Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
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Little, Brown & Co.
Annotation: Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River.
Genre: [Fantasy fiction]
 
Reviews: 10
Catalog Number: #55364
Format: Perma-Bound Edition
Common Core/STEAM: Common Core Common Core
Copyright Date: 2009
Edition Date: 2011 Release Date: 04/12/11
Pages: 278 pages
ISBN: Publisher: 0-316-03863-6 Perma-Bound: 0-605-50325-7
ISBN 13: Publisher: 978-0-316-03863-8 Perma-Bound: 978-0-605-50325-0
Dewey: Fic
LCCN: 2008032818
Dimensions: 20 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
School Library Journal Starred Review (Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Gr 3-6 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, Minlis 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 everyones destiny. Determined to change her familys 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 Minlis 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 authors writing is elegant, and her full-color illustrations are stunning. Minlis determination to help her family, as well as the grief her parents feel at her absence, is compelling and thoroughly human. Jennifer Rothschild, Prince Georges County Memorial Library System, Oxon Hill, MD

Starred Review ALA Booklist (Fri May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

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.

Kirkus Reviews

To change her family's fortunes, a poor Chinese girl embarks on a fantastical quest to discover she already has everything she needs to be happy. Minli and her parents live in the shadow of Fruitless Mountain, where they toil endlessly. Bitter and resentful, Minli's mother complains when her husband fills Minli's imagination with enchanting tales of Never-Ending Mountain and the Old Man of the Moon. "Eager for adventure," Minli sets out alone seeking advice from the Old Man of the Moon. En route she befriends a dragon who joins her quest. Together they encounter a talking goldfish, a boy with a buffalo, a king, a fierce green tiger and laughing twins before scaling Never-Ending Mountain. Lin deftly incorporates elements from Chinese folk- and fairy tales to create stories within the main story and provide context for Minli's quest. With her "lively and impulsive spirit," Minli emerges a stalwart female role model who learns the importance of family, friendship and faith during her amazing journey. Richly hued illustrations reinforce the Chinese folk theme. (author's note) (Fantasy. 8-12)

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Minli seeks the Old Man of the Moon, hoping to change her family's fortunes. Interspersed with the main story are folktales explaining past events or anecdotes allowing characters to relate their experiences. Lovely full-page illustrations in blues, reds, greens, and luminous golds as well as delicate chapter-openers, all influenced by traditional Chinese art, contribute to the folklore-inspired fantasy's sense of timelessness.

Word Count: 42,634
Reading Level: 5.5
Interest Level: 3-6
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 5.5 / points: 7.0 / quiz: 131480 / grade: Middle Grades
Reading Counts!: reading level:5.4 / points:10.0 / quiz:Q47935
Lexile: 810L
Guided Reading Level: T
Fountas & Pinnell: T

A Newbery Honor Book!
A New York Times bestseller!
An Al Roker's TODAY Show Book Club Pick!
A Time Magazine 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time selection!​
A Reader’s Digest Best Children’s Book of All Time​!


This stunning fantasy inspired by Chinese folklore is a companion novel to Starry River of the Sky and the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award finalist When the Sea Turned to Silver

In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.

Grace Lin, author of the beloved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat returns with a wondrous story of adventure, faith, and friendship. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Her beautiful illustrations, printed in full-color, accompany the text throughout. Once again, she has created a charming, engaging book for young readers.

Don't miss: 
Starry River of the Sky
When the Sea Turned to Silver 
The Year of the Dog
The Year of the Rat
Dumpling Days
Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods

and coming soon:
The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon


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