Saaski is not like the other children in her village- she has darker skin, wild hair, eyes that change color, and she has a fear of metal. She is half human and half Moorfolk- which are those secretive beings that reside within a glittering mound beyond the moor outside the village. Unaccepted by the Moorfolk, she is transformed back into a baby and swapped with a human baby that belonged to villagers Yarro and Anwara. Only Old Bess, Anwara’s mother, at first suspects there is something mysteriously inhuman about the baby, but keeps it to herself. As Saaski grows and begins to display odd features and behavior the villagers begin to suspect that she is not their kind, eventually blaming her for misfortunes that affect the village. Hurt and alone, Saaski flees daily to the moor to find comfort in playing her set of bagpipes- a passion she shares with her friend Tam, another outcast. She also develops a deeper relationship with Old Bess, who keeps Saaski’s secrets about the mysterious markings she sees around her home. Saaski’s sense of security is becomes endangered when, upon midsummer’s eve, villagers make terrible threat to Saaski and her parents. Saaski and Tam escape to the moor and discover the real truth about who she is, and why she can never go back.
McGraw's
The Moorchild explores how it must have been for one to be labeled an outcast from birth in a small community centuries ago. The love and appreciation Saaski receives from her parents cannot compensate for the cruelty she must endure from the rest of the village. Readers will find Saaski’s strength to carry on and courageousness to trace her past inspiring and will also delight in this novel that intertwines folk life with Irish folklore. McGraw dedicates the book to any child who has ever felt different, and that dedication speaks to many. Grades 4-7.
McGraw, Eloise. (1996).
The Moorchild. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks, imprint of Simon and Schuster.
ISBN: 0-689-80654-X
Cover art from Parent Central,
http://www.parentcentral.shoptoit.ca/
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