When the Moon Is Full

School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-A collection of six stories with supernatural overtones, most of which center around animals. ``Stuffed Panther'' is a strange yarn about a hunting trophy that is rescued from a perch on a roof by its mate. The revived panther returns to life in the wild. ``Moon Dog'' also involves hunting, this time for bear, and a disobedient dog tragically alienated from his master in life but reunited in death. ``Dark Catrina,'' the spookiest tale, tells of a mysteriously attractive woman who becomes a wolf by night. The stories are told in a down-home style that makes them appropriate for reading aloud. Phrases such as ``some people say'' lend an air of authenticity even as readers understand that they cannot possibly be true. Reluctant readers may be lured by the clear style and mildly scary content. The book concludes with an afterword that explains the origins of the stories.-Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC

Janice Del Negro

Moore puts flesh on folktale bones with these six effective yet unsensationalized tales of the uncanny that originated in the central Pennsylvania mountains. In one, a stuffed panther comes back to life to rejoin his mate; in another, a woman with a secret seduces her hunter into experiencing the wild exhilaration of running with wolves; in a third, a young man named Skullplayer saves his brothers by being true to his name. An individual gone wild (and then reclaimed--or not, depending on the tale) is a recurring theme. While the tales aren't traditional "jump tales," they have plenty of surprises. They'll also provide a welcome alternative to mass-market horror stories. The language is informal and the story structure solid, making this a good offering for reluctant as well as voracious readers, especially considering the wide appeal of the genre. All the stories are tellable as well as readable, with the average tale about 17 pages long. The planned section "Where These Stories Come From" was omitted from the galley.