Book 6 of the Summer Reading Book Challenge

Book 6: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

“In the valley of Fruitless Mountain, a young girl named Minli spends her days working hard in the fields and her nights listening to her father spin fantastic tales about the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon. Minli’s mother, tired of their poor life, chides him for filling her head with nonsense. But Minli believes these enchanting stories and embarks on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man of the Moon and ask him how her family can change their fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest.”

I absolutely loved Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. It is a beautifully written, magical fantasy/folktale that transports the reader into another world. I loved that Minli's tale unfolded in stories: "The Story of Fruitless Mountain", "The Story of the Old Man of the Moon", "The Story of the Green Tiger and the Tea", etc. It really shaped the narrative and added to the fairytale feel of the book. I also loved how the red thread ran throughout the story and brought everything around full circle.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is full of rich characters and settings. Readers can look forward to meeting the peach tree monkeys, the buffalo boy, the guardians of the city, Da-A-Fu and many more remarkable and memorable characters. In addition I feel it's worth mentioning that Mountain is one of the most beautifully designed books I have ever seen with gorgeous full-color illustrations sprinkled throughout and color chapter headings. Every detail was considered and the author should be very proud of this brilliant achievement. I have always enjoyed Grace Lin's work (her The Year of the Dog was a Book Buddies hit) and I intend to share this one with my book club readers and young library patrons as well.