The Moon Child in »The Neverending Story«

When the German author Michael Ende wrote »The Neverending Story« from 1977 to 1979, he created a milestone amongst the fantasy children and youth literature. The story about the shy boy Bastian Balthasar Bux on his adventure trip through the world of Fantastica, fascinated millions of readers of all age groups and has been translated into 40 languages up to date.  

The special thing about this novel is the link from the human world, where Bastian is from, to the fantasy world of Fantastica. Bastian reads a book and more and more he is being pulled into the story, until he himself becomes part of the plot. He is supposed to find a new name for the Childlike Empress, who reigns Fantastica and who is weakened by an illness: her country is threatened by the »Nothing« that menaces to annihilate everything.

Eventually, Bastian finds the new name for the Childlike Empress »Moon Child« and therefore saves Fantastica:

»… Bastian knew that he had never in all his life seen anything so beautiful as this face. And in that same moment he knew her name: Moon Child. Yes, beyond a doubt, that was her name. And Moon Child had looked at him, Bastian Balthazar Bux! …«

So this is how » Moon Child « turns into the spell and key for a new world. The Moon just has this special kind of power – when you believe in it.