Moorchild by Eloise McGraw

From the Publisher

Half Moorfolk and half human, and unable to shape-shift or disappear at will, Moql threatens the safety of the Band. So the Folk banish her and send her to live among humans as a changeling. Named Saaski by the couple for whose real baby she was swapped, she grows up taunted and feared by the villagers for being different, and is comfortable only on the moor, playing strange music on her bagpipes.

As Saaski grows up, memories from her forgotten past with the Folk slowly emerge. But so do emotions from her human side, and she begins to realize the terrible wrong the Folk have done to the humans she calls Da and Mumma. She is determined to restore their child to them, even if it means a dangerous return to the world that has already rejected her once.

Publishers Weekly

A girl who is half-fairy and half-human must come to terms with her origins in this fantasy tale, a Newbery Honor book. "Transcending genre, these themes will likely resonate with a wide audience," said PW. Ages 9-12. (Apr.)

Children's Literature

Saaski is an unusual child, with dark skin and wild, light hair like the tuft of a thistle. The other children jeer at her, calling her "freaky-odd." Her grandmother, Old Bess, is the first to realize that she is a changeling, left by the Moorfolk in exchange for a human child stolen from its cradle. Eventually, Saaski comes to understand that she doesn't belong, either in the human world or in the Mound inhabited by the Folk. With the help of Tam, an orphan boy, she decides to set things right. An inventive tale with an evocative setting, the story clearly conveys the pain of being an outcast, on the fringes of accepted society.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-This well-written novel incorporates elements of folklore into an examination of society's response to those who are perceived as different. The plot centers on the experiences of Saaski, a changeling who was cast out by the "Folk" because of her human father. While she does not initially recall her past life, persecution by the villagers eventually rekindles her memories and fires her resolve to rescue the human child for whom she was exchanged. Aided in her quest by Tam, an orphan who accepts her oddness and cherishes her friendship, Saaski is ultimately successful and thus repays the kindness of her "foster" family by returning their daughter to them. Some readers may find Saaski's cruel treatment by the villagers upsetting and her future with Tam unsettlingly vague, but both are consistent with McGraw's clear intention of using her novel to expose peoples' prejudices and emphasize the importance of being true to oneself. While this unusual blend of fantasy and contemporary concerns may not find a wide audience, the quality of McGraw's writing ensures that for those, like Tam, who can appreciate the unusual, The Moorchild will truly be a magical find.-Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Kirkus Reviews

Moql's father is human and her mother one of the Moorfolk, who live beneath the moor. Moql belongs to neither world, but her human blood, which prevents her from changing shape or disappearing at will, makes her dangerous to the Folk. An exchange is made; they have a human child to train as a slave and Moql becomes Saaski, a village child unaware of her origins. As a changeling in the human world, Saaski is regarded as a freak. The concepts of hate and love initially elude her—the Folk are essentially amoral—but she learns about one at the hands of vigilantes and about the other when she makes peace with herself and returns her new mother's love with the perfect gift.

A complex and finely drawn character, Saaski undergoes a gradual awakening to her true nature that readers will find intriguing and poignant. McGraw (Tangled Webb, 1993, etc.) makes of Saaski's struggles an emotionally satisfying story; the moor, where Saaski's two lives intersect, is an especially evocative setting.

Product Details

• Reading Group Guide
• Forewords & Introductions

Reading Group Guide

About the Book

One of the most acclaimed fantasies in recent years — winner of a Newbery Honor Medal and chosen as a Boston Globe Horn Book Honor Book for fiction — The Moorchild is set long ago in an unfamiliar place where fairy folk and humans sometimes intermingle. Yet at its heart, this distinguished novel is about the timeless issues of fear and prejudice. Half-folk and half-human, Saaski has no place in either world. The human villagers ridicule and taunt her because she's different. They blame her for a pox that's plaguing their children and for the death of their cattle. Her life is threatened. But Saaski has no desire to hurt others. She is searching for the truth about herself and for some place where she can finally fit in. An "unusual blend of fantasy and contemporary concerns," School Library Journal wrote in its starred review, "The Moorchild will truly be a magical find."

Discussion Topics

• The Moorchild is dedicated to "all children who have ever felt DIFFERENT." Is this another way of saying that the book is dedicated to all children? Do you think every child — or adult — has felt different at some point in their lives? Have you?

• Discuss Saaski's friendship with Tam. Why is each so important to the other? How are they alike? How are they different? How long do you think they will keep traveling together?

• Almost as soon as she sees Saaski, Old Bess is convinced that the child is not human. What is her evidence? Why won't Yanno and Anwara believe what she says about the baby? What do they fear will happen to the baby if she's right? What do they fear will happen to them?Are their fears justified?

• The villagers mistreat Saaski because she is different from them. Are there people in your own community who are rejected because they are different? Who are they? How are they mistreated? Are there local individuals or groups devoted to supporting them? How can you lend a hand?

• Because she is half-Folk, Saaski doesn't understand human emotions like hate or love. She asks her friend Tam to explain them to her. How does he define them? Do you agree with his definition?

• Disobeying the orders of her human guardians, Saaski returns again and again to the Moors. Why does she feel so at ease there? Where do you feet the most comfortable? Why?

• Saaski takes enormous risks to return a stolen human baby back to her real parents. Why is this so important to her? Why is she so upset by the name that the fairy folk give to this human child?

• Back when Saaski lived in the Folk Mound, she lived "a life without yesterdays or tomorrows — life as it was meant to be." Or so she thought, before she lived among humans. What does "a life without yesterdays or tomorrows" mean to you? Is it an appealing idea? Is it scary? Why?

• Saaski is part of two worlds — the human and the Folk. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each world. Which would you rather live in, Why?

Activities and Research

• Saaski's long lost memories of her early life with the Folk come rushing back when she talks to one of her childhood friends from the Folk Mound. Jog your own memories. After looking through old photographs, listening to music you used to enjoy, or talking to a family member or friend you haven't seen for a long time, write about a long ago experience in your own life that you had almost completely forgotten.

• Although Old Bess tries to convince them otherwise, the villagers believe that Saaski has made their children sick. Even now, myths and superstitions still surround many illnesses. Invite a health professional into your classroom to discuss how she or he fights fears or outdated beliefs that can do harm to their patients.

• Changelings — babies who are taken from their true parents and transformed — often appear in fairy tales and folk tales. On your own or with the help of your teacher or librarian, search for other tales about changelings. Compare those stories with The Moorchild. How is Saaski like the other changelings you discover? How is she different?

• Depending upon who is doing the looking, the Folk Mound is either beautiful or shabby. Draw a picture on your own — or create a diorama with a group — that depicts both views of the Folk Mound.

• When Saaski discovers a set of bagpipes, she plays this famously difficult instrument so expertly that Yanno fears her musical gift might come from a fiendish source. Search for recorded versions of bagpipe music. If possible, invite an accomplished bagpipe player into your classroom to perform some pieces and discuss the instrument.

• The Moorchild is sprinkled with unusual words and phrases such as "argle-bargle," "cozen," and "conventical." As you're reading the book, keep a list of them. Which can you find in a good dictionary? Which do you believe the author invented herself? How would you define them?

About the Author

Eloise McGraw began writing at the age of eight, and except for a ten-year period when she became absorbed in painting and drawing, she has never stopped for long since. McGraw's first book, Sawdust In His Shoes, was published in 1950. Her twentieth book for young people, The Moorchild, is a 1996 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book for fiction and a 1997 Newbery Honor Book. Eloise received the 1996 C.E.S. Wood award for Lifetime Achievement.

She and her husband, William Corbin McGraw, also an author of children's books, live in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Forewords & Introductions

About the Book

One of the most acclaimed fantasies in recent years — winner of a Newbery Honor Medal and chosen as a Boston Globe Horn Book Honor Book for fiction — The Moorchild is set long ago in an unfamiliar place where fairy folk and humans sometimes intermingle. Yet at its heart, this distinguished novel is about the timeless issues of fear and prejudice. Half-folk and half-human, Saaski has no place in either world. The human villagers ridicule and taunt her because she's different. They blame her for a pox that's plaguing their children and for the death of their cattle. Her life is threatened. But Saaski has no desire to hurt others. She is searching for the truth about herself and for some place where she can finally fit in. An "unusual blend of fantasy and contemporary concerns," School Library Journal wrote in its starred review, "The Moorchild will truly be a magical find."

Discussion Topics

• The Moorchild is dedicated to "all children who have ever felt DIFFERENT." Is this another way of saying that the book is dedicated to all children? Do you think every child — or adult — has felt different at some point in their lives? Have you?

• Discuss Saaski's friendship with Tam. Why is each so important to the other? How are they alike? How are they different? How long do you think they will keep traveling together?

• Almost as soon as she sees Saaski, Old Bess is convinced that the child is not human. What is her evidence? Why won't Yanno and Anwara believe what she says about the baby? What do they fear will happen to the baby if she's right? What do they fear will happen to them?Are their fears justified?

• The villagers mistreat Saaski because she is different from them. Are there people in your own community who are rejected because they are different? Who are they? How are they mistreated? Are there local individuals or groups devoted to supporting them? How can you lend a hand?

• Because she is half-Folk, Saaski doesn't understand human emotions like hate or love. She asks her friend Tam to explain them to her. How does he define them? Do you agree with his definition?

• Disobeying the orders of her human guardians, Saaski returns again and again to the Moors. Why does she feel so at ease there? Where do you feet the most comfortable? Why?

• Saaski takes enormous risks to return a stolen human baby back to her real parents. Why is this so important to her? Why is she so upset by the name that the fairy folk give to this human child?

• Back when Saaski lived in the Folk Mound, she lived "a life without yesterdays or tomorrows — life as it was meant to be." Or so she thought, before she lived among humans. What does "a life without yesterdays or tomorrows" mean to you? Is it an appealing idea? Is it scary? Why?

• Saaski is part of two worlds — the human and the Folk. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each world. Which would you rather live in, Why?

Activities and Research

• Saaski's long lost memories of her early life with the Folk come rushing back when she talks to one of her childhood friends from the Folk Mound. Jog your own memories. After looking through old photographs, listening to music you used to enjoy, or talking to a family member or friend you haven't seen for a long time, write about a long ago experience in your own life that you had almost completely forgotten.

• Although Old Bess tries to convince them otherwise, the villagers believe that Saaski has made their children sick. Even now, myths and superstitions still surround many illnesses. Invite a health professional into your classroom to discuss how she or he fights fears or outdated beliefs that can do harm to their patients.

• Changelings — babies who are taken from their true parents and transformed — often appear in fairy tales and folk tales. On your own or with the help of your teacher or librarian, search for other tales about changelings. Compare those stories with The Moorchild. How is Saaski like the other changelings you discover? How is she different?

• Depending upon who is doing the looking, the Folk Mound is either beautiful or shabby. Draw a picture on your own — or create a diorama with a group — that depicts both views of the Folk Mound.

• When Saaski discovers a set of bagpipes, she plays this famously difficult instrument so expertly that Yanno fears her musical gift might come from a fiendish source. Search for recorded versions of bagpipe music. If possible, invite an accomplished bagpipe player into your classroom to perform some pieces and discuss the instrument.

• The Moorchild is sprinkled with unusual words and phrases such as "argle-bargle," "cozen," and "conventical." As you're reading the book, keep a list of them. Which can you find in a good dictionary? Which do you believe the author invented herself? How would you define them?

About the Author

Eloise McGraw began writing at the age of eight, and except for a ten-year period when she became absorbed in painting and drawing, she has never stopped for long since. McGraw's first book, Sawdust In His Shoes, was published in 1950. Her twentieth book for young people, The Moorchild, is a 1996 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book for fiction and a 1997 Newbery Honor Book. Eloise received the 1996 C.E.S. Wood award for Lifetime Achievement.

She and her husband, William Corbin McGraw, also an author of children's books, live in Lake Oswego, Oregon.