A review by rebelbelle13
The Moon Over High Street by Natalie Babbitt

3.0

I've noticed some things about Babbitt's novels after reading a few of them; they are short, to the point, usually read like a fable or morality tale, deal with coming of age, and the symbolism is so obvious and so in your face, she might as well have painted it in red across the pages. Now, I understand that these books are for 10-12 year olds. But kids are smart. They pick up on things. You don't need to spell it out for them. This book is about choosing family over money, and discovering that money can't buy everything. That's really it. Again, the novel is too short to really delve into characters and motivations, so it seems silly that Anson meets Joe one time and wants to adopt him. Given time, and character development, these books would be so much better. Babbitt's ideas are great, but as my 6th grade English teacher used to say, "Flesh it out. Tell me more." Her characters are interesting individuals, though, and I really wish we could have seen more of them. If you're looking for a brief, cute little story about family, this is it, but be aware, it's not much else.