The Next Full Moon

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This thoroughly compelling, gorgeously told tale begins as the weather turns warm enough to swim in the local lake. Ava is on the brink of her twelfth birthday, and her crush, Jeff, is most definitely taking notice of her. Everything is going beautifully. Until Ava starts to grow feathers—all over her shoulders, arms, and back. Horrified, mortified, and clad in a turtleneck, she hides out in her bedroom, missing her dead mother and worrying about the summer, and the rest of her freakish life...

Carolyn Turgeon has a gift for imagining magical worlds. In Ava’s case, this otherworldly place belongs to the Swan Maidens, one of whom is Ava’s mother. Ava goes back and forth between middle school and this magical realm, taking the reader along for an exhilarating, extraordinary ride.

Praise for The Next Full Moon

“The Next Full Moon is as magical as a moonbeam on a mid-summer's eve. When you've finished this enchanting story, you'll close your eyes and fly.”
—Kathi Appelt, author of The Underneath and Keeper

“I so admire Carolyn Turgeon's novels for adults, and was curious to see how she'd approach the YA novel in particular, since that age reading group is really hard to please. It's often that time of life that kids turn away from reading, distracted by smartphones, teen mags and such. I'm pleased to say this is a wonderful story, beautifully written, compelling, but not too dependent on romance. It's more about best girlfriends, the strange ways adolescence affects a girl, and there's a little magic to it, a la Alice Hoffman, but not way out there. In the larger scope, it's a story that says a lot more once you're finished reading it. For example, Ava's grandmother is as knowing, comforting and generous as any pre-teen would want. Ava's being raised by her dad, and though he's not in the story as much as the narrator, he's a well-crafted and interesting character that understands his daughter better than she thinks he does. He treats her with respect and humor, gives her space, yet is a part of her life without being any of the stereotypes one might imagine. I was struck by the wholesomeness in this story. I'd have no trouble at all giving it to a young reader. This book is really a good read. I wish she'd been around when I was the age of Ava. Hope she writes another YA novel soon.” 
—Jo-Ann Mapson, author of Solomon's Oak and Finding Casey

“Carolyn pitch perfectly describes exactly what a young teenager feels during those important years.”
—Simply Stacie

“Beautiful. Imaginative. Dreamy. Lovely.”
—Fluidity of Time

“The Next Full Moon is a rarity: a novel for middle schoolers that adults can read and adore. Word is Turgeon is considering a sequel. For fans of Ava, who with winning charm and grace learns to celebrate her differences rather than hide them, that day can’t come too soon.”
—Jill Gleeson of Gopinkboots.com, for WPSU

“Turgeon impressively uses fantasy to explore issues that all pre-teens go through as their bodies begin changing. This is such an emotional time in one's life, as everyone worries about how different he/she is from peers and experiences the highs and lows of first crushes. The story parallels this well. Additionally, Turgeon weaves in deeper issues, such as never knowing a parent and the way that may shape someone. She also delivers the message that it's okay to be yourself. Maybe you didn't initially like who you are, but every person is unique, and it's okay to love yourself just the way you are, even if you're different. You're still YOU, and there's nobody else quite like you—and that's okay!”
—Bonnie, from A Backwards Story