The Moon Over High Street

by Natalie Babbitt

The ?Moon Over High Street

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Juvenile, Adoption

148 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Natalie Zane Babbitt was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. Her 1975 novel, Tuck Everlasting, was adapted into two feature films and a Broadway musical. She received the Newbery Honor and Christopher Award, and was the U.S. nominee for the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1982.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

این کتاب ایده‌ی دوست‌داشتنی‌ای داره، ولی اجراش قابل قبول نبود برام! شخصیت‌پردازی جای کار زیادی داشت، پلات‌توییستی وجود نداشت، داستان هیچ اوج و گره‌ای نداشت، ذهن رو مشغول نمی‌کرد و خلاصه بسیار ساده‌ و معمولی بود
ولی من عاشق اون بخش‌هایی شدم که درمورد ماه صحبت می‌شد :) چون ماه نماد خودمه و این قسمت‌ها حس دلنشینی بهم می‌دادن
اونجاهایی که جو می‌گفت هدف زندگیش اینه که از ماه محافظت کنه :) می‌گفت ماه همیشه به زندگی‌ آدم‌ها می‌تابه، اما این بار من می‌خوام در برابر شهاب‌سنگ‌هایی که بهش برخورد می‌کنن و رو چهره‌ش چاله چوله می‌سازن، ازش محافظت کنم... می‌گفت دوست دارم ماه همیشه اون بالا باشه، دوست ندارم چیزی بهش آسیب بزنه. بعد وینی بهش گفت باید عجله کنی، چون ماه بیشتر از چیزی که فکرشو می‌کنی به محافظت نیاز داره :) اون‌جاهایی که می‌گفت آدما می‌رن، ترکت می‌کنن، می‌میرن و به هیچ‌کدومشون نمی‌تونی تکیه کنی، اما ماه همیشه هست، حتی اگه تغییر کنه و هلالش باریک یا کامل بشه، هست! می‌شه بهش تکیه کرد... همیشه می‌تونی باهاش درد دل کنی و ازش مشورت بگیری و اون کمکت می‌کنه :)
اونجاهایی که مادربزرگش تعریف می‌کرد جوی نوزاد شب‌هایی که ماه از پنجره پیدا بود گریه نمی‌کرد و با لبخند به ماه خیره می‌شد... و ماه به قلبش آرامش و امید می‌داد و جای خالی پدر مادرش رو براش پر می‌کرد :)
اینجاها برای من خیلی قشنگ بودن... خیلی...
🌕

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a legal assistant who works in domestic law, that was . . . interesting.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written, especially at the beginning. Would be fun to read aloud... maybe to a classroom to provoke conversations. I would have loved the theme, plot, and characters when I was the right age to read it, about 10. Family, money, fear, ambition... how can one kid think about all that?

Now, I appreciate all that, plus nuances, like feeling sorry for the rich & arrogant people. Just a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Nostalgic, too. Set in the 1960s but written as if it were written then, not historical fiction. Reminds me of works by Frances Hodgson Burnett like Little Lord Fauntleroy. But much shorter and more accessible to 21st century readers.

[Kira Venkat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this was an exceptionally great book about the tough choices in life that you make and how you choose which one. I loved this book so much that I couldn't stop reading it because it was so amazing. When Joe's grandmother got the letter about the adoption and when she told Joe I agreed with the author that it was like a meteorite hit them and like Vinnie said it just comes out of nowhere, unexpected, and it smashes you, but in this case it smashes you with a big load of shock. At the end of this book I realized that on the cover it shows a piggybank and the moon, I think this represents choices Joe has to make in this story. The piggybank represents being rich and the moon represents, well the moon and the reason that makes sense is because he wanted to protect the moon and study it and there are no branches covering it just like Joe saw when he looked outside his window. I think the choices are basically be rich and run a factory that he won't feel happy running a business for Mr. Boulderwall or study the moon and protect it and do what he wants. I thought that the cover was amazing since it basically captured the whole story. I admired the part when Beatrice showed Joe that the answer was so simple because life's choices seem so complicated, but really there so simple. I gave this book a 5 star rating because this was a really spectacular book

[Pete Bylone · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was kind of simplistic, and had some really odd premises to it. I can't imagine even my 10 year old son will read this and find it plausible that a rich business owner would want to adopt a boy based on a chance meeting and a shared heritage. Beyond that, we never really get a feeling for what is going on inside Joe's head (except that he has a crush on the girl across the street). I mean, the climactic scene doesn't even have the main character in it! Instead of giving him the intestinal fortitude to resolve the situation on his own, and despite his young age it could have been convincingly done that way, Joe's Grandmother does the moralizing about what's for sale and what isn't, and the value placed on pursuing ones dream.

I think it's an ok book for kids to read, I just don't think they'll fall in love with it in any way.

[Tra-Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even when her stories are simple, Babbitt is such a warm, wise writer that her books usually give me a glow. She sees the good in life and wants to help her readers see it, too.

[Ensiform · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tale of class and the American dream, set in an Ohio town shortly after the Korean War. After a brief and chance meeting, young Joe Casimir is chosen, for no particular reason except for his long-forgotten and celebrated Polish heritage, by the richest man in the state, Mr. Boulderwall, to become his heir and run his company after retirement. Should he accept and allow himself to be adopted by this mysterious Mammon, and be sent to eastern prep schools to be educated in finance? His grandmother and Aunt Myra have their opinions, and so does Myra's friend the electrician Vinnie, but what does Joe want?

This book is beautifully written but simplistic. Although the prose is vivid and there are a couple of fun scenes, nothing in the plot clicked for me. There is no reason why Mr. Boulderwall should set his sights on Joe. Why doesn't Joe ever just say what he wants? It's all bottled up, for some reason, except apparently all he needed was for the girl he has a crush on to ask him what he wants, and then he tells everyone. (I found his plan for his future studies laughably infantile, though the book presents it as the wisdom of babes.) Then the climactic scene in which Joe makes his potentially life-altering decision comes, and Joe isn't there. His grandmother does the talking. The lack of character depth and motive means there really isn't any choice in the book. By the end, Boulderwall is almost Montgomery Burns-like in his cartoonish befuddlement that a child might not want to live with his blood relations when he could live in a mansion and study business! This could have been a deeper book if Boulderwall hadn't been drawn so crudely, or his wife not so snobbish and vacant, or Joe's working-class friends so affable and kind. Instead it's a black and white tale, complete with comically apt karmic fairy-tale endings for the principal characters.

[J. Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very simple & heartwarming experience, everything in this story happens just as it should and as you would expect it to. Nothing wild or exciting, just a nice story. That said, I thought her other books (Tuck Everlasting, Search for Delicious) were better. Still a good read though, something you could recommend to literally any kid.

[Roben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! The epilogue, in particular, made me smile. It's a slice of Joe Casimir's life - Joe was orphaned at the age of 2 months and has been raised by his Gran. When the story opens, Joe is twelve. Gran has decided that they should visit their only other relative, a cousin Joe calls "Aunt" Myra. But Gran falls and breaks her hip so Joe has to make the trip alone. That premise could go 1000 different directions in the land of children's lit. But Natalie Babbitt spins her own particular magic and creates a bit of an old-fashioned tale.

Like I said - I enjoyed it. Characters and emotions rang true. And I found myself thinking, "I remember feeling like that when I was twelve!" I think this would be a good book for a read-aloud to a 4th or 5th grade class. There is a lot to discuss - do they know what they want to do when they grow up? What would they do if they were in Joe's position? Or possibly for a book club choice for 12 year olds!

I fear that the reviews will dissuade people from reading the book, which would be a shame. It's a lovely story with a sweet resolution.

[Brittany Pappas · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 6 year old really liked this book. I will say that the boy’s parents died so there was some discussion about that but it was well-received and enjoyed by us both. The moral of the story was that money can’t buy happiness and to follow your dreams :)

[Stacy Overby · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Moon over High Street by Natalie Babbitt is the story of Joe Casimir and one particular summer he had. See, Joe’s parents had been killed, and he was living with his Gran. When she had a terrible fall and couldn’t take care of him for a while, he went to live with Aunt Myra. Little did they know how much life would change for them that summer.

Likes

I loved the conflict that came early in the story. A rich man in Aunt Myra’s town offered Joe a chance to change his life by agreeing to let the rich man adopt him. Joe had gone to live with Aunt Myra after his parents died. The catch is Joe felt close to Aunt Myra and struggled with the idea of allowing the rich man to adopt him as it would change his relationship with Aunt Myra. This sets the stage for several things that come next.
Which brings me to my next appreciation for this story. I loved the character growth that occurred throughout the book despite everyone being your ordinary people who didn’t have extraordinary circumstances to navigate. To me, it goes to show how much you can do without having to have crazy huge or dangerous or whatever plotlines. Joe’s sense of conflict over what’s “best” for him, Aunt Myra’s respect for Joe’s autonomy despite being a kid, the way they all cope with the various things life thrust on them, and more are just so well written. They’re real without being trite, and the growth feels genuine.
Finally, I loved the beautiful simplicity of the story. I think overall it worked well with the focus being about what Joe and his family’s decision would be with this offer to be adopted and made a millionaire’s son. Yet the implications of this possibility ripple throughout the story well.

Dislikes

While I said I loved the simplicity of the story, it sometimes was a bit too simple. I would have liked to see more tension because I felt like you knew what Joe’s decision would be long before it got revealed.
I also struggled a bit with Joe’s character. He is a kid in this story, yet reads much more like an adult. I get, given his history, he’s more mature like than other kids, but he is still a kid. I wish he would have behaved a bit more that way in the story.

Conclusion

I liked this book. It’s not one I’d go nuts over or insist you should go out and read. If you want an easy, engaging read without stressful or high-stakes plotlines, this is a great option. If you get a chance, go check it out.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the writing in this book is exquisite and feels as though you're being dipped gently into a comfortable bubble bath drawn by someone you love, ultimately the book disappointed me. Joe Casimir is a likeable boy who has been reared by his grandmother after the death of his parents. When she injures herself, she sends him to stay with an older cousin, Myra. While there, he meets a neighbor girl with plenty of common sense, and he also meets Mr. Boulderwall, a millionaire whose invention is essential in every car. The man takes a liking to Joe and decides to adopt him. The rest of the story revolves around Joe's having to make a choice about staying with his family and being able to reach his career goals or having enough money to do anything he wants but agreeing to head Mr. Boulderwall's business. I don't know about this one. There are plenty of things I liked about it, but the situation just seemed so unlikely. What kind of kid is going to forsake the small family he has to live with someone he hardly knows, even if there is a financial lure? How could someone's wealth or position lead someone to make such an offer? The story ends satisyingly, just as it should be, but the offer of a wonderful future life seemed somewhat spontaneous to me.

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hey, remember that episode of "The Simpsons" where Mr. Burns adopts Bart, because he thinks he's going to die soon? This is sort of like that, only, not as good. Because at least Mr. Burns had a good reason for adopting Bart, something more compelling than "Hey, kid that I just met. You are polite and your parents are dead. Also, your last name is Polish, so I think I want to adopt you." Um, really? Very random, not at all convincing. Nor was quite a bit of other stuff here. Overall, I think the best word to describe this book is "sketchy," in many senses of the word. Unoriginal and forgettable work, too.

Is that too harsh? Points for, er, an Ohio setting, which always make my Buckeye heart go pitter-patter. And I do think that, had the premise/town/characters been properly developed, it would've made for a nice little outing. Alas.

Oh! Also! Totally not Babbitt's responsibility, but: that is some might bad jacket copy. It's probably petty to mention that, but it irked me incredibly. Somebody should get called to the office for that one.

[Luann · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this isn't Tuck Everlasting, or The Search for Delicious, or even Kneeknock Rise, I did find it to be a nice, enjoyable read. The characters are nice. The setting is nice. The plot is nice. There's nothing wrong with this at all. I even really enjoyed some of the clever bits at the end. But it also isn't one I'll read again and again or remember much of the plot and characters later. If it weren't by Natalie Babbitt, it would be almost entirely forgettable. But it is still well worth reading for fans of Natalie Babbitt.

[Becky Cotton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tucking this away for a read aloud when my kids are a little bit older. This is the sort of “old fashioned” wholesome middle grades book I loved as a kid. Like Winnie in Babbit’s Tuck Everlasting, Joe is faced with an unexpected choice that would change his life forever, all while he is only starting to develop his own dream for his life. I loved the way his friends and close-knit family give him space and permission to have a dream and follow a path that starts with what he already loves. Lots of good themes to discuss more deeply around grief, the American dream, class systems, the history of the Korean War and the space race.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice, old-fashioned children's book that emphasizes the importance of following your own dreams instead of settling for something that will make you money. The plot isn't very complicated or fast-paced, but the writing is excellent--almost lyrical. I've never read any of Babbit's other books, but this one makes me want to give them a try.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a disappointment, coming from the same author of Tuck Everlasting, very heavy-handed and obvious.

[SilverNediya · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتاب من 124 ص بود
در واقع وو در قلبم، سه‌ونیم ستاره برای کلیت کتاب و ..! یک چیزهای ریز کوچکی در کنار کلیت کتاب هست که شاید فقط برای من جالب باشد؛ مثل شخصیت مایرا و خانه‌اش و ماشینش، آرامش بئاتریس، محکم‌بودن مامان‌جان و راحتی جو برای رهاکردن خشمش و امید پررنگ وینی و نتیجه‌اش

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a sweet little story. It was a quick read and I think my kids will like it. I want to say more but I don't want to spoil it. Let's just say I liked the message.

[Bea Elwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is rather simple but it creates a feeling of intrigue that keeps you reading until the end. A lovely allegory for naming our dreams and not falling for what others label successful living.

[Casey · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 I really don't know the point of this book.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Been on a bit of a Natalie Babbitt kick lately, revisiting books that were important to me in childhood so I have a better sense of what's safe to pass on to friends' kids. But this one was entirely new to me. Apparently first published in 2012, it reads like it was written in the 1950s: The plot mostly follows a 12-year-old boy named Joe who has to stay with a relative he's never met when his grandmother breaks a hip, and after being bussed to the kind of quaint American Midwestern city that has a bandstand at the center of town, Joe accidentally catches the eye of a rich 72-year-old sonless tycoon who fixates on adopting him and raising him as heir to the family business. (The tycoon has an adult, married daughter who doesn't enter the picture; what he wants is a fresh, smart kid who reminds him of himself as a lad, who he can groom (a word that largely means something else these days) into a copy of himself.

It's an odd story, but I found it charming because it's so out of time, and so Natalie Babbitt. Into a story that's full of '50s-kids-books practicalities — Joe exploring the new town on a bike with the dark-haired neighbor girl he has an unfussy and unexpressive crush on, chasing an unruly dog through people's yards, eating pancakes and lounging in a hammock — come some wonderfully lyrical descriptions of the sky and the stars, the mechanics of Joe's closed-off inner world, and the philosophy of money.

This book gets fairly cartoonish in the end — when the tycoon finally lays out his beliefs, they're so stunted and symbolic and unlike what we've seen of him so far that he becomes a parody — but it'd be a pretty interesting book to discuss with someone in the 7-to-10-year-old range in terms of the blocks Joe experiences in expressing himself to other people, acknowledging what he likes and hates and wants and feels. It's a really unusually age-appropriate look at the phenomenon of feeling things deeply as a kid, but often not having the words for them, or trusting other people with those feelings, and the relief when you find the words and someone understands.

[Julie Failla Earhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please don’t hate me when I tell you I have never read “Tuck Everlasting.” When it was originally published in 1975, I was already a grown woman and never felt the need to read it.

I’m not sure how I wound up with a copy of Babbitt’s “The Moon Over the High Street.” This short novel is aimed at what I call middle-schoolers, grades 4-9. Its themes of family, friendship, rich versus poor and the working class still resonate with readers all these years later.

Twelve-year-old Joe Casimir has only known his grandmother as his family. His parents died in an accident when he was a baby, and the only other family is a cousin of Gran’s, Aunt Myra.

When Gran breaks her hip, she sends Joe to live with Aunt Myra in Midville, across the state. I didn’t envy his long bus trip. Anyone who has take a bus to anywhere knows how awful it can be. Midville is a tiny town with clearly delineated lines of where its citizens reside based on class. Class is an important theme in this story.

Joe meets and becomes friends with the girl, Beatrice Sope, who lives across the street. Through Beatrice, Joe meets the town’s millionaire, Mr. Boulderwall. Boulderwall takes a shine to Joe and offers to adopt him. He wants Joe to be his protégé. Joe is forced to decide whether to live a life of wealth and abandon Gran and Aunt Myra or stay with his family and chase his dreams.

There aren’t a lot of characters in this book, but the supporting characters provide Joe with the skills necessary to make this crucial decision.

I thought the book was a quick read with surprising depth. However, it does tend to meander a bit. That’s why “The Moon Over High Street” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've noticed some things about Babbitt's novels after reading a few of them; they are short, to the point, usually read like a fable or morality tale, deal with coming of age, and the symbolism is so obvious and so in your face, she might as well have painted it in red across the pages. Now, I understand that these books are for 10-12 year olds. But kids are smart. They pick up on things. You don't need to spell it out for them. This book is about choosing family over money, and discovering that money can't buy everything. That's really it. Again, the novel is too short to really delve into characters and motivations, so it seems silly that Anson meets Joe one time and wants to adopt him. Given time, and character development, these books would be so much better. Babbitt's ideas are great, but as my 6th grade English teacher used to say, "Flesh it out. Tell me more." Her characters are interesting individuals, though, and I really wish we could have seen more of them. If you're looking for a brief, cute little story about family, this is it, but be aware, it's not much else.

[Teagan Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Moon Over High Street was a great book, yet after reading it, it didn't feel like there was much to it. It was pretty short to be a chapter book, considering the storyline doesn't present a theme for young children (not that it would be bad for children to read, just that it doesn't seem directed to young kids, so it's surprisingly short). I am not against the length of the book, as I have read many wonderful stories that are shorter, though I feel like this book should have contained more detail and mood than what was given. With that being said, it was still an enjoyable read and I'm glad to have read it.

[Shelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've been going through a stack of books that I haven't read, trying to decide which ones to give my daughter to read, and I have been reading the ones I hadn't ever read. She doesn't like to read, so I want to make sure the ones I pass her way are compelling. This one was not. It was contrived and boring and felt inaccurate and stupid in it occasional use of science/astronomy. The entire conflict in the book was so bizarre. It was a waste of an hour or so reading it. I can see what it wanted to be, but I think it failed.

[Sara Cantoni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interessante prospettiva sul tipo di adulto che si vuole essere. La storia di Joe Casimir ci mostra che ci sono adulti che ascoltano e sono aperti ai desideri e al mondo dei ragazzi e altri, decisamente adultocentrici e concentrati solo su soldi e carriera.
Ma soprattutto ci ricorda che nella vita certe cose non si comprano!

[Marjorie Elwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you want to do with your life? And would that change if you were guaranteed a large income and an 'important' position that was at odds with your passion? Joe Casimir faces that decision during a time of tumult and transition.

[R.L.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the characters and the setting (though I didn't recognize any of the Ohio I grew up in in the Ohio of this book), and though the major issues of the book seemed easily solved, it was still an interesting enough read.

[Suzanne Fournier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick interesting read with an unexpected end.
Joe is an average 12 year old who loves the moon, goes to visit his 'Aunt' Myra and inadvertently meets the towns richest citizen, Anson Boulderwall. Anson in turn makes an incredible offer to Joe and life for everyone involved is never the same.