Magpie
Gabbard
and the Quest for the Buried Moon
Dear Reader,
You have probably heard by now about how my daddy made a deal with the moon
when I was born, about our magical hog Wild Bill, and how I had to go after
my precious brother Milo to return his foot. It was the only thing I could
do, given the circumstances.
I don't know, though, if you have heard about how us Gabbards and Sizemores
have been feuding, or how both us feuding families put aside our considerable
differences to outthink the Cob Hollow Goblins and save the moon. That was
no easy matter.
If this sounds like a tall tale, you may be right. But then again you may
be confronting a Gabbard Mountain truth -- and that is something to think
about.
Most sincerely,
Magpie Gabbard
Available
from Philomel Books
A
Junior Library Guild Selection
"Keehn captures
Appalachian colloquialisms and language to perfection while maintaining an
action-packed, rip-snorting, hilarious pace that never lets readers go. The
feisty heroine brings together the two rival clans and saves the Moon, and
brother Milo gets to 'walk through the pearly gates'on two feet in this well-connected
rambunctious celebration of the tall tale. An original that just might be
even more entertaining when read aloud." ~School Library Journal
PRAISE
FOR MAGPIE GABBARD:
Set
on a Kentucky mountaintop, Keehn's . . . novel is as memorable for the voice
of its spunky heroine as for its imaginative plot ingredients . . . . At once
humorous and poignant, this is an enchanting tall tale from a talented raconteur.
~ Publishers Weekley (starred review)
"Keehn
employs symbolism and humor to create excitement, hilarity and a touching ending..."
~ Kirkus Reviews
"Set
in Kentucky in 1872, MAGPIE GABBARD cements Sally M. Keehn's reputation (as
demonstrated with her earlier GNAT STOKES AND THE FOGGY BOTTOM SWAMP QUEEN)
as a first-class chronicler of down-home folklore. Keehn combines real folk
elements from American and British lore with her keen ear for Appalachian colloquialisms.
The result is a uniquely American fantasy story, a welcome alternative to Anglocentric
children's fantasy novels that seem to dominate the market." ~ KidsReads.com
Good
News!
Magpie Gabbard and the Quest
for the Buried Moon has been nominated for the Evelyn Thurman Young
Readers Award, a newly created award which recognizes a book written or
illustrated by a Kentucky author or illustrator; or a work containing a significant
Kentucky-related theme or connection.
