Meet the author

Kelly Barnhill.

Writer · United States · b. 1973

Kelly Barnhill: Newbery-winning American author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon — lyrical, literary-fantasy middle-grade in the Le Guin tradition, for ages 9–12.

Kelly Barnhill is an American author born in 1973, best known for The Girl Who Drank the Moon (2016, Newbery Medal), a richly imagined middle-grade fantasy about a witch, a swamp monster, a tiny dragon, and a baby gifted with starlight. Barnhill's voice is lyrical, image-rich and morally complex, in the literary-fantasy tradition that runs from Le Guin through Catherynne Valente. She has also written The Witch's Boy, The Mostly True Story of Jack, and a number of YA and adult titles. A reliable middle-grade fantasy author for ages 9–12, particularly for thoughtful readers who like fantasy with serious emotional weight.