Ginny Moon is a teenager who’s left foster care and is now in a Forever home with her Forever parents. But Ginny is autistic, which means she takes everything very, very literally, and her parents have to be careful what they say to her, or even how many questions they ask if they want her to be able to answer and not be overwhelmed. Life gets more complicated for Ginny, who was good at running away, when her pregnant Forever Mom brings home her newborn daughter. Ginny would love to help take care of the new baby, like she keeps telling everyone she did with her Baby Doll when she lived with her abusive, drug-addicted Birth Mother. But her Forever Mom is nervous about how unreliable and unpredictable Ginny can be. As Ginny struggles with the reality of what happened to her Baby Doll and reconnecting with her Birth Mom, she will seek her purpose in life and learn to deal with changes that occur in the Aftermath of traumatic events. Ginny Moon is a fascinating window into the mind of an autistic teenage girl, and it will leave you captivated, sympathetic, and hopefully, encourage you to slow down and take life one question at a time, and appreciate those for whom life can sometimes be a little more challenging.
The Recipe
Ginny would often have a snack in her therapy sessions, such as Hershey’s Kisses and milk, or brownies. This recipe for brownies includes mini chocolate chips for extra chocolaty goodness. It should be served with a large glass of “human” milk (cow’s milk), as Ginny would drink.
Chocolate Brownie Bites with Chocolate Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- salted butter, melted
- canola oil
- granulated sugar
- large eggs, at room temperature
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- unsweetened dark cocoa powder
- semisweet chocolate chips
- powdered sugar
- heavy cream
Instructions
For the full recipe and instructions, visit owlcation.com/humanities/Ginny-Moon-Book-Discussion-and-Recipe.
Discussion Questions
- Often when Ginny was asked two or more questions in succession, she wouldn’t respond to either. Why was that? Was it difficult for the adults in her life to remember that about her?
- If Gloria was the second-scariest person she knew, why was Ginny still so eager to return to her?
For more discussion questions, visit owlcation.com/humanities/Ginny-Moon-Book-Discussion-and-Recipe.
Similar Reads
Another book by Benjamin Ludwig is Sourdough, about a baker who inherits the family business and begins a path toward self-discovery. Ginny Moon also mentions the children’s books Julie of the Wolves and Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by is about a woman who suffered a traumatic childhood event as well, with an abusive mother. She is now an independent, though socially inept adult, living in an apartment by herself.
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green is the story of a teenage girl struggling with anxiety and depression disorders, as well as OCD. Her former friend’s father, a multi-billionaire, is missing, and Aza Holmes may be the only person who can work with her odd, wealthy friend to find his father, if she can work past her own personal blockades.
Joe’s Table is the true story of a cafe named after a young man with autism and epilepsy, created by his parents, where he worked during his lifetime. It now continues as a coffee shop that employs people with disabilities. This novel is the true story of Joe’s and his parents journeys into helping him find a purpose and celebrating the things he could do.
A Cupcake and a Book 