Module 1 - THE BOY WHO CLIMBED INTO THE MOON by David Almond

Bibliography
Almond, David. 2010. THE BOY WHO CLIMBED INTO THE MOON. Ills. Polly Dunbar. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.  ISBN 10 - 9780763642174

Plot Summary
A shy, young, English boy who lives in a basement apartment decides he would like to touch the sky one day.  Along the way he meets new friends and is encouraged to voice his thoughts, no matter how strange they may seem.  One of his strange ideas is the notion that the moon is really just a big hole in the sky.  With the help of his new friends and his parents he makes an astonishing discovery and his confidence grows as he becomes braver and braver.

Critical Analysis
David Almond's writing is a fast-paced read for young children who will delight in Polly Dunbar's pencil, watercolor, and collage illustrations. The characters in this story are endearing, funny, engaging, and eccentric.  Almond's writing takes the reader on a fantastical journey into the moon, but the matter-of-fact way the characters dialogue about what they are doing anchors the story in a sense of believability.  Though the quest into the moon and the eccentricity of the characters are exaggerated, the central theme of trusting yourself comes through clearly as Paul's confidence grows throughout the story.  Almond's style is well-suited for children who may not always want to spend their time reading. 

Almond sets the story in a ctiy north of England and includes some language markers to solidify the setting in the readers mind.  Paul lives in a basement flat and he calls his mother mum.  He takes a lift to the top of the apartment building and some of the words that american children would be familiar with are spelled differently than they would be used to seeing; such as realised for realized and rumours for rumors.  The ladder they use to get to the moon was paid for by Paul's dad in pounds and pence, which many readers may be familiar with as English currency.  This story is relatable for children all around the world and could take place anywhere, but you get a feeling of the English culture through the language Almond uses and the emphasis on sausages!  The characters eat sausages throughout the story and Paul declares, "Sausages are better than war!" Who could argue with that?

Polly Dunbar's pencil, watercolor, and collage illustrations really add to the stories eccentric, fantastical quality.  Dunbar's illustrations keep the mood in the book light even when the stories subject matter is sad or even depressing.  Her full-color pictures light up the story and sometimes take over
entirely with interesting, delightful two-page spreads. 
       
Review Exerpts
*UKLA Children's Publishing Award Winner
*Outstanding Internation Book List of 2011

School Library Journal -  "It's all whimsical, totally unbelievable, and full of exhortation to live life, ask questions, don't make war, test out theories, be courageous, make friends, and so forth. Full-color and line illustrations lend cozy appeal for those beginning chapter-book readers who can tolerate the thematically overstuffed, disjointed, and arbitrary plot that gains Paul a new member of his family, new friends, and perhaps a new outlook on his sheltered life."

Booklist - "Rarely laugh-out-loud funny, Almond employs all manners of amusements (a flying dog, an obsessive elevator inspector, the truth behind the moon) while never losing sight of some refreshing realities: Paul’s parents are a real presence, and the city feels appropriately dense."

Connections
*This book would be wonderful to use for writing lessons on traditional literature and "what if?" stories.
Other Books by David Almond:
Almond, David. 2005. KATE, THE CAT AND THE MOON. Ills. Steven Lambert. Random House. ISBN 10 - 1844562263
Almond, David. 2007. MY DAD'S A BIRDMAN. Ills. Polly Dunbar. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 10 - 9780763636678