Readers' rating:
Published Feb 2010
256 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
Jane and her family have moved to Canada ... but not for long. When her stepfather, Ned, is fired from his job as a high school French teacher (seems he doesn't speak French), the family packs up and Jane embarks on a series of new adventures. At first, she imagines her family as a gang of outlaws, riding on horseback in masks, robbing trains, and traveling all the way to Mexico. But the reality is different: Setting off by car, they visit the tribe of Native Americans with whom Ned once lived, head to Las Vegas in search of Ned's magician brother, and wind up spending the summer with his eccentric mother on her ranch out west. As Jane lives through it all—developing a crush on a ranch hand, reevaluating her relationship with Ned, watching her sister Maya's painful growing up—she sees her world, which used to be so safe and secure, shift in strange and inconvenient ways.
"Starred Review. A dynamic montage of dark and light moments, this novel shows rather than tells Jane's changing moods, her ambivalent feelings about being uprooted, and her quiet observations of her unpredictable yet endearing family members. Ages 10-13." - Publishers Weekly
"The plot is slight, but the language and characters are delicious. Becca Battoe's youthful narration allows listeners to see everything from Jane's perspective, and her gift of timing and inflection produce many laugh-out-loud moments. A delightful story." - School Library Journal
"Many characters here are distinct, wonderfully idiosyncratic individuals, and Horvath’s fine-tuned observations are conveyed with subtlety and precision. The open-ended conclusion seems to promise another sequel. Grades 5-8." - Booklist
This information about Northward to the Moon was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Polly Horvath grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her books include The Trolls, finalist for the U.S. National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 1999, Everything on a Waffle, a runner-up for the Newbery Medal in 2002 and winner of the National Book Award. She won the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award in 2013 for One Year in Coal Harbor.
She currently lives in Metchosin, British Columbia and is both an American and Canadian citizen. Her books have received international recognition. She is married and has two daughters.
Link to Polly Horvath's Website
Name Pronunciation
Polly Horvath: hor-vath (second syllable rhymes with math)
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