An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan

AN ARROW TO THE MOON by Emily X.R. Pan (The Astonishing Color of After) is a clever weaving of Chinese folklore with a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Here, the star-crossed lovers are named Hunter Yee and Luna Chang, divided by their families’ animosity over professional recognition for the academic fathers. Both Hunter and Luna possess extraordinary powers that they (and the reader) do not fully understand. Hunter is capable of unusual feats of marksmanship with a bow and arrow whereas Luna attracts fireflies and seems able to control water and its movement. A prophecy warns: “The darkness will rise from the ground and wrap its fingers around hearts, and in that squeeze the loudest thoughts will be of greed and cruelty and selfishness. That will be the end, unless everything is restored.” The ensuing adventures are told in third person narration, alternating between Hunter and Luna’s view as they explore magic, mystery, and myth. AN ARROW TO THE MOON received starred reviews from School Library Journal (“a first purchase for all high school collections, especially for libraries serving AAPI communities”), plus from Horn Book Magazine and Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books.