WALK TWO MOONS

Despite the fact that it’s a Newbery winner, I’d never heard of this Sharon Creech novel (or Sharon Creech, for that matter) until it was selected for our book club. That’s because it was published in 1994, long after I had outgrown YA books and several years before I grew back into them again. I was rather unenthused when I sat down to read it; the Amazon and book-flap descriptions made it sound suspiciously dull and earnest, possibly Tough Teen Issue-y. I was thrilled to be proven dead wrong. This is a beautifully written and moving book with serious themes (occasionally enough to move a grownup to tears), but it’s also quirky and funny and original and endearing. We all loved it so much that our book club discussion consisted mainly of comparing favorite parts. If this book had existed when I was a kid, I think my younger self would have really enjoyed it—especially the part that takes place in Pipestone. Minnesota, represent! (Aw, now I wonder what happened to the little pipestone turtle I once bought there as a childhood souvenir...)