I loved A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd when I first read it, and Over the Moon is just as much fun to read.

Mallie Ramble is a tough little girl who is the main breadwinner in her family, ever since her dad was injured in the mines. Since only boys are allowed to work the mines in her mining town of Coal Top, Mallie finds employment as a housekeeper for a wealthy family. She yearns for something more, for the good old days the townsfolk talk about, when there used to be stars, and Starweavers… and winged horses known as Starbirds. But those days are in the long-lost past. Now the mountain on which she lives is covered under a thick, noxious Dust that can be deadly if one breathes too much in, and the stars and horses are gone.

When her family is threatened, Mallie plunges into a bold adventure which she hopes will protect her family, and ends up discovering a horrible conspiracy that affects the entire town. It’s up to Mallie and her friends to expose the conspiracy, or else Coal Top might be ruined forever.

This is a wonderful little story. The ending was perhaps a little rushed and “unfinished,” but it was still a joy to read.

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Scholastic Press (A Scholastic Imprint)

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None 

Violence/Gore:  Many instances of violence and gore, including but not limited to: Report of monsters in the wood; a girl is frequently bullied by a boy; a girl is crippled; a girl’s is poorly treated by her employer; a man is infected with sorrow; characters threaten family members; a man is struck; characters hear predatory noises in a wood; a character is hunted by a monster; a mother and daughter fight; a boy violently attacks a girl and damages her possessions; report of theft; a character is implicated in a conspiracy; a girl has nightmares; a girl suffers from feelings of rage and hate; a family member is taken away; report of past violence; characters are surrounded and threatened by monsters; a character pushes another character from a great height; a verbal confrontation; a character threatens another character’s family; a boy with a sword fights a girl armed with a stick; children battle monsters. 

Sex/Nudity:  A girl hears the voice of the boy she likes; mention of a character falling in love; a boy and girl walk together; a boy runs his fingers through a girl’s hair; a boy and a girl ride a horse together and the girl is aware of the boy’s arms about her waist; a boy tells a girl she looks pretty; a boy and girl sit together in the night; a boy holds a girl.

Mature Subject Matter:

Socioeconomic conflicts; ethics; injury; unemployment; verbal child abuse.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

A character receives medicine; report of a healing powder that causes disorienting side effects if taken in large doses.