Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Newbery Honor Award Winner)

Where The Mountain Meets The Moon was a wonderful read! I purchased it to read to my grandchildren, ages 6 and 9, each night before bed while they were visiting for a week. The nine year old was capable of reading the book himself, though an average nine year old might struggle a bit. Some of the vocabulary words may have been a bit beyond the six year old, but she was able to understand through the context of the book. We all got drawn into Minli’s adventure and would often read “extra” chapters each night. The writing style flows beautifully and the format of telling stories with in the story is used masterfully, and the grandchildren enjoyed learning about another culture. . The illustrations, though limited, add to the journey. In addition to being a wonderful read, this book gently teaches life lessons we can all appreciate. We all loved this book and were sad to see it end. We look forward to reading the other books written by Grace Lin. I purchased both the hardback and the paperback, which were both well printed. However, I do recommend spending the few extra dollars to purchase the hardback because the quality of the paper seems better.

Minli is a young girl living in a small village on Fruitless Mountain, a place where rice will scarcely grow for lack of water. The reason lies in legend--the Jade River lost her dragon children when she selfishly withheld water from the people of the earth and her children decided to make up for her pettiness by ending the famine themselves. "The Story of Fruitless Mountain" is only the first of many tales that are recounted in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. I've seen the "story within a story" device work poorly in the past, but Lin's stories seamlessly work to support the larger plot, even as they entertain listeners both inside and outside the pages of her book. Minli's story begins when she spends one of her two copper coins to buy a goldfish. Her mother, who worries constantly about the family's poverty, is angry over the waste, not only of the coin, but of the food that will be needed to feed the fish. Minli bought the fish because the goldfish man told her it would bring her family good luck, but she reluctantly takes the fish to the river that night and lets it go, thinking that her mother is probably right. The goldfish then speaks to her, thanking her for its freedom and counseling her to seek the answers to her questions from the Old Man of the Moon. Determined to change her family's fortunes, plucky Minli sets out on a quest, following the goldfish's directions to look for the magical old man. Lin's language is simple, but effective. Watch for her metaphors; for example, she says, "Every night the stars filled the sky like snowflakes falling on black stone." Minli finds a traveling companion along the way, a dragon who cannot fly. (When she encourages him to accompany her to ask the Old Man of the Moon for help, I must say I caught a glimpse of Dorothy telling the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion to join her on her journey!) Minli must find a way to talk to the king of the City of Bright Moonlight in order to complete her quest. She has further troubles with monkeys and tigers before reaching her goal. She also meets helpful people such as an orphan who owns a buffalo and has befriended a mysterious magical girl, a pair of laughing twin children who defeat great evil by playing on a villain's anger, and, of course, the Old Man of the Moon. An episode involving the gift of a coat is especially lovely. In keeping with the kindness that weaves through the narrative like a magical red thread, Minli must decide whether to make a great sacrifice for a friend in the book's final pages. Lin manages to tell a moral tale without preaching. Her lessons flow as beautifully as a river down a mountain where flowers and fruit do grow, after all. Like so many books on the shelves of your library or bookstore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is an adventure and a fantasy, but it is something more besides. In an age when commercialism too often overcomes the simplest and best truths, Grace Lin tells a story which conveys a kind of beauty of the heart. As if that weren't enough, the author created lovely color-plate illustrations to accompany the tale. Invest in a new treasure for your family--go out and find a copy of this book. Update: Fittingly, this book won a Newbery Honor award in January 2010!

I almost didn't buy this book after reading a review titled "colorist trash"- as a brown person buying this to read to my brown child I thought forget it, there are better ways to spend my money. I ended up getting the second book of the trilogy (Starry River of the Sky) not realizing what I had done, that it was the same author or part of a set, and loved the book. When I came looking for the other two books in the trilogy, I remembered the "colorist" critique but decided to buy the book anyway since the first one was so well written, interesting, compassionate and empathic that I figured I needed to read the book to decide for myself what it was or was not. So here's the thing, I've read the book and loved it as much as the first one, my 7 y.o. has loved it as well, but the part of not being "dull and brown" is there and its meaning seems clear cut. There is also another passage in the book where another little girl is being described as beautiful and very white and it almost seems as if she's beautiful because she is so white. This may seem like a minor detail to some, but it’s not when you're a brown person reading this to a brown child. Since it was me reading aloud, I skipped the noxious parts and problem solved. I don't know why this "dull and brown" and "beautiful and white" parts needed to be included. I want to believe the author is neither racist nor colorist and my guess is that she was trying to say something else, like the girl has not accepted the fate of being buried in mud like the rest of the villagers have, or, the beautiful girl resembles the moon in its beauty, since the moon is such a big part of the story, but if that is what she meant it could have been said differently. Maybe the words reflect the "leaking" of some of the colorist/racist attitudes and beliefs that exist among people of color, as a brown person I can attest to that and it is heartbreaking and inexplicable. Some of these beliefs are so deeply and unconsciously held that I can see someone writing these words without stopping to think about their meaning. I don't take colorist remarks lightly, especially when the message is directed at children, as it is here. That said, I still would not pass on this book based on those remarks because they make up .0001% of the book and the rest is so worth it. The heroine is a brave, curious, imaginative, quick witted girl (a big plus if your l.o. is a girl too), it intertwines magic and reality in a seamless, beautiful way, and exposes readers to a different culture. In the midst of #StopAsianHate books like these are even more relevant and necessary because "Asian" may mean nothing to a child who is not, but for my child Rendi is a personal hero, as is Minli and that, I hope, will eventually make a dent on racism, colorism and intolerance. That's my two cents. Skip over the two phrases if you're a parent doing the reading, and if you have an older child, the phrases may be good conversation starters about colorist beliefs and attitudes, how they creep on you where and when you least expect it, their null validity and the amazing damage they cause if unchecked. As an FYI I found a small article online where author Grace Lin addresses this issue titled "No one gets a pass when writing multicultural books."

In the book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin, the main character, a girl named Minli, decides to try to change the fortune of her very materially poor family. Minli, who is "not brown and dull like the rest of the village (2)," embarks upon a quest that takes her to many places. Along the way, she meets many new characters - some human, some not - and she becomes friends with most of them. Minli's quick mind, generosity, caring, and selflessness eventually take her all the way to the one she seeks: the Old Man of the Moon. With this book, Grace Lin has created an entire magical world as well as an enchanting piece of literature, one that definitely deserves to win the Massachusetts Children's Book Award. There are many reasons why this book is so award-worthy. Mountain Meets the Moon is beautifully crafted and written. The language is filled with original similes based on Chinese culture, and the imagery that Ms. Lin creates is vivid and powerful. Long after putting the book down, readers will still remember the story. The book is constructed beautifully as well. What starts off as one story splits into at least two separate narratives that are carefully woven together and then seamlessly rejoined by the end of the book. Additionally, traditional Chinese tales and Chinese-inspired tales written by the author, form part of the narrative. Each one of these stories serves to further the main narrative, either by highlighting part of the main story, by filling in gaps, or by emphasizing the book's themes. It is obvious that this writer paid the utmost attention to detail as she was writing this book. Everything has a meaning, and just as the Old Man of the Moon is tying together various characters in the book, so too does the author tie together every little detail. The characters who inhabit this book are another reason that it should win an award. As the book plays out, we can see most of them grow and change, some more obviously than others. Perhaps the character of Ma undergoes the most dramatic change, from a bitter, complaining, ungrateful kvetch into a loving, generous, and appreciative parent, but Minli also changes. She is a quick thinker at first, almost impulsive, and always moving and thinking. By the end of the book, she is content to sit and admire the moon. But the biggest reason that Where the Mountain Meets the Moon should win the Massachusetts Children's Book Award is because of its themes. We should all appreciate the important things we have in our lives - family, love, a home, enough. These are the things that make one truly wealthy -- not gold or jade. Minli's family has one another, and that is all that really matters. And when someone tries their very best to do something, that is important, too. Minli never gives up on her quest to find the Old Man of the Moon, no matter what the obstacles. Generosity is very important. Many good things come to Minli along the way because she is always helping others and not thinking first of herself. Finally, doing the right and selfless thing is often a reward in and of itself. Minli asks the Dragon's question instead of her own, because she finally realizes she doesn't need anything for herself. In the end, she is materially rewarded, but it is again because her family would not accept money for the Dragon's pearl. Many books are fun to read, and many books are well written, but it is rare that a book has everything going for it. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, however, is such a book. It is both fun to read and incredibly well written, and its subject and themes teach us valuable and important lessons that we should take to heart. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is one of the best books I've ever read. Not only is it award-worthy; reading it is like giving yourself a reward for being a reader.

I really enjoy Grace Lin as a writer, her picture books are phenomenal! Which is why I was elated to discover her middle grade novels. My daughter is getting older so we are both looking for new books to enjoy and discuss together. This one started a little slow for me but I am so glad that I stuck with it. The breaks within the initial plot for the mini tales were quite enjoyable and I was left reading as fast as possible to see how it would all tie together! Minli longs to change her family's fortune, the exhausting days in the fields have left her and her parents weary. She decides to leave home to find the Old Man on the Moon to hopefully change their fate. Her journey turns into a grand adventure where Minli meets many new friends along the way. This is a great read!

This is my favorite book of all time!! I love the message and the art is so beautiful! I'm so glad I own it now 🥰

In my experience, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a good book to read whenever you want, because it doesn't have any sad parts, if you want to cheer up, and it is a story that lets me wind down before bed.

Great book for advanced reading comprehension skills. But so enjoyable

Be aware that this was listed as #28 in comics and graphic novels for kids - and it is neither. It’s a reader and if your kids are expecting more visuals, they will be disappointed. Fortunately my kid was happy with the book and started it. Bad advertising from Amazon.

I am still deeply impressed by the chinese paper cuts (reminding me of my collection of paper cuts 30 years ago), the beautiful paintings and the wonderful tale. I took it with me into hospital and I finished it within one day - because I could not stop reading. I have just ordered another 2 books as presents to dear friends who love the English language, too. You need not be perfect in English to understand and enjoy the book.

Grace é sino-americana e seus livros geralmente são repletos de tradições chinesas. Esse não foi diferente. Minli vive uma família e vila muito pobre. Inconformada com a sua "fortuna" parte um jornada fantástica para obter resposta sobre como ter uma vida melhor. Como pode-se notar pela capa um dragão a acompanhará. Cada capítulo traz um mini-estória dentro, que é narrada por um dos personagens. Uma estória que encanta e nos toca. Esse é o primeiro livro da trilogia, mas pode ser lido a parte sem problemas. A leitura foi fácil, pois a autora uma um vocabulário bem simples. Eu li em português (fazia a tradução durante a leitura) para meu filho de 6 anos. Gostou bastante. Fiquei surpreso pela qualidade do livro. A capa é comum, sem orelhas, mas ela e as imagens no interior são de uma qualidade surpreendente. O papel das folhas é super bom. Paguei 34,00, mas agora que conheço o material acho que vale uns 40,00. Boa leitura!

I bought for my niece, and she really enjoyed reading it. It’s a lovely, engaging book and was a nice addition to her little collection. She enjoyed the story and was happy to read it. A lovely book for young readers. Definitely recommended!

He aquí un libro ideal para iniciar en la lectura a niños de unos 7 u 8 años a los que "no les gusta leer" (a mi me gusta pensar que a todo el mundo le gusta leer, es sólo que a veces no han encontrado el libro adecuado). Pues bien este Where the Mountain Meets the Moon es un libro que atrapa a los niños. La protagonista es una joven llamada Minli que iniciará un viaje para tratar de cambiar el destino de su aldea. A lo largo del libro, Minli se va encontrando con diversos personajes, cada uno de ellos le cuenta un cuento (cada cuento suele ser cortito, de 2 a 5 páginas). Por tanto tenemos una especie de "Las mil y unas noches", salvo por una diferencia: aquí los cuentos están relacionados con la aventura de Minli. El libro me ha encantado, ahora va el tema de la edad. Si un niño es perfectamente bilingüe lo puede leer con 7 años perfectamente. Si va justito de inglés, será mejor esperar a los 9 años y va a poder disfrutar de él sólo con ayuda del diccionario. Una persona con nivel medio va a encontrar una media de 6 palabras por página que desconoce, de las cuales podrá sacar el significado por el contexto de unas 4 de ellas. Si algún día se publica en castellano, a partir de 7 años sería ideal. Y si tu hijo no lee, sólo tienes que leerle los 3 primeros capítulos y ya verás como él mismo se anima a seguir.