Book Discussion

Looking for a great book to read this summer? Don't miss Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.


Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River.

We'll be discussing this amazing Chinese fairytale during our Tween activity on Friday, August 5th at 3:00pm. Read Moon ahead of time and join the discussion! Copies of the book are available at the Children's Desk.

In addition to the discussion, our meeting will include a related activity and fortune cookies!

Hope to see you there!

Kids Reading Across Rhode Island 2011

I am pleased to announce that a new book has been selected for Kids Reading Across Rhode Island 2011! The wonderful book which we will be celebrating all year is Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. The book was a Rhode Island Children's Book Award nominee for 2011 and is one of my favorites! I blogged about it during my Summer Reading 2009 book challenge and can't wait to re-read it again this summer and talk about it with all of you!

The kick-off celebration will be held on Saturday, May 14th from 12:00pm - 3:00pm at the State House in Providence. Grace Lin will be speaking at 1:30pm and 2:30pm, there will be a book sale and signing and participating families will receive a free copy of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon! The Newport Public Library will also have a table set up with crafts and activities to get you excited for the upcoming summer reading program, "One World, Many Stories." Be sure and stop by and say hello!

Tweens (ages 9 - 12) can also look forward to a special summer book discussion of this amazing book. Stay tuned for more information!

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.