Book Review: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lin, Grace. 2009. WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON. New York: Little, Brown. ISBN: 9780329776237

2.    PLOT SUMMARY

This story is about a little girl, Minli, who lives in a poor village. Growing tired to seeing her family saddened by the lack of wealth, Minli decides to go see the Old Man on the Moon who can answer all questions . After running away, she meetings a friendly dragon and they become fast friends and travel together. On their journey to find the Old Man on the Moon, Minli and the dragon come across many obstacles but also make great friends along the way. Minli must find the borrowed line and the Never Ending Mountain in order to meet the Old Man on the Moon. When she finally arrives at the mountain and meets the old man, she is allowed to ask one question and one question only. What will that question be? You will have to read to find out!

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Lin does a wonderful job creating this fantasy story based off of Chinese folktales that were told to her as a little girl. Where the Mountain meets the Moon is a enchanting story of a little girl, Minli, who is brave and persistent with a touch of kindness. Minli is a very lovable character who has a strong will and throughout the story, the reader is rooting for her to be successful on her long journey to meet the Old Man on the Moon. The story takes place in a poor village on the Fruitless Mountain, where Minli’s family works hard and does not have a lot of food. Lin describes their village and home in a way that realistically sets the story and allows the reader to understand why Minli goes on this adventure in search of fortune for her family. 

Lin’s writing style is easy to read and exciting as well. Each chapter ends with a small cliffhanger and switches off between characters stories. For example; one chapter will follow Minli and the dragon and the next chapter will follow her parents Ba and Ma. Lin also cleverly weaves in various Chinese folktales throughout the story, which add to the understanding of the storyline.  This a feel good story that all readers can relate to but also has fun fantasy touches such as dragons and stairways to the moon. I would highly recommend this book to students ages 8 and up, this is a must read!

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2010 Newbery Honor

NY Times Bestseller 

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Starred Review: Living in the shadow of the Fruitless Mountain, Minli and her parents spend their days working in the rice fields, barely growing enough to feed themselves. Every night, Minli's father tells her stories about the Jade Dragon that keeps the mountain bare, the greedy and mean Magistrate Tiger, and the Old Man of the Moon who holds everyone's destiny. Determined to change her family's fortune, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, urged on by a talking goldfish who gives her clues to complete her journey. Along the way she makes new friends including a flightless dragon and an orphan and proves her resourcefulness when she tricks a group of greedy monkeys and gets help from a king. Interwoven with Minli's quest are tales told by her father and by those she meets on the way. While these tales are original to Lin, many characters, settings, and themes are taken from traditional Chinese folklore. The author's writing is elegant, and her full-color illustrations are stunning. Minli's determination to help her family, as well as the grief her parents feel at her absence, is compelling and thoroughly human.

BOOKLIST Starred Review: In this enchanted and enchanting adventure, Minli, whose name means “quick thinking,” lives with her desperately poor parents at the confluence of Fruitless Mountain and the Jade River. While her mother worries and complains about their lot, her father brightens their evenings with storytelling. One day, after a goldfish salesman promises that his wares will bring good luck, Minli spends one of her only two coins in an effort to help her family. After her mother ridicules what she believes to be a foolish purchase, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, who, it is told, may impart the true secret to good fortune. Along the way, she finds excitement, danger, humor, magic, and wisdom, and she befriends a flightless dragon, a talking fish, and other companions and helpmates in her quest. With beautiful language, Lin creates a strong, memorable heroine and a mystical land. Stories, drawn from a rich history of Chinese folktales, weave throughout her narrative, deepening the sense of both the characters and the setting and smoothly furthering the plot. Children will embrace this accessible, timeless story about the evil of greed and the joy of gratitude. Lin’s own full-color drawings open each chapter.

5. CONNECTIONS

*For fun activities to go along with WHERE THE MOUTAIN MEETS THE MOON, check out Grace Lin’s website at http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=wherethemountainmeetsthemoon&display=activities

*Showcase this book trailer on school announcements or in the library, to motivate students to check out this book: http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=wherethemountainmeetsthemoon

*For book celebrations check out Grace Lin’s blog: http://www.wherethemountainmeetsthemoon.com/

*For more books by Grace Lin be sure to read:

Lin, Grace. DUMPLING DAYS. ISBN: 9780316125901

Lin, Grace. YEAR OF THE DOG. ISBN: 0316060003

Lin, Grace. YEAR OF THE RAT. ISBN: 9780316114264