new reality, Maisie has a lot to learn. Come join her in understanding how moonleaping works and learn about her great-aunt and how it will shape and change everything Maisie knows about her world.
I simply adored everything about this book! Maisie was an amazing, realistic (and not annoying) twelve-year-old girl. Her inability to give up and persistence in the task she was given was both fun and intriguing to read.
The plot flowed wonderfully. There were many moments where the I questioned what was really happening that kept me wanting to read more. It can be a challenging task to not only keep a middle grade child invested in a story, but to also keep an adult invested. I’m happy to say Haddix did just that in this book. The pets included added to the storyline as both to help advance the plot and a source of lightheartedness to the text.
Another aspect that was entertaining to read was the bits of history sprinkled within the story. Seeing bits of WWII and the effects it had on one particular person was flawless. It wasn’t quite time traveling, but it was almost at the same time. Moonleaping is such a creative term to describe what Maisie can do.
Overall, I absolutely loved “Moonleapers” and cannot find a single thing to make this book an even better read. Therefore, it’s getting a full 5 out of 5 stars from me. I recommend it to those who would enjoy following a very likable middle grade child in a light science fiction historical novel.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher (HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books) for giving me the opportunity to read “Moonleapers”. All opinions are my own.
Attempting to understand this new role, as well as adjusting to her new reality, Maisie has a lot to learn. Come join her in understanding how moonleaping works and learn about her great-aunt and how it will shape and change everything Maisie knows about her world.
I simply adored everything about this book! Maisie was an amazing, realistic (and not annoying) twelve-year-old girl. Her inability to give up and persistence in the task she was given was both fun and intriguing to read.
The plot flowed wonderfully. There were many moments where the I questioned what was really happening that kept me wanting to read more. It can be a challenging task to not only keep a middle grade child invested in a story, but to also keep an adult invested. I’m happy to say Haddix did just that in this book. The pets included added to the storyline as both to help advance the plot and a source of lightheartedness to the text.
Another aspect that was entertaining to read was the bits of history sprinkled within the story. Seeing bits of WWII and the effects it had on one particular person was flawless. It wasn’t quite time traveling, but it was almost at the same time. Moonleaping is such a creative term to describe what Maisie can do.
Overall, I absolutely loved “Moonleapers” and cannot find a single thing to make this book an even better read. Therefore, it’s getting a full 5 out of 5 stars from me. I recommend it to those who would enjoy following a very likable middle grade child in a light science fiction historical novel.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher (HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books) for giving me the opportunity to read “Moonleapers”. All opinions are my own.
August 1, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.
2.4 rated down.
Another disclaimer, is that this is a MG book and so I'm not the target audience, not a teacher/librarian/guardian of children. But I like to read interesting stories, and been wanting to check out more MG/YA books that aren't from my childhood.
I enjoy a good time-travel book, and books that use modern technology in sci-fi like ways. So when I read the premise of a young girl receiving a phone that connected her to the past and future with a secret society kind of element? I was very intrigued!
Unfortunately, the book while delivers that plot, does so in a very mind-numbingly slow way, with just a lot of telling us things. We have a precocious 12 year old who has two younger and extremely annoying siblings who seem to be smarter than her at times. They're always coming up with answers to every problem and non-problem and are both self-aware and yet painfully oblivious.
Our protagonist, Maisie, is friendless and the eldest of the kids. Her mother is in cybersecurity, works at home but is mostly absentee. Her father also works but all across the world and is only home on the weekends. She mostly has to take care of her younger siblings. She and her siblings have been cradled and protected all their young life: no cell phones, no ipads, no unnecessary TV, no going out without an adult. Her and her siblings were also given tons of extra school work from learning latin to morse code to the violin on what seemed like random whims.
The set up to that reminded me of one of the protagonists from Expiration Date where the young boy was basically educated by his parents via movies/tv because they believed him to be "the one". I thought that's where we were going with this.
One day, Maisie learns she has a 100 year old great-aunt that's not doing so well and that her mother feels guilty about never really connecting with her. So she decides to have the family go live with her great-aunt in another state to take care of her ailing family member. But, at least now Maisie has a hand me down cell-phone because she now has even more responsibility: full-time taking care of her younger siblings.
None of them want to be uprooted even for just a summer and not for some family member none of them ever met (or in Maisie's case, remember). But Maisie now has a phone and gets a mysterious children's riddle text.
This sets off the rest of the book with an unhelpful texter and convenient only when plot relevant society of 'moon leapers' aka people who can connect through time and possibly change the past/present/future. Kind of like in Umbrella Academy but much more frustrating and convoluted and relying on activating kids to become agents.
Maisie is constantly in her head, asking questions and imagining the answers from everyone else. When two pets come into the equation, they're highly intelligent and she interprets their every movement as full sentence speech, even though again, she's just imagining it.
Without actually spoiling the entire book, there's a WWII plot that she's trying to discover, and she's trying to connect to a younger version of her great-aunt, all the while navigating handling two "loveable" siblings and trying to prove to herself that she's a competent girl and ready to be a time traveling agent/moonleaper.
The last quarter of the book is having everything falling into place and then the consequences of having changed history/the timelines. And then we're told through so much exposition her feelings and memories, and we're expected to suddenly feel a relationship between Maisie and her great-aunt and another moonleaper. She's just so extremely passive throughout the whole book and simply receives all this information and memory and suddenly she gets it, suddenly she has emotional connections to people who are only on the page for one paragraph. The pacing overall of the story was uneven, spending most of the first half of the book just getting Maise to getting the phone and starting the mission. And then suddenly she'll be rushed through when it was slow going at first.
There is also on-page death, funeral, and grief, which I hadn't quite expected coming into this. Usually such things affect me pretty hard, but I really didn't have a connection to anyone. Felt sad, yes, but it all happened too quickly and was just a list of events that happened. The book ends well enough, not a cliff hanger but more, a hook for the second half of this duology. The main storyline is completed here but obviously Maise isn't done being a moonleaper.
I did like Maise, and felt her frustrations with theplot contrivances society being so mysterious and her parents not understanding what she was going through. But everyone else was pretty forgettable or frustrating themselves.
Not for me, and not a book I'd rec to my friends for their kids.
Now, I do enjoy the cover of this book and the font of the title. It gave me very graphic novel type of vibes and again, really pulled me into wanting to check this book out. There's hints of the story on it but it's not really major in the course of everything. I love the colored pencil/painterly style and the mix of technology. It gives a great sense of wonder and adventure.
2.4 rated down.
Another disclaimer, is that this is a MG book and so I'm not the target audience, not a teacher/librarian/guardian of children. But I like to read interesting stories, and been wanting to check out more MG/YA books that aren't from my childhood.
I enjoy a good time-travel book, and books that use modern technology in sci-fi like ways. So when I read the premise of a young girl receiving a phone that connected her to the past and future with a secret society kind of element? I was very intrigued!
Unfortunately, the book while delivers that plot, does so in a very mind-numbingly slow way, with just a lot of telling us things. We have a precocious 12 year old who has two younger and extremely annoying siblings who seem to be smarter than her at times. They're always coming up with answers to every problem and non-problem and are both self-aware and yet painfully oblivious.
Our protagonist, Maisie, is friendless and the eldest of the kids. Her mother is in cybersecurity, works at home but is mostly absentee. Her father also works but all across the world and is only home on the weekends. She mostly has to take care of her younger siblings. She and her siblings have been cradled and protected all their young life: no cell phones, no ipads, no unnecessary TV, no going out without an adult. Her and her siblings were also given tons of extra school work from learning latin to morse code to the violin on what seemed like random whims.
The set up to that reminded me of one of the protagonists from Expiration Date where the young boy was basically educated by his parents via movies/tv because they believed him to be "the one". I thought that's where we were going with this.
One day, Maisie learns she has a 100 year old great-aunt that's not doing so well and that her mother feels guilty about never really connecting with her. So she decides to have the family go live with her great-aunt in another state to take care of her ailing family member. But, at least now Maisie has a hand me down cell-phone because she now has even more responsibility: full-time taking care of her younger siblings.
None of them want to be uprooted even for just a summer and not for some family member none of them ever met (or in Maisie's case, remember). But Maisie now has a phone and gets a mysterious children's riddle text.
This sets off the rest of the book with an unhelpful texter and convenient only when plot relevant society of 'moon leapers' aka people who can connect through time and possibly change the past/present/future. Kind of like in Umbrella Academy but much more frustrating and convoluted and relying on activating kids to become agents.
Maisie is constantly in her head, asking questions and imagining the answers from everyone else. When two pets come into the equation, they're highly intelligent and she interprets their every movement as full sentence speech, even though again, she's just imagining it.
Without actually spoiling the entire book, there's a WWII plot that she's trying to discover, and she's trying to connect to a younger version of her great-aunt, all the while navigating handling two "loveable" siblings and trying to prove to herself that she's a competent girl and ready to be a time traveling agent/moonleaper.
The last quarter of the book is having everything falling into place and then the consequences of having changed history/the timelines. And then we're told through so much exposition her feelings and memories, and we're expected to suddenly feel a relationship between Maisie and her great-aunt and another moonleaper. She's just so extremely passive throughout the whole book and simply receives all this information and memory and suddenly she gets it, suddenly she has emotional connections to people who are only on the page for one paragraph. The pacing overall of the story was uneven, spending most of the first half of the book just getting Maise to getting the phone and starting the mission. And then suddenly she'll be rushed through when it was slow going at first.
There is also on-page death, funeral, and grief, which I hadn't quite expected coming into this. Usually such things affect me pretty hard, but I really didn't have a connection to anyone. Felt sad, yes, but it all happened too quickly and was just a list of events that happened. The book ends well enough, not a cliff hanger but more, a hook for the second half of this duology. The main storyline is completed here but obviously Maise isn't done being a moonleaper.
I did like Maise, and felt her frustrations with the
Not for me, and not a book I'd rec to my friends for their kids.
Now, I do enjoy the cover of this book and the font of the title. It gave me very graphic novel type of vibes and again, really pulled me into wanting to check this book out. There's hints of the story on it but it's not really major in the course of everything. I love the colored pencil/painterly style and the mix of technology. It gives a great sense of wonder and adventure.
Read
August 3, 2025really, really enjoyed this!! very fun and intriguing and I think lots of kids would enjoy this!!!
August 5, 2025
Note: Margaret Peterson Haddix is a Christian who writes books for a mainstream audience. While Moonleapers is not a “Christian” book, it does convey some strong Christian messages, and I’m happy to recommend it.
Scripture Connection
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Gal. 6:2
Spiritual Themes
Moonleapers is a tender read with the propensity to “spur [readers] on to good works” (see Hebrews 10:24). I so appreciate the inclusion of strong biblical themes in a book geared toward a mainstream audience.
Frequent allusions to the “Hey, Diddle Diddle” nursery rhyme introduce a thread of mystery, culminating in powerful symbolism about love, compassion, and sacrifice. Throughout the story, Maisie matures as she learns about considering the needs of others before her own, and, although the verse isn’t explicitly quoted, there’s a clear and strong message about “bearing one another’s burdens.”
What I Liked
Margaret Peterson Haddix is one of my very favorite authors, and I was so excited to read her forthcoming release, Moonleapers, through NetGalley. Moonleapers was especially exciting for me, due to the time travel emphasis. I really enjoyed Haddix’s engaging with the philosophy of time in the Missing books, and I was intrigued to encounter her treatment of this theme, in a new series.
I appreciated the treatment of technology in a book for this age group. Initially, Maisie feels frustrated because she’s the “only one” at school without a cell phone. After receiving a hand-me-down device, she begins spending a lot of time on her phone, as she’s engrossed in a mystery : strange text messages from an unknown sender. At one point, Maisie’s mom expresses concern about potential cell phone addiction. Although Maisie is not becoming addicted in the sense of obsessing over apps and mindless screen time, she does take her mom’s words to heart.
Individuality and Otherness
Maisie’s characterization is both believable and relatable. Third-person narration from Maisie’s perspective includes discussion on how other people seem to haven innate understanding of how to behave and how things work. Maisie reflects that, “It was like [her younger siblings] had been born knowing how the world worked, and Maisie… still didn’t understand” (Loc. 393 of 3711). Elsewhere, upon observing that she is being watched, Maisie likens the experience to her own attentiveness to the “popular” kids at school, “the ones who somehow knew which of the Spirit Days were cool, and which ones you didn’t want to be caught dead following” (Loc. 1446 of 3711).
Haddix also captures the feelings of awkwardness that come with Maisie’s age: “I’m not a little kid anymore,” she thinks. “But I’m not an adult, either… Neither [activity] feels right.”
As a neuro-divergent reader, I find it interesting to think about how much of Maisie’s experience is universal to growing up, and how much of it has to do with her own personality/giftings. For instance, at one point, Maisie watches one of the popular kids deliberately trash a recyclable, and she immediately fishes out the bottle. That’s something that not everyone would do. Even so, I think that most readers will resonate with feelings of uncertainty, especially in the midst of a crowd.
Mystery
Whether science fiction or suspense, Haddix’s books generally incorporate a strong element of intrigue, which is one of the things I most appreciate about her writing. Moonleapers is no exception! I enjoyed threading together the clues and racing to reach my own conclusions before the revelations.
I’m also both impressed with, and grateful for, Haddix’s ability to communicate complex concepts for readers of varying ages. As an adult reader, I continue to find her writing thought-provoking, and I’m glad that she doesn’t dumb down the content, even with a middle grade target audience. This is another of the elements that makes Haddix’s writing absolutely stellar!
Favorite Quote
Here’s a succinct quote that summarizes one of the book’s major themes:
Every big action–good or bad–starts small.
Margaret Peterson Haddix, Moonleapers (loc. 3496 of 3711)
Content Notes
In evoking the voice of a middle schooler, Haddix presents an imperfect character who does demonstrate some disrespect to her parents. For example, there’s a line about a red jumpsuit that Maisie “made the mistake of letting Mom buy for her, but (wisely) never wor[e].”
Maisie’s little sister doesn’t know a cat’s gender and isn’t sure how to reference it. “Itself… Um, himself? Herself? Themself?”
Recommendation Status
Powerful and thought-provoking, Moonleapers is a beautiful middle grade read that blends speculative elements and history with a heartfelt message about selflessness and sacrifice. Margaret Peterson Haddix is a masterful storyteller, and I’m eager to read the conclusion to this delightful new duology.
Recommended, with some discretion advised, to readers who enjoy mystery, intrigue, and poignant resolution.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the ebook from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed are my own.
Scripture Connection
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Gal. 6:2
Spiritual Themes
Moonleapers is a tender read with the propensity to “spur [readers] on to good works” (see Hebrews 10:24). I so appreciate the inclusion of strong biblical themes in a book geared toward a mainstream audience.
Frequent allusions to the “Hey, Diddle Diddle” nursery rhyme introduce a thread of mystery, culminating in powerful symbolism about love, compassion, and sacrifice. Throughout the story, Maisie matures as she learns about considering the needs of others before her own, and, although the verse isn’t explicitly quoted, there’s a clear and strong message about “bearing one another’s burdens.”
What I Liked
Margaret Peterson Haddix is one of my very favorite authors, and I was so excited to read her forthcoming release, Moonleapers, through NetGalley. Moonleapers was especially exciting for me, due to the time travel emphasis. I really enjoyed Haddix’s engaging with the philosophy of time in the Missing books, and I was intrigued to encounter her treatment of this theme, in a new series.
I appreciated the treatment of technology in a book for this age group. Initially, Maisie feels frustrated because she’s the “only one” at school without a cell phone. After receiving a hand-me-down device, she begins spending a lot of time on her phone, as she’s engrossed in a mystery : strange text messages from an unknown sender. At one point, Maisie’s mom expresses concern about potential cell phone addiction. Although Maisie is not becoming addicted in the sense of obsessing over apps and mindless screen time, she does take her mom’s words to heart.
Individuality and Otherness
Maisie’s characterization is both believable and relatable. Third-person narration from Maisie’s perspective includes discussion on how other people seem to haven innate understanding of how to behave and how things work. Maisie reflects that, “It was like [her younger siblings] had been born knowing how the world worked, and Maisie… still didn’t understand” (Loc. 393 of 3711). Elsewhere, upon observing that she is being watched, Maisie likens the experience to her own attentiveness to the “popular” kids at school, “the ones who somehow knew which of the Spirit Days were cool, and which ones you didn’t want to be caught dead following” (Loc. 1446 of 3711).
Haddix also captures the feelings of awkwardness that come with Maisie’s age: “I’m not a little kid anymore,” she thinks. “But I’m not an adult, either… Neither [activity] feels right.”
As a neuro-divergent reader, I find it interesting to think about how much of Maisie’s experience is universal to growing up, and how much of it has to do with her own personality/giftings. For instance, at one point, Maisie watches one of the popular kids deliberately trash a recyclable, and she immediately fishes out the bottle. That’s something that not everyone would do. Even so, I think that most readers will resonate with feelings of uncertainty, especially in the midst of a crowd.
Mystery
Whether science fiction or suspense, Haddix’s books generally incorporate a strong element of intrigue, which is one of the things I most appreciate about her writing. Moonleapers is no exception! I enjoyed threading together the clues and racing to reach my own conclusions before the revelations.
I’m also both impressed with, and grateful for, Haddix’s ability to communicate complex concepts for readers of varying ages. As an adult reader, I continue to find her writing thought-provoking, and I’m glad that she doesn’t dumb down the content, even with a middle grade target audience. This is another of the elements that makes Haddix’s writing absolutely stellar!
Favorite Quote
Here’s a succinct quote that summarizes one of the book’s major themes:
Every big action–good or bad–starts small.
Margaret Peterson Haddix, Moonleapers (loc. 3496 of 3711)
Content Notes
In evoking the voice of a middle schooler, Haddix presents an imperfect character who does demonstrate some disrespect to her parents. For example, there’s a line about a red jumpsuit that Maisie “made the mistake of letting Mom buy for her, but (wisely) never wor[e].”
Maisie’s little sister doesn’t know a cat’s gender and isn’t sure how to reference it. “Itself… Um, himself? Herself? Themself?”
Recommendation Status
Powerful and thought-provoking, Moonleapers is a beautiful middle grade read that blends speculative elements and history with a heartfelt message about selflessness and sacrifice. Margaret Peterson Haddix is a masterful storyteller, and I’m eager to read the conclusion to this delightful new duology.
Recommended, with some discretion advised, to readers who enjoy mystery, intrigue, and poignant resolution.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the ebook from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed are my own.
June 28, 2025
Richie’s Picks: MOONLEAPERS by Margaret Peterson Haddix, HarperCollins/Quill Tree, September 2025, 320p., ISBN: 978-0-06-339256-4
“Maisie dug her phone out of her pocket again and flipped it face up. Two lines of type had appeared on the lit-up screen, under an unknown number.
And what they said were:
Hey diddle diddle
Are you ready for your riddle?”
“Well the picture is changing
Now you're part of a crowd
They're laughing at something
And the music's loud
A girl comes towards you
You once used to know
You reach out your hand
But you're all alone, in these
Time passages
I know you're in there, you're just out of sight
Time passages
Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight”
– Al Stewart (1978)
Twelve-year-old Maisie McGraw doesn't know her Great-Aunt Hazel. The last time the two met, Maisie was a one-year-old baby. But now old, bedridden, and institutionalized in a nursing home, Great-Aunt Hazel has gifted Maisie her cell phone. Along with the phone, she also sends Maisie a book that seems to have no writing in it, titled Guide for Moonleapers.
Shortly thereafter, Maisie, her parents, and two younger sibs, depart Ohio and move to Maryland for the summer. This, so that Mom can manage Great-Aunt Hazel’s financial affairs. They are going to live in Great-Aunt Hazel’s house, on the grounds of the Carriage Lane Senior Center. The house comes with a cat who often seems to perform impossible feats that only Maisie can observe.
Meanwhile, semi-comatose Great-Aunt Hazel is lying in a room in the nursing facility, more or less within shouting distance of the house.
“Cat the Great stood and stretched and then stepped carefully around Great-Aunt Hazel’s legs and torso and leaped past her right arm. The cat settled in again, nestled against Great-Aunt Hazel’s shoulder.
It made Maisie think that there may have been a time when Great-Aunt Hazel walked around with Cat the Great on her shoulder like a pirate with a parrot.
And maybe that time wasn’t completely in the past?
‘You’re trying to tell me something, aren’t you, Cat?’ Maisie asked. ‘Or maybe…teach me something?’
Great-Aunt Hazel weakly lifted her left hand, reaching out.
‘You want me to…,’ Maisie began.
Tentatively, she brushed her fingers against Great-Aunt Hazel’s. To Maisie’s surprise, Great-Aunt Hazel closed her hand around Maisie’s, clutching tight.
Maisie leaned closer.
Great-Aunt Hazel raised their joined hands to her face. She snuggled her face against Maisie’s hand, the same way Dora or Rufus might.
And then Great-Aunt Hazel smiled.
Maisie felt…not love, exactly. She didn’t know Great-Aunt Hazel well enough to love her yet. But she no longer saw her as an old (or super-old) person. She no longer saw her as just a shape in a bed.
‘You’re like me, aren’t you?’ Maisie whispered. ‘You’re…’
Was the word she was looking for just ‘alive’? ‘Human’? Was that all it was?
Or were Maisie and Hazel connected in ways Maisie couldn’t understand yet?”
From the start, mysterious, anonymous texts begin appearing on the gifted cell phone. They will lead Maisie into a world of mystery, magic, and more.
“Here’s your first riddle:
I got my name
From the color of a smile.
What am I?”
MOONLEAPERS is a blast! It’s a very fun can’t-put-it-down, mystery/fantasy read for elementary audiences. It includes some tasty little tidbits of world history. Maisie’s two young siblings, Dora and Rufus, are great characters. Their presence helps keep big-sister Maisie grounded in the family scene, balancing out her involvement with the mysterious texting and related action. In similar fashion, the Cat along with Great-Aunt Hazel’s dog–who Maisie’s parents spring from the local kennel–are also parts of the two sides of the story. They spend most of their time acting like normal parts of the family, but are also connected to what Maisie is going through.
This all builds into an opportunity for Maisie to change the world. Can and will she succeed in doing so?
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
“Maisie dug her phone out of her pocket again and flipped it face up. Two lines of type had appeared on the lit-up screen, under an unknown number.
And what they said were:
Hey diddle diddle
Are you ready for your riddle?”
“Well the picture is changing
Now you're part of a crowd
They're laughing at something
And the music's loud
A girl comes towards you
You once used to know
You reach out your hand
But you're all alone, in these
Time passages
I know you're in there, you're just out of sight
Time passages
Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight”
– Al Stewart (1978)
Twelve-year-old Maisie McGraw doesn't know her Great-Aunt Hazel. The last time the two met, Maisie was a one-year-old baby. But now old, bedridden, and institutionalized in a nursing home, Great-Aunt Hazel has gifted Maisie her cell phone. Along with the phone, she also sends Maisie a book that seems to have no writing in it, titled Guide for Moonleapers.
Shortly thereafter, Maisie, her parents, and two younger sibs, depart Ohio and move to Maryland for the summer. This, so that Mom can manage Great-Aunt Hazel’s financial affairs. They are going to live in Great-Aunt Hazel’s house, on the grounds of the Carriage Lane Senior Center. The house comes with a cat who often seems to perform impossible feats that only Maisie can observe.
Meanwhile, semi-comatose Great-Aunt Hazel is lying in a room in the nursing facility, more or less within shouting distance of the house.
“Cat the Great stood and stretched and then stepped carefully around Great-Aunt Hazel’s legs and torso and leaped past her right arm. The cat settled in again, nestled against Great-Aunt Hazel’s shoulder.
It made Maisie think that there may have been a time when Great-Aunt Hazel walked around with Cat the Great on her shoulder like a pirate with a parrot.
And maybe that time wasn’t completely in the past?
‘You’re trying to tell me something, aren’t you, Cat?’ Maisie asked. ‘Or maybe…teach me something?’
Great-Aunt Hazel weakly lifted her left hand, reaching out.
‘You want me to…,’ Maisie began.
Tentatively, she brushed her fingers against Great-Aunt Hazel’s. To Maisie’s surprise, Great-Aunt Hazel closed her hand around Maisie’s, clutching tight.
Maisie leaned closer.
Great-Aunt Hazel raised their joined hands to her face. She snuggled her face against Maisie’s hand, the same way Dora or Rufus might.
And then Great-Aunt Hazel smiled.
Maisie felt…not love, exactly. She didn’t know Great-Aunt Hazel well enough to love her yet. But she no longer saw her as an old (or super-old) person. She no longer saw her as just a shape in a bed.
‘You’re like me, aren’t you?’ Maisie whispered. ‘You’re…’
Was the word she was looking for just ‘alive’? ‘Human’? Was that all it was?
Or were Maisie and Hazel connected in ways Maisie couldn’t understand yet?”
From the start, mysterious, anonymous texts begin appearing on the gifted cell phone. They will lead Maisie into a world of mystery, magic, and more.
“Here’s your first riddle:
I got my name
From the color of a smile.
What am I?”
MOONLEAPERS is a blast! It’s a very fun can’t-put-it-down, mystery/fantasy read for elementary audiences. It includes some tasty little tidbits of world history. Maisie’s two young siblings, Dora and Rufus, are great characters. Their presence helps keep big-sister Maisie grounded in the family scene, balancing out her involvement with the mysterious texting and related action. In similar fashion, the Cat along with Great-Aunt Hazel’s dog–who Maisie’s parents spring from the local kennel–are also parts of the two sides of the story. They spend most of their time acting like normal parts of the family, but are also connected to what Maisie is going through.
This all builds into an opportunity for Maisie to change the world. Can and will she succeed in doing so?
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
May 27, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Maisie McGraw loves the hours of the day when she gets home,her siblings Rufus and Dora are in extended after school care, and her mother is working in her home office. She appreciates the unstructured time, even though her parents try to fill it with somewhat unconventional pursuits like code breaking or studying Latin and ancient Greek. She's not particularly happy when she finds out that instead of hanging out at home for the summer, she'll have to watch Rufus and Dora while her mother takes the three of them to Maryland to take care of Great Aunt Hazel Tadwick. Hazel is in her 90s, and her health has taken a turn for the worse and is unresponsive. This is a bit confusing, because Maisie has just had a telephone call from her aunt on the phone that her aunt wanted to pass along to Maisie. Maisie has also gotten some odd texts that she thinks might be from friends of her aunt. There's also a book, the Guide for Moonleapers, which seems to have blank pages, and another book entitled Moonbows and Musk Ox that her mother found at Hazel's request. As the family settles into Hazel's very nondescript house and take care of her cat and dog, even stranger things keep happening. Maisie is now getting riddles texted to her, and it seems like whoever is sending them can see exactly what Maisie is doing. Hazel manages to communicate a little bit, and becomes apparent that Hazel has some hidden abilities that she wants to pass on to Maisie. There are also calls from a girl in the future, Ainsley, that shed some light on the situation. Maisie is a little unsure how or why she should become a Moonleaper, but a glimpse into Hazel's past makes this clear. Like many of Haddix's books, not a lot more can be said without ruining some of the clever twists and turns of the story. Suffice it to say that all of Maisie's extra studies in circuitry, Morse code, and other esoteric topics will come in handy when Maisie is sent on a mission in the second book.
Strengths: My daughter Picky Reader was an enormous fan of Haddix's work when she was in middle school. She felt that every title had something different that she just wasn't expecting, and that kept her turning the pages. Considering that she started ten books for every one she finished, this says a lot. Maisie's experience involvement with the Moonleapers was similar; it's not clear what is going on, and the reader has to follow along to find out what's going on. Hazel's past is quite interesting, and also neatly elucidates the importance of Maisie taking over for her great aunt. Without telling you exactly HOW it happens, I will say that Moonleapers manage to change the past. Many times travel stories like Voyagers!, have people who go to the past to change things, but the big difference in this book is that we get to see the changes that have been made. It's fascinating that Moonleapers remember all the permutations of history that they've experienced.
Weaknesses: I'm always interested in people's houses, so when Hazel's community of small dwellings for older people was described, I was intrigued, especially since it had a bit of a feel of the houses in A Wrinkle in Time where the children all come out and bounce balls at the same time. There wasn't really a good explanation, and when history changed, the house did as well. Why were the houses in the first scenario so bland? I doubt younger readers will care, but I wanted to know more.
What I Really Think: Haddix has a huge body of work, and many of the stories, like Falling Out of Time, The School for Whatnots, Children of Exile, and The Remarkables have a very believable science fiction basis to them. I would have loved these books in middle school, because a small part of me would have believed that I, too, could somehow become a Moonleaper right along with Maisie. Definitely adding this to my school library, especially since Maisie lives in Ohio, just like Ms. Haddix!
Maisie McGraw loves the hours of the day when she gets home,her siblings Rufus and Dora are in extended after school care, and her mother is working in her home office. She appreciates the unstructured time, even though her parents try to fill it with somewhat unconventional pursuits like code breaking or studying Latin and ancient Greek. She's not particularly happy when she finds out that instead of hanging out at home for the summer, she'll have to watch Rufus and Dora while her mother takes the three of them to Maryland to take care of Great Aunt Hazel Tadwick. Hazel is in her 90s, and her health has taken a turn for the worse and is unresponsive. This is a bit confusing, because Maisie has just had a telephone call from her aunt on the phone that her aunt wanted to pass along to Maisie. Maisie has also gotten some odd texts that she thinks might be from friends of her aunt. There's also a book, the Guide for Moonleapers, which seems to have blank pages, and another book entitled Moonbows and Musk Ox that her mother found at Hazel's request. As the family settles into Hazel's very nondescript house and take care of her cat and dog, even stranger things keep happening. Maisie is now getting riddles texted to her, and it seems like whoever is sending them can see exactly what Maisie is doing. Hazel manages to communicate a little bit, and becomes apparent that Hazel has some hidden abilities that she wants to pass on to Maisie. There are also calls from a girl in the future, Ainsley, that shed some light on the situation. Maisie is a little unsure how or why she should become a Moonleaper, but a glimpse into Hazel's past makes this clear. Like many of Haddix's books, not a lot more can be said without ruining some of the clever twists and turns of the story. Suffice it to say that all of Maisie's extra studies in circuitry, Morse code, and other esoteric topics will come in handy when Maisie is sent on a mission in the second book.
Strengths: My daughter Picky Reader was an enormous fan of Haddix's work when she was in middle school. She felt that every title had something different that she just wasn't expecting, and that kept her turning the pages. Considering that she started ten books for every one she finished, this says a lot. Maisie's experience involvement with the Moonleapers was similar; it's not clear what is going on, and the reader has to follow along to find out what's going on. Hazel's past is quite interesting, and also neatly elucidates the importance of Maisie taking over for her great aunt. Without telling you exactly HOW it happens, I will say that Moonleapers manage to change the past. Many times travel stories like Voyagers!, have people who go to the past to change things, but the big difference in this book is that we get to see the changes that have been made. It's fascinating that Moonleapers remember all the permutations of history that they've experienced.
Weaknesses: I'm always interested in people's houses, so when Hazel's community of small dwellings for older people was described, I was intrigued, especially since it had a bit of a feel of the houses in A Wrinkle in Time where the children all come out and bounce balls at the same time. There wasn't really a good explanation, and when history changed, the house did as well. Why were the houses in the first scenario so bland? I doubt younger readers will care, but I wanted to know more.
What I Really Think: Haddix has a huge body of work, and many of the stories, like Falling Out of Time, The School for Whatnots, Children of Exile, and The Remarkables have a very believable science fiction basis to them. I would have loved these books in middle school, because a small part of me would have believed that I, too, could somehow become a Moonleaper right along with Maisie. Definitely adding this to my school library, especially since Maisie lives in Ohio, just like Ms. Haddix!
December 12, 2025
At best, I could bump this to a three-star average book, but honestly it just isn't that good. Nothing necessarily inappropriate, no relationships, no language or anything like that. It romanticizes owning a phone. Just about the worst possible thing for a middle school kid is owning a phone, but you wouldn't know that by reading this. But everything about this is bland.
Ultimately, I guess you can shut your brain off and just go with it, it's not like the writing is bad or there is anything questionable. It's just not a very interesting or engaging story.
Ultimately, I guess you can shut your brain off and just go with it, it's not like the writing is bad or there is anything questionable. It's just not a very interesting or engaging story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews