Book Review: Tilly’s Moonlight Garden by Julia Green

And now for a wonderful new Children's Book!

Synopsis: Tilly’s parents inherit an old, furnished mansion. Away from all of her friends, and worried about her un-well mother who is experiencing pregnancy complications, Tilly spends her afternoons exploring the gardens behind the house. One night, awoken by a strange noise, Tilly looks out of her bedroom window and sees a wild fox watching her from the lawn. Tilly follows it through a hidden gate and is amazed to discover a secret, moonlit garden. She returns the following night but this time a young girl called Helen is already there waiting for her. Tilly and Helen become fast friends, but Helen remains elusive about where she lives and why Tilly only encounters her in this seemingly magical woods. Over the Christmas season and into the spring, Tilly and her parents welcome a new arrival to their family, and Tilly befriends a recent arrival at her school. But when Helen bids her farewell, Tilly wonders: was Helen real or only a figment of her imagination? 

Review: This is an adorable kids book, and Kiddo and I both fell in love with the simple illustrations, like this little tree (on right).

While the book is aimed at older kids (8 and up), Kiddo enjoyed me reading chapters to her, and I know that she will enjoy re-reading it herself when she gets older and can read it herself. A lot of kids will be able to relate to Tilly having a new sibling coming, being worried about changes in their household, and starting new schools. How Tilly and her imagination get her through the changes is an enjoyable read and one that will delight and help young readers with the changes in their lives. We highly recommend it, and in fact I would suggest giving it to an older sibling as a 'baby shower' present, as something special for them to treasure!

About the Author: Julia Green writes teen/young adult novels about relationships, emotions, and real-life: important things like birth, death, and love. Green is a senior lecturer in creative writing at Bath Spa University where she is the Course Director for the MA in Writing for Young People. She’s the mother of two sons and lives in Bath, England. Her critically acclaimed three novels for young adults will be published in the U.S. in September by Bloomsbury.