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Moon Shadow
Thirteen-year-old Lucia Frank discovers that she can become the girl she’s always wanted to be with the help of a little “moon magic” in this charming novel about the value of friendship, family, and finding yourself.
Lucia Frank has never had time for her mom’s “new age” nonsense. She doesn’t believe in any of that stuff. All she wants is to figure out how to get her best friend, Will, back and cope with her parents looming divorce. But then something strange happens on the night of her thirteenth birthday.
When the eclipsed moon slips into the shadow of the earth, Lucia’s Shadow slips out. Now hidden in a moonstone, the Shadow waits for Lucia to sleep so it can come out to play.
Lucia’s Shadow seems unlike her in almost every daring, outspoken, and unwilling to let anyone push her around. But it actually isn’t the anti-Lucia…in fact, her Shadow is very much like the person Lucia wishes she could be. At first, Lucia is eager to undo whatever magic happened on her birthday so life can get back to normal. But when she realizes her Shadow is doing and saying things she has only dreamed about, she wonders if maybe things aren’t all bad.
With a little help from her Shadow, she’s turning into the kind of girl she’s always wanted to be.
Lucia Frank has never had time for her mom’s “new age” nonsense. She doesn’t believe in any of that stuff. All she wants is to figure out how to get her best friend, Will, back and cope with her parents looming divorce. But then something strange happens on the night of her thirteenth birthday.
When the eclipsed moon slips into the shadow of the earth, Lucia’s Shadow slips out. Now hidden in a moonstone, the Shadow waits for Lucia to sleep so it can come out to play.
Lucia’s Shadow seems unlike her in almost every daring, outspoken, and unwilling to let anyone push her around. But it actually isn’t the anti-Lucia…in fact, her Shadow is very much like the person Lucia wishes she could be. At first, Lucia is eager to undo whatever magic happened on her birthday so life can get back to normal. But when she realizes her Shadow is doing and saying things she has only dreamed about, she wonders if maybe things aren’t all bad.
With a little help from her Shadow, she’s turning into the kind of girl she’s always wanted to be.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published May 16, 2017
7 people are currently reading
358 people want to read
About the author
Erin Soderberg Downing
58 books272 followersI read and write lots of funny, adventurous, & heartwarming books for kids, tweens, and teens (and even a few romantic comedies for adults, too!) that are ultimately about finding your place, finding your people, and finding your voice. I always love book recommendations, so please send them my way. As a reader, I'm partial to contemporary romantic comedy, thrillers that keep the pages turning and have well-built characters, funny/original voices, quirky characters, and always kids' books with humor and heart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
August 2, 2017
3.5 stars
I loved how Lucia grew up in to better person, she always wanted to be.
I loved how Lucia grew up in to better person, she always wanted to be.
July 27, 2023
Moon Shadow by Erin Solderberg Downing is a delightful middle grade read with a dash of magic!
Lucia Frank is dealing with a lot of change - her parents have divorced, she had to move to Sweden for the summer, her old best friend has kicked her to the curb, and she's trying to find her way with her new friends. She was born on an eclipse and now on her thirteenth birthday there's another one right on her birthday! But something funny happens that night... suddenly, she's waking up and seemingly in different places. Did the eclipse work some dark magic on her?
There is a lot of character growth in this book and it's such a nice change to fiction stories for the sake of fiction. I love a coming of age story that builds the lesson learning into the plot for a pinch of education but still packs in all of the fun. This book is definitely aimed at the middle grade reader and not necessarily for adults since I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the middle grade books that are aimed to make the adult have fun too. That doesn't make this book bad, but I just want to point out to any adults who might be thinking of picking this book up.
Moon Shadow shows the power of friendship, perseverance and learning to be yourself. It's a delightful read that I highly recommend!
Three out of five stars.
Lucia Frank is dealing with a lot of change - her parents have divorced, she had to move to Sweden for the summer, her old best friend has kicked her to the curb, and she's trying to find her way with her new friends. She was born on an eclipse and now on her thirteenth birthday there's another one right on her birthday! But something funny happens that night... suddenly, she's waking up and seemingly in different places. Did the eclipse work some dark magic on her?
There is a lot of character growth in this book and it's such a nice change to fiction stories for the sake of fiction. I love a coming of age story that builds the lesson learning into the plot for a pinch of education but still packs in all of the fun. This book is definitely aimed at the middle grade reader and not necessarily for adults since I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the middle grade books that are aimed to make the adult have fun too. That doesn't make this book bad, but I just want to point out to any adults who might be thinking of picking this book up.
Moon Shadow shows the power of friendship, perseverance and learning to be yourself. It's a delightful read that I highly recommend!
Three out of five stars.
October 3, 2016
This story means so much to me, because it's one I've been trying to get right for almost a decade. It's about the power of friendship and family, finding your voice, and the magic of the moon. I can't wait for people to read it!
February 21, 2017
A story about finding one's true self and one's true friends. Magical adventure with a heart.
February 5, 2017
Moon Shadow is beautifully written book Erin Downing that all students will find engaging and very challenging to put down.
A compelling idea will have readers pausing to think--- do I have the courage in me, can I find the words or the strength to face challenges?
Erin also weaves a strong backbone of the meaning of friendship and the power of celebrating the successes of each other in her novel. Through story she is able to show how friends can bond together to bring out the strengths of each other in order to overcome the challenges others pose.
"There are no guarantees in life. You can't plan everything---sometimes things happen for a reason, and you just have to go with it." This quote resonates with me from the story, and I hope readers are able to find this as an opportunity to have perspective and mindset to apply this in given situations. It is an opportunity for those who read this as a read aloud, or in book clubs, to discuss mindsets throughout.
Look for this wonderful middle grade novel to be available Spring 2017.
A compelling idea will have readers pausing to think--- do I have the courage in me, can I find the words or the strength to face challenges?
Erin also weaves a strong backbone of the meaning of friendship and the power of celebrating the successes of each other in her novel. Through story she is able to show how friends can bond together to bring out the strengths of each other in order to overcome the challenges others pose.
"There are no guarantees in life. You can't plan everything---sometimes things happen for a reason, and you just have to go with it." This quote resonates with me from the story, and I hope readers are able to find this as an opportunity to have perspective and mindset to apply this in given situations. It is an opportunity for those who read this as a read aloud, or in book clubs, to discuss mindsets throughout.
Look for this wonderful middle grade novel to be available Spring 2017.
July 28, 2017
"Everyone has secrets. Secret dreams and wishes that no one knows about. It's just pieces of our true selves are hidden, waiting for the right time and place to come out." For Lucia her secret dreams & wishes begin mysteriously coming out after a lunar eclipse on her 13th birthday. Full of magic & mystery, Moon Shadow is a great coming of age fantasy story that deals with difficulties of growing up & becoming the person you want to be.
Middle grade novel. I'd rec. to grades 5/6th +.
A book to consider for Mock Newbery 2018.
Middle grade novel. I'd rec. to grades 5/6th +.
A book to consider for Mock Newbery 2018.
May 23, 2017
I had the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley, and I'm really excited about this book. Moon Shadow has the perfect blend of magic and realistic fiction to make this a terrific middle grade novel. Lucia was born during a lunar eclipse thirteen years ago. The story opens on her birthday, and she's planning to celebrate by eating space-themed junk food with her friends and watching her birthday eclipse. Lucia is a quiet, shy girl who is often afraid to stand up for herself and tell people what she wants or how she feels. But on the night of her birthday eclipse, something strange happens. She finds herself having strange dreams about being the confident, outgoing person that she would like to be and then waking up to realize these "dreams" actually occurred. Lucia's thirteenth birthday turns out to be the start of things changing for her in dramatic, and sometimes scary, ways.
I think this will be a popular book among middle school aged children. Adolescents experience so much insecurity as they grow and change, and so they will definitely be able to relate to the same self doubts experienced by Lucia and her friends. I know that the idea of having a shadow self, that's not afraid to try new things and have difficult conversations is definitely appealing to me! I can think of several situations where that might be handy! Kids will also like that it's kind of a spooky book, without being too scary or inappropriate.
I think this will be a popular book among middle school aged children. Adolescents experience so much insecurity as they grow and change, and so they will definitely be able to relate to the same self doubts experienced by Lucia and her friends. I know that the idea of having a shadow self, that's not afraid to try new things and have difficult conversations is definitely appealing to me! I can think of several situations where that might be handy! Kids will also like that it's kind of a spooky book, without being too scary or inappropriate.
March 26, 2017
Moon Shadow is a story of Lucia who is considered a "moon child." During the night of her 13th birthday, trying to watch the eclipse, something happens that allows her to forget the things she had done. This story takes you through Lucia's troubles as a girl who lost her "best friend" Velvet (who was never a good friend at all), her oldest friend Will (who she wishes to have their friendship back so desperately), and gains two amazing friendships with Jonathan and Anji. Lucia's wishes start to happen during moments of incoherence due to the eclipse.
This is a story I so desperately wish I had read at age 13. A time where I didn't really know who I was on the outside, or how to be myself and accept that, but desperately wanting to find my place and not be "made fun of" for not following the popular crowd. Lucia's story is full of strength, courage, bravery, friendship, and love. One I will share with students for years to come.
This is a story I so desperately wish I had read at age 13. A time where I didn't really know who I was on the outside, or how to be myself and accept that, but desperately wanting to find my place and not be "made fun of" for not following the popular crowd. Lucia's story is full of strength, courage, bravery, friendship, and love. One I will share with students for years to come.
May 23, 2017
Wow. This is the third book in a row that I have loved. This book is magical realism. And I usually don't care for magical realism books because the magic just always seems so unbelievable within the realistic fiction side of the story. However, Downing did a great job. This is my first magical realism book I've actually loved. Other than that, I loved the story (plot), the friendships, the coming-of-age conflicts and the realistic view of a child's feelings whose parents are divorcing. The magic, the story, the problems and everything was woven together beautifully. A definite Newbery contender.
June 16, 2018
I loved this realistic fantasy middle grade novel. Lucia is struggling with the typical friendship angst that comes in middle school, but hers seems to be exacerbated by mean girl behavior from her former best friend that is over the top mean. Add to this stress, her mother has left her family, moved halfway across the world with her soul mate, trying to find her chi. During a lunar Eclipse, something unexplainable happens to Lucia, which leaves her wondering which events in her life are real and which ones are dreams...or maybe she isn’t dreaming any of it! Highly recommend this book for middle grade readers. Loved it!
July 17, 2017
A really good model of positive friendships in the face of not-so positive ones. A good example of how a friendship between a 13yo girl and boy, both ostensibly hetero, can simply be platonic. A story about one girl discovering another side to herself that helps her to foster and strengthen the relationships she already has with her divorced parents, her sister, her ex-BFF, and her friends. With just enough magic, steeped in astrology.
March 22, 2020
This is a really sweet book, and the concept is great. I loved watching Lucia grow throughout her book, and as always the magic made the book very captivating. The characters were complex, with real flaws and weaknesses. I got this book on a whim at a book store and am very happy I did. I can't wait to read more books by Erin Downing.
December 31, 2017
Fabulous story about a girl who is trying to find the courage to stand up for herself as she grows up.
February 9, 2017
I loved this. Magical realism, coming of age, and friendship!
November 22, 2016
Loved this arc of an arc. Thanks to Erin for sending me this wonderful story. It has a bit of everything. Such great writing.
November 27, 2016
MG (for older MG readers) about the inner struggle to find your way in the world. Lucia isn't perfect, but she's learning to be true to herself...and isn't what we all want?
December 1, 2016
Adored this middle grade novel. Perfect coming of age story, figuring out who you are and who you want to be. Love Lucia's internal conflict - it felt real and I loved that she was true to herself.
January 28, 2019
Lucia is turning thirteen and has gone through some significant changes in the last year. She and her good friend, Will, who lives next door, share a kiss, and it isn’t what one hopes for in a first kiss. Lucia’s parents announce they are divorcing, and Lucia’s mother is moving to Sweden to be with her new soul mate. Lucia bares her soul to her best friend, Velvet, about the kiss before leaving for Sweden for a two-month summer visit. When she returns, Velvet has dropped Lucia like the proverbial hot potato and claimed Will as her new beau, doing everything she can to keep Will and Lucia apart. Fortunately, Lucia makes two wonderful new best friends, Anji and Jonathon, who help her navigate middle school, but she really misses her friendship with Will.
Velvet is having a huge party the night of Lucia’s thirteenth birthday and everyone in the class is invited. Lucia wants to go. She was born during a total eclipse of the moon, and this very night there is supposed to be another total eclipse. Her “new age” mother has indicated this will be a really special time for Lucia. Mom had given Lucia a moon stone for protection, and she carries it with her all the time. Velvet has a big roof-top deck at her home, and Lucia thinks it will be fun to see the eclipse from there. She plans to make wishes on her moonstone during the eclipse. When Lucia, Anji, and Jonathon arrive, Will decides, much to Velvet’s chagrin, that he will join the three friends on the roof. Just before the eclipse is to begin, Lucia makes a bathroom trip and gets lost going back up, ending up on a separate deck. She makes her wishes, hears someone behind her, and then faints. She wakes up with Velvet yelling at her. Lucia has no idea how long she was out or what really happened. But this is the beginning of a series of strange, magical happenings. Each morning, Lucia remembers flashes of strange dreams, but they are things that seem to have actually happened while she slept. Lucia’s life seems to be spinning out of control.
Author Erin Downing has written a fun, exciting book that will have readers cheering for Lucia and turning those pages to find out what the heck is going on and how Lucia can get her life back. The writing is crisp, the magic of the moonstone is mysterious and dark, and the characters are very believable and colorful. And don’t you love that cover? I loved every word of this one and will be looking for more books by this author.
Velvet is having a huge party the night of Lucia’s thirteenth birthday and everyone in the class is invited. Lucia wants to go. She was born during a total eclipse of the moon, and this very night there is supposed to be another total eclipse. Her “new age” mother has indicated this will be a really special time for Lucia. Mom had given Lucia a moon stone for protection, and she carries it with her all the time. Velvet has a big roof-top deck at her home, and Lucia thinks it will be fun to see the eclipse from there. She plans to make wishes on her moonstone during the eclipse. When Lucia, Anji, and Jonathon arrive, Will decides, much to Velvet’s chagrin, that he will join the three friends on the roof. Just before the eclipse is to begin, Lucia makes a bathroom trip and gets lost going back up, ending up on a separate deck. She makes her wishes, hears someone behind her, and then faints. She wakes up with Velvet yelling at her. Lucia has no idea how long she was out or what really happened. But this is the beginning of a series of strange, magical happenings. Each morning, Lucia remembers flashes of strange dreams, but they are things that seem to have actually happened while she slept. Lucia’s life seems to be spinning out of control.
Author Erin Downing has written a fun, exciting book that will have readers cheering for Lucia and turning those pages to find out what the heck is going on and how Lucia can get her life back. The writing is crisp, the magic of the moonstone is mysterious and dark, and the characters are very believable and colorful. And don’t you love that cover? I loved every word of this one and will be looking for more books by this author.
July 27, 2019
Downing writes exceptionally well rounded, fleshed out characters. I knew many of these archtypes in middle school, I feel we all did. There was no filler, nothing went on too long, no whining over and over. I loved how the book combined metaphysics and psychology ( my two favorite things)! Carl Jung the master of psychology and spiritual beliefs shadow theory was the core plot. I loved the take on his theory. This book shows the importance of shadow work and how to integrate the light and dark aspects of our personality to become a whole, fully formed human. Not all that is dark is bad and not all that is light is good, a very powerful messsage for us all, not just young adolescents. We are all children trying to grow and become fully functioning humans. I loved this book. I had never heard of this book on booktube or anywhere. Lucky for me, it was on display at the library and the beautiful cover pulled me in. I am so glad this book was on display. I totally judge books by their covers. I will even buy a book for its beautiful cover as well.
October 6, 2017
I had been hearing a lot about this book at the beginning of the year and was very excited to finally find the time to read it! I really enjoyed the premise of the book, the idea that maybe the main character's, Lucia's, shadow self has been going out and doing things while she thinks she is asleep. At first Lucia is completely freaked out when she realizes what might be happening, but then she starts realizing that her shadow self has been doing things that she only wishes she had the courage to do. She eventually needs to figure out if she has the courage to be the person she wants to be without the help of her shadow self.
Overall a very intriguing story about having the courage to be your own self and about working to make the things happen in your life that you want to happen.
I would recommend this for grades 4 and up!
Overall a very intriguing story about having the courage to be your own self and about working to make the things happen in your life that you want to happen.
I would recommend this for grades 4 and up!
July 9, 2017
I liked this story about Lucia who is 13 and struggling with some big issues-her mom has left her family, her best friend has dumped her, the boy who used to be her friend is now her former best friend's boyfriend, and her big sister who used to be supportive is now non-communicative. It has a really fun magical piece-Lucia was born during a lunar eclipse and so on her 13th birthday, the lunar eclipse is happening again, except that Lucia doesn't remember it. This one has excellent themes of friendship and how those change over time, parents and divorce, and taking charge of your own life. The characters in this one are well developed and interesting people. This one is too big for my library but it would be awesome in a middle school library.
March 20, 2017
Review copy provided by NetGalley
This was kind of a "mean girl" coming-of-age novel, but at the same time it came at that topic as though it were a front for a story about magic and auras. I liked that it incorporated a magical element, though I'm certainly not a subscriber to that whole scene. The real focus in this was a girl who is used to living in someone else's shadow coming into her own. There is a fairly stereotypical shallow mean girl to overcome, and the main character spends a lot of time letting herself be trodden upon and brow-beaten, but by the end she finds inner strength, and without turning into a mean girl too, she stands up for herself and her new friends.
This is probably right for the middle school crowd, but I can see some upper elementary school students reading it as well. There is the subject of divorce and an immature parent who acts on whimsical notions that come off as profoundly idiotic, but the real root of everything is the timid main character finding a way to stand up for herself against a manipulative bullying girl and her followers. She is basically going through the stages of withdrawal from her friendship with the girl, and has to come to realize how unhealthy that relationship was even when it was thriving. It was an interesting read. It was well-executed and considering what the plot revolved around, it didn't feel as stale as story like this could have been. Well done.
This was kind of a "mean girl" coming-of-age novel, but at the same time it came at that topic as though it were a front for a story about magic and auras. I liked that it incorporated a magical element, though I'm certainly not a subscriber to that whole scene. The real focus in this was a girl who is used to living in someone else's shadow coming into her own. There is a fairly stereotypical shallow mean girl to overcome, and the main character spends a lot of time letting herself be trodden upon and brow-beaten, but by the end she finds inner strength, and without turning into a mean girl too, she stands up for herself and her new friends.
This is probably right for the middle school crowd, but I can see some upper elementary school students reading it as well. There is the subject of divorce and an immature parent who acts on whimsical notions that come off as profoundly idiotic, but the real root of everything is the timid main character finding a way to stand up for herself against a manipulative bullying girl and her followers. She is basically going through the stages of withdrawal from her friendship with the girl, and has to come to realize how unhealthy that relationship was even when it was thriving. It was an interesting read. It was well-executed and considering what the plot revolved around, it didn't feel as stale as story like this could have been. Well done.
March 9, 2018
What a unique idea for a story. Lucia is born during a lunar eclipse and because of this, some strange things start happening after her 13th birthday falls on the next eclipse. Somehow events happen that she can't remember and she is forced to examine the relationships around her to figure out what's going on. At the heart, this is a story about friendship, family, and being true to yourself. Five shiny golden stars!!
July 24, 2018
I loved this book! Lucia is a great, relatable character with a family dynamic that a child of divorce or broken parents can relate to well especially in adolescence because it's wise. I enjoyed the fantasy and the breaks of the book where the Moon Child was broken into her Shadow Half. A read for children to come to grips with aging, middle school, broken friendships, and a dysfunctional family.
July 26, 2018
Loved the feeling of magic and mystery as Lucia struggles to find her Shadow Self. It's really amazing, how Lucia's shadow helped Lucia be more un-shadowy, how she stood up to Velvet and got Will back as a friend. And how she became closer to her sister, and helped her dad stop . . . being a TV-holic and actually get out with friends. If you love magic and myths, lunar stories and the moon, I can assure you will love this book.
April 29, 2019
Moon Shadow by Erin Downing. Thirteen-year-old Lucia Frank discovers that she can become the girl she’s always wanted to be with the help of a little “moon magic” in this charming novel about the value of friendship, family, and finding yourself. It is a historic realistic book to teach children that they can do and be whatever they dream for. Children can do activities like drama, music or art.
January 7, 2018
Lucia has a lot on her plate. Her parents get divorced, her mother leaves the country, and her lifelong BFF is excluding her. Let's add transitioning to middle school to the mix. The issues listed were handled realistically with sensitivity. However, this book has a hocus-pocus aspect. Do middle grade readers want to read about Carl Jung's Shadow Theory?
June 28, 2017
Downing presented an intriguing and engaging novel about a young girl struggling through loss and anger while also discovering more about herself through a moon eclipse. The story drew me in and kept my attention. It was a fun read and I can see many students enjoying it.
August 27, 2018
I enjoyed this book. It was a little predictable for me. However, it would be a good read for middle school aged kids. The story line would lend itself well to discussing such issues as true friends and bullying as well as finding yourself on your own.
February 1, 2020
Good coming-of-age story, with friendships, sibling relationship, coming-of-age conflicts and realistic view of a child's feelings whose parents are separated and she feels abandoned by her mother. A bit of magic with a fitting explanation at the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews