The Courage of Magnolia Moon by Edwina Wyatt

Title: The Courage of Magnolia Moon

Author: Edwina Wyatt

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Walker Books

Published: 3^rd November 2022

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 160

Price: $19.99

Synopsis: Magnolia Moon is very good at finding courage. And when you’ve fought with your best friend and your grandma is sick, it will take great courage to find a way forward.

Magnolia Moon returns with a story of the great daring it takes to be ten years old (almost eleven). Whether she’s helping a friend be brave, standing up to bullies or helping out at home, Magnolia shows readers how a little bit of courage can make life magical. A lyrical and imaginative tale which highlights everyday wonders through Magnolia’s curious and observant nature.

• This magical adventure follows on from The Magic of Magnolia Moon, but can also be read as a standalone.
• Presented in sumptuous hardback, an ideal gift for imaginative young readers.
• Perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Sara Pennypacker.

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Magnolia Moon’s new story is about courage and bravery – and what this means when you’re ten. Magnolia has to help her friends be brave, stand up to bullies, help out at home, and at times, admit to her faults and mistakes which takes great courage. The third book focuses on Magnolia’s different ways and moments of being courageous, where she wants to help her family, and is worried about Grandma Moon. It is a story about finding out what your bravery levels are and coming to terms with making sacrifices. Magnolia feels like she is alone though and must find her courage to tell her family the truth about some things – and this will help her be brave with her friends.

The third Magnolia Moon book is lyrical and delightful, just like the first two. It is a gentle story that shows kids – and adults – that being brave comes in lots of shapes and sizes, and that it can make us feel anxious and uneasy, but there is also power in being brave and courageous. Once again this is an immersive story where we become Magnolia and see the world through her eyes and experience what she experiences, and how she grapples with her friendships with Casper and Imogen May, and everything that is going on at home. It is the eloquence and beauty of the story that moves things along and gives the story the vitality it needs.

This is a gentle and slow story. There’s nothing fast-paced or highly strung about it. There’s a sweet, calm feeling in this book, and it is one that I felt I could weave in and out of at a good pace, because I wasn’t on edge. Yes, I wanted to know what happened, but it is also the kind of book where I was able to set it down and think about what had just happened. Each chapter is its own little story that makes up the entire story, and I loved the way they all linked together – ever so calmly and sweetly, so as a reader, I was enthralled from page one. It’s such a joyful story, that has its ups and downs, whilst celebrating courage, love, and magic.

Magnolia shows us something that we can see in society – a desire and need to be brave, and how we work out our bravery and courage. It does this through the power of family and friendship and feeling like we can speak up when we need to. This courage illustrates that everyone has to find their own way of being brave and courageous, and that this is different for everyone – Magnolia does it in her own way. This is why I loved this book, because it can speak to all of us in different ways, and I hope it finds lots of fans.