Review of 'James Saves the Moon' by Wendy Nystrom

Book blurb from Amazon:

"Here within lies a tale of a young boy named James, which takes place in a far away island nation of Iceland."

Travel along with James up the mountain, soaring through the air with his friends he meets along the way to reach the moon.

**My thoughts**

James Saves the Moon is a sweet, short chapter book about a little boy named James who lives in Iceland. He has recently moved there from America and isn't used to not being able to see the moon on a nightly basis like back home. When he does finally see it, he is amazed by how big it is and becomes determined to travel up the mountain to be able to touch it. Along the way, he makes new friends, including a little man named Syvok, and a dragon named Matthias. Together, the threesome travel closer to the moon and realize that it is actually stuck on the mountain! Using magic and good old-fashioned elbow grease, they manage to save the day.


It is a fast read, because each chapter is only 1-3 pages on the Kindle. Each chapter also has its own illustration. It gives a brief introduction to some Icelandic folklore and fulfills the fantasy of many young children. Haven't we all dreamed of going to the moon?

I look forward to possibly sharing this with my students when we learn about North America this next school year. I think it would be appropriate to read with children ages 5 and up. This is the first book in a series that features James. I hope future tales teach us more about Iceland, which is one of our lesser known countries in North America!

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