#grace lin

[best-childhood-book]

Round 1, Poll 12: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon vs The City of Ember

WtMMtM is an award-winner, and rightfully so, but The City of Ember definitely had its time in the spotlight when I was in elementary school

Remember to reblog for a bigger sample size!

[godzilla-reads]

I’ve been on and off reading “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” by Grace Lin, but I’m honestly in love with this story and how the author tells the story. I’m so happy young readers have books like this.

[caribeandthebooks]

Caribe's YA Fantasy & Science Fiction TBR - Part 2

[the-emerald-wyrm]

Dragon-a-Day- Dragon and Friends

Inspired by Grace Lin’s “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon”.

[jj-pines]

Comfort book!!

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon | Author: Grace Lin | Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (2009)

[selfieignite]

June 25, 2022

John Cho promoting his middle school grade novel, Troublemaker at the 2022 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference & Exhibition.

Looks like he recently got tattoos. Maybe temporary ones for the TV show The Afterparty? (currently filming season 2)

Fun fact: He was an English literature teacher before.

Sources: [x] [x] [x] [x]

[hongyueg]

'When the Sea Turned to Silver' Review

When the Sea Turned to Silver

By Grace Lin

Genre: fantasy, middle grade

Content warnings: mentions of death, forced labor

Description: “Pinmei's gentle, loving grandmother always has the most exciting tales for her granddaughter and the other villagers. However, the peace is shattered one night when soldiers of the Emperor arrive and kidnap the storyteller. Everyone knows that the Emperor wants something called the Luminous Stone That Lights the Night. Determined to have her grandmother returned, Pinmei embarks on a journey to find the Luminous Stone alongside her friend Yishan, a mysterious boy who seems to have his own secrets to hide. Together, the two must face obstacles usually found only in legends to find the Luminous Stone and save Pinmei's grandmother--before it's too late.”

As with Grace Lin’s other books, you can feel the love and care put into When the Sea Turned to Silver’s characters, plot, and setting. In the same vein as Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Starry River of the Sky, Lin expertly engages with Chinese folklore to tackle deep questions about humanity, immortality, and the power of stories. 

What I enjoyed:

-The novel's main theme about the importance of storytelling creates a powerful conclusion to this series. I love how even though this book can be read without reading the other two, if you have read Lin’s other Chinese folklore-inspired novels, you will recognize little allusions to the characters, plots, and themes of those tales. This connectivity only further emphasizes the book’s main theme.

-I also loved the little twists Lin inserts in the story as you learn more about the characters. While to an older audience–or if you have knowledge of Chinese language or mythology already–these twists may seem obvious, but they’re still satisfying to read even if you already guessed them.

-The artwork is fantastic as always with these books and really enhances the story. You can really see the detail that Lin places into each frame and chapter heading. 

What I thought could be better:

-I will be honest that this is the third time I have attempted to finish this book. I tried reading it two times before but kept losing interest about a third of the way in and while I have finally completed the novel and wholeheartedly enjoyed it, I will say this book may feel slow if you are used to faster-paced, conflict-focused novels. On the other hand, the more character-driven, non-linear style of this book is a nice change of pace from many of the other middle-grade fantasy books I’ve read.

-I do believe how the book handles disfigurement should be read critically as disfigurement is often used for punishment in a way that is not really challenged or complexified in this novel.

Overall, When the Sea Turned to Silver is a powerful read that asks and answers big questions about humanity, immortality, and storytelling and I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves Lin’s other novels or just wants a compelling answer to the meaning of life.

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Flying Lessons & Other Stories

Author: Ellen Oh, Jacqueline Woodson, Kwame Alexander, Walter Dean Myers, Meg Medina, Tim Tingle, Kelly J. Baptist, Soman Chainani, Matt de la Peña, Tim Federle, Grace Lin

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2017

Genres: fiction, anthology, contemporary, cultural

Blurb: Whether it’s basketball dreams, family fiascos, first crushes, or new neighbourhoods, this anthology celebrates the uniqueness and universality in all of us.

[best-childhood-book]

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Is Out

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is officially out of the running for best childhood book. It was at a bit of a disadvantage being a standalone up against series, but I have a soft spot for this book, and it did quite well against City of Ember. Here are some ways to get into the book!

A quick summary: Minli's family lives in a poor village at the base of the Fruitless Mountain. Life is hard, but Minli keeps hope through the stories her father tells. One of the those stories is of the Old Man on the Moon, who can answer any question. In an attempt to bring her family fortune, Minli sets out to find the Old Man on the Moon.

Buy Where the Mountain Meets the Moon here: SecondSale, Thriftbooks

WtMMtM is available on the Internet Archive, and there are probably copies in your local library

There isn't really an active fandom for this book, and I couldn't find any specific blogs for it, but there are a lot of reviewers that discuss and recommend this book all the time.

[godzilla-reads]

I restarted this book because I needed something to lighten my mood a bit. I’m about 100-pages in and Grace Lin is a fabulous storyteller and I really like the style of her writing where the book is layer after layer of stories.

🩵 Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin 🩵

[nevinslibrary]

Totally Youthful Tuesday

I’d never seen the phases of the moon explained quite this way. Little Star keeps eating from the Big Mooncake that she baked with her Mom. Even though she’s not supposed to eat it quite yet.

As I said, so super cute, and just had me smiling through the whole thing. Who knew the phases of the moon could taste so good!

You may like this book If you Liked: In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak, Mooncakes by Loretta Seto, or Little Night by Yuyi Morales

A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin

[dandelionsunlight]

Grace Lin is On Point. 

[stygianiron9]

[incorrect-riordanverse]

Percy, pointing at Luke: is he the bastard orphan?

Thalia: the son of a whore dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot?

Annabeth: is he by providence impoverished? the founding father without a father?

Grover: did he get a lot farther by working a lot harder by being a lot smarter by being a self starter?

Rachel: did he struggle and keep his guard up and inside was he longing for something to be a part of?

[ghostradiodylan]

I just want them to release all the mocap footage! I could watch these guys play pretend all day. 😍 So cool to see the werewolf actor suited up too!