Where The Mountain Meets The Moon: By Grace Lin

 

    Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a fantasy adventure book based on Chinese folktales. The main character is Minli, a poor girl who lives with her mom and dad in the Village of Fruitless Mountain. The mountain is sad because of the Jade Dragon, which makes the land dry and hard to live on. Minli’s mom is upset about being poor, but Minli enjoys listening to her dad’s stories, which are full of magic and adventure.

    One day, Minli buys a talking goldfish who tells her about the Old Man of the Moon, an immortal who can change fortunes. After learning about him, Minli begins a journey to find him. Along the way, she befriends a dragon.

    Minli and Dragon face many challenges on their journey, including greedy monkeys and the dangerous Green Tiger. They also meet kind people who help them when they need it most. When Minli finally meets the Old Man of the Moon, she can only ask one question. Instead of asking how to bring fortune to her family, she chooses to ask why Dragon cannot fly. Because of her selfless choice, Dragon is freed, and the rock from his head turns out to be a Dragon’s Pearl that brings wealth and happiness to her village.

    This book was read to me by my mom when I was little, and it has always stood out to me as a meaningful story about courage, friendship, and the importance of staying hopeful and kind even in difficult times.

Awards:

  •  2010 Newbery Honor
  • 2010 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature
Sequels:
  •  Starry River of the Sky
  • When the Sea Turns to Silver

-Arbella Almaraz-Perez


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