Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig

GINNY MOON by Benjamin Ludwig is a must read book. I try not to say that very often and this debut novel is certainly uncomfortable to read at the beginning, but I became so enamored with the characters that I simply could not stop.   New Hampshire English and writing teacher Benjamin Ludwig was at The Book Stall last Wednesday afternoon (May 3rd) and I am really sorry to have missed that discussion about this story of an autistic teenage girl in a foster family.

It has been almost 5 years since Ginny Moon, then nine, was removed from an abusive and neglectful situation with her Birth Mother, Gloria.  Since then she has been in several foster homes and may have found her Forever Home with Maura and Brian who are expecting a child.  In an effort to help Ginny adjust to a sibling, she is given a plastic electronic baby, but it will not stop crying and Ginny wants her Baby Doll instead, obsessing over finding Gloria and making sure that her Baby Doll is safe.   

GINNY MOON is a coming of age story that is full of suspense and action as well as troubled relationships and several well-intentioned blunders and misunderstandings. In creating these situations and Ginny’s internal monologues, Ludwig aptly draws on his own experience as a foster parent of a teen with autism.  I, too, see Ginny in some of my students - in their sheer determination and certainness of purpose, their tendency to interpret most comments literally, and their sense of trust and wonder.  I am looking forward to sharing this book with teachers and students.  I think that our book group and class literature circles would benefit from reading and reflecting together on the title.  In addition, we should add it to our Junior Theme list. GINNY MOON received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly; plus it is an Amazon Best Book of the Month for May and almost fifty percent of its ratings on Goodreads are 5 stars. Clearly, I am not the only one to say GINNY MOON is a must read book.

ADDED JUNE 10: Author interview with Benjamin Ludwig