Crowder, Melanie. A Nearer Moon. 160p. S. & S./Atheneum. Sept. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781481441483. LC 2014043590. Gr 5-8–Luna lives in a swamp. It didn’t used to be a swamp. Back in Granny Tu’s time, it was a lovely flowing river, filled with sprites and fairies and magic where all of the people of the village were happy. Now the fairies are gone and the magic has turned dark and there is a sickness in the water. Or so they say. Luna doesn’t believe a word of it. She only believes what she can see and touch and hear. When Luna’s beloved younger sister, Willow, falls into the swamp and catches the river sickness, Luna’s family is torn asunder. Willow has three weeks until she wastes away and dies, just like their father did years earlier. Luna’s brave journey to save her sister takes her to places her mother told her never to go and to the very heart of the dark magic. Told in alternating chapters of the past fairy time and Luna’s present, this meandering tale highlights the power of sisterly love in a truly enchanting way. VERDICT The book is an easy read and will appeal to lower level/higher interest readers but its charming narrative will be sure to captivate everyone.–Terry Ann Lawler, Burton Barr Library, Phoenix, AZ This review was published in School Library Journal's July 2015 issue.