Living in the valley of the Fruitless Mountain, Minli and her family struggle in the rice fields each day. At night, Minli loves to hear her father's stories about the Jade Dragon, Magistrate Tiger, and the Man of the Moon. However, Minli's mother complains and claims the stories encourage false hope. When life seems too hard for her mother, Minli decides to find the Old Man of the Moon and ask him how to change her family's fortune. Minli's journey is filled with adventure and new friends, including both magical creatures and humans. Along the way, Minli learns valuable lessons about the world and about herself.
In Where the Mountain Meets the Moon , Grace Lin deftly mixes Chinese folklore with her own story of Minli and her family. She creates delightful characters of all varieties-each with a bit of wisdom for Minli to take from her journey. This light and magical story with its beautiful illustrations also teaches life lessons. Readers learn along with Minli that gratitude for what we have is more valuable than any riches we obtain. Well-crafted for elementary school readers and families, Minli's story is interesting to read on your own or aloud with others.
Recommended ages-8-11 years