Tell the Moon to Come Out

by Joan Lingard

It is 1939. Spain is a country torn apart by a brutal civil war. Nick has come from Scotland illegally, in search of his father – who left the family home three years ago to fight in Spain. He never came back.

Spain is a dangerous place for a boy with no identity papers. Nick has been told to trust no one. But then, ill and desperate, he meets Isabel, the daughter of a sergeant in the dreaded Civil Guard. She offers him help. She may be his only chance of survival – but can he trust her?

A gripping, tense and affecting story for older children from acclaimed author Joan Lingard.

4 pages, Audiobook

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Joan Lingard was born in Edinburgh, in the Old Town, but grew up in Belfast where she lived until she was 18. She attended Strandtown Primary and then got a scholarship into Bloomfied Collegiate. She has three daughters and five grandchildren, and now lives in Edinburgh with her Canadian husband.

Lingard has written novels for both adults and children. She is probably most famous for the teenage-aimed Kevin and Sadie series, which have sold over one million copies and have been reprinted many times since.

Her first novel Liam's Daughter was an adult-orientated novel published in 1963. Her first children's novel was The Twelfth Day of July (the first of the five Kevin and Sadie books) in 1970.

Lingard received the prestigious West German award the "Buxtehuder Bulle" in 1986 for Across the Barricades. Tug of War has also received great success: shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal 1989, The Federation of Children's Book Group Award 1989, runner up in the Lancashire Children's Book Club of the year 1990 and shortlisted for the Sheffield Book Award. In 1998, her book Tom and the Tree House won the Scottish Arts Council Children's Book Award. Her most recent novel, What to Do About Holly was released in August 2009.

Lingard was awarded an MBE in 1998 for services to children's literature.

Reviews

[Grace]

I read this book a long time ago, but I can still remember the story. It's really touching this piece of war romance.

[Amy]

I read this in 3 hours! Although it is a bit quickly paced and sometimes lack of emotion description, I guess the adventure in a strange country, with all the fear of who you can and cannot trust is very intriguing. It is nice too to know many people that you do not know are kind and helpful, and I think it is life. Although it is a hard work, it ends up result in something.
Although I would like to have more romantic relationship between Nick and Isabel, but I guess that is how life is too. The more you spend time with someone, the less romantic they will become. But yes, I really enjoyed this novel, I guess I can say that from reading it for straight 3 hours.

[Leah]

It was exciting and I would read it again.

[Ivan]

if you like story on advanture ,about kinships or even like story that are sad . ''Tell The Moon To Come Out'' is a mavellous book for you .This book talks about the boy called Nick which is the main character of the story,that had come all the the way from Scotland to search for his father from Spain. His father left home 3 years ago to fight war in Spain and without informing his mother, Nick went to Spain himself.Then the boy Nick with no identity come to spain. During that time spain is a very dangerous place as the place is torn apart by civil war and what is more dangerous, is that he is not even familiar with the place or neither he could speak their language.Something even worst happened because during the search Nick fell sick. when suddenly the daugther of a sergeant come to offer him help. But should Nick accept her help despite not knowing her at all? if not Nick may not even got any chance to back to his country or if the franco's men had caught him Nike will also will not escape death!!

[Andrew]

This is just the type of novel I might have read when I was eleven...& just about to leave the world of soppy, sentimental children's literature behind me. It's written so well that a mature adult can read it with both enjoyment & appreciation of the eternal themes it tackles so naturally, even though it deals with some tough material - the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War (1936-38-9?), & a teenage Scots boy's quest to find his lost Andalusian father in a Spain that is still racked with violence, betrayal & sudden retribuitive death, hunger, suffering & sullen resistance to Franco's regime. A very good read then; a welcome antidote to the ridiculous contemporary obsession amongst teenagers for wizards, dragons & vampires. Joan Lingard's characters demonstrate only real human reactions & feelings, a much healthier literary diet for the world we live in now! Enough with the fantasy; kids need a dose of reality sometimes. This would serve admirably...& there's a love story too! Recommended.

[Catarina]

2.5 stars.
Too fast, too furious. Although I know that there wasn't much to go one, being the setting what it was, I still think the author could have gone a little deeper. Even so it was ok and it's a good adventure to read.

[A]

thank you to Mrs Aucamp for making us read thi