J.R. Stampft The Moon Key

The Moon Key

J.R. Stampft

Smooch, Nov 2005, $5.99

ISBN: 0843956194

Preadolescent foster child Wendy Hilton is lonely. She has no friends, is bounced around from family to family, and has never been welcomed anywhere with even a gentle hug. Her self-esteem is beneath toe ooze at the bottom of the food chain, and being obese and awkward just adds to her lack of confidence. Her poor grades are just an indication of how little regard she has for herself.

On her thirteenth birthday, Wendy's life abruptly changes when the Lunar Arena of Transformation Concentration and Hope (LATCH) provides her with a scholarship. She makes friends for the first time, feels like she belongs, and even begins to lose weight. Her growing confidence and self esteem is reflected with her grades going up. The only negative is classmate Phillip Huntington who tries various stunts to cause Wendy to fail and hopefully be expelled.

The teenage heroine, her new friends and the faculty at LATCH make this a fine tale whose message of believing in one's abilities is a critical element in living a harmonious life. Though Phillip is too much like the student enemies of Potter, the metamorphosis of Wendy is cleverly handled so that the young adult audience can understand the forces that enable her to change for the better. She makes THE MOON KEY a fun tale to read.

Harriet Klausner