An editor This first activity introduces the book and requires students to read it and keep a journal. It was written and illustrated by Grace Lin and published in 2009. Trying to come to terms with her own identity, she searched for and treasured books that featured Asian American characters, even when their portrayal was oversimplified or stereotyped. This book is great, I recommend if you want great light reading. The goal of this activity is to have students engage with the text through a series of focused questions listed by chapter and page in Worksheet 1. Minli's mother, Ma, instead despises the stories that Ba tells, feeling that they are simply "nonsense." The goldfish man says that Minli, too, may be able to change her fortune. Magistrate Tiger/Green Tiger. Word Count: 2124. Minli's mother is very dissatisfied with the family's situation. Log in here. Illustrate this character3. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Andrew Medlar, School Library Journal*Starred Review* Gr 3-6 Living in the shadow of the Fruitless Mountain, Minli and her parents spend their days working in the rice fields, barely growing enough to feed themselves. Read the Study Guide for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, View Wikipedia Entries for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. The Question and Answer section for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a great Frame Stories in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. As you read, take notes on the characters by answering the questions. This Study Guide consists of approximately 29pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - Have you explained how you felt when you had met the challenge? It is late at night when Minli tiptoes into her familys hut and crawls into bed. While folktales often include recognizable character types, and certainly we can identify some stock traits here (clever, wise, whiny, kind and poor, greedy, etc.) Consider the traits of that particular character. The old man instructs her to remove a rock from Dragon's head, which has been preventing him from flying. Every day, the family works in. Resources for Socratic seminars for elementary school students can be found online. Draw a Dragon (that could come to life) Ask them what qualities she showed as she overcame these challenges (for example: courage, cleverness, persistence). As an optional activity, they may make a bulletin board or wall display that shows the embedded stories within the frame of the main narrative. Activity 2. After students have completed the first draft of their story, conduct a peer-editing session in your usual manner (or a self-editing session if you think any of the stories cover sensitive material that the students would be uncomfortable sharing). Children will embrace this accessible, timeless story about the evil of greed and the joy of gratitude. This book, a celebration of the importance of imagination and story, introduces upper elementary students to Chinese culture and tradition. They become friends, and Dragon offers to be her steed for the journey, despite the fact that he cannot fly, unlike other dragons. Give them copies of Worksheet 1 or assign questions from the worksheet as the class progresses. I absolutely loved this book, beautifully written. Tell students that they are going to read the book and keep a reading journal; explain how you would like them to proceed, i.e., how many pages or chapters to read and which journal questions to answer. The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. Have students read with the method and at the pace you find best for your class. eNotes.com, Inc. Think about how important the telling of stories was to Minli and Ba. JOIN GRACES MAILING LISTYoull receive her Author Newsletter in your email inbox! Already a member? When they have finished, have them compare the results with a partner to see what different effects they get when they use vivid language. How important are stories in your life? A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon. She notices that he is wearing a piece of golden dragon jewelry, and she follows him. Created by wonderful reader, Emme (age 11), and perfect for Book Clubs or families that read the book together, this board game is delightful fun. *, Can u describe the character 'talking goldfish'. He planned on doing whatever he could to marry his son to a member of the Imperial Family. Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. More books than SparkNotes. He remembers a story he has recently heard about a family from the area giving a dragons pearl to the king of the City of Bright Moonlightwho responded by bestowing the familys whole town with generous gifts of seeds and equipment for farmers. According to the goldfish, the wise man can answer Minli's question on how to bring good fortune to her family and the village. The main characters are Minli, Ba, Ma and Dragon. (for grades 3-6), 2010 Newbery Honor NY Times Bestseller (Feb 4th, March 14th 2010) IndieBound Bestseller 2010 Bank Street College of Education Josette Frank Award 2010 Indies Choice Book Awards Finalist For Middle Reader Book of the Year Al Rokers TODAY Show Kids Book Club Pick, December 2009 2010 Mythopeic Fantasy Award for Childrens Literature Starred Kirkus Review Starred School & Library Journal Review Starred Booklist Review Booklist Top 10 SF/Fantasy for Youth:2009 2009 Parents Choice Gold Winner 2010 CCBC Choices List 2010 EB White Read-Aloud Honor Book 2010 Massachusetts Book Award for Childrens/Young Adult Literature, I dont think that, in the fourteen years I have worked as a childrens bookseller and the 16 years I have been a mother buying books for her children, I have ever seen such a magnificently illustrated, beautiful gem of a book hit the shelves. Tanya from Books4yourkids.com, This is a flawless little gem of a book, written in a straightforward, warm tone that always has a hint of a smile in itThere is a lovely sense of satisfaction as one link after another is connected, until the entire shape of the book is revealed like a Chinese knot seemingly complicated yet pleasing and harmonious. Eva from Evas Book Addiction, Booklist*Starred Review* In this enchanted and enchanting adventure, Minli, whose name means quick thinking, lives with her desperately poor parents at the confluence of Fruitless Mountain and the Jade River. Have students explain how they grew or changed because of this experience. Without even asking the Old Man of the Moon, Minli has come to understand why people like the buffalo boy and A-Fu and Da-Fu seemed so happy: they are thankful for what they have rather than bitter about what they do not. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. While her mother worries and complains about their lot, her father brightens their evenings with storytelling. On the journey, Dragon tries to protect Minli from a poisonous Green Tiger but gets injured in the process and would have died had Minli not sought help from a nearby village of Moon Rain. What is the setting of "Games at Twilight" by Anita Desai? Ma and Ba say that Minli is too little to do such a thing. The kite magically transforms itself into a rope bridge, but it is too thin to carry Dragon. Important Quotes. Finding Identity through Childrens Books, Dont Judge a Book by Its Character (Even If It Is Chinese), The Extra Adjective: How I Came to Terms with Being a Multicultural Book Author, Folktales and Ecology: Animals and Humans in Cooperation and Conflict, Helpful Animals and Compassionate Humans in Folklore, "Cinderella" Folk Tales: Variations in Character. This is quite a minor character. Suddenly understanding what she needs to do, Minli asks the Old Man why Dragon cannot fly. Along the way, Minli meets a special friend. Together, they live in a small stick hut in a bleak, dry farming village at the intersection of the . The boy laughs and refuses to accept it. When Minlis parents discover that she is missing, they run after her. In the final activity and summative assessment, students plan and then write a personal narrative about a challenge they have overcome, using vivid descriptions of persons and places. She accomplishes her tasks, undertaken with the help of a talking dragon, by showing generosity, courage and integrity. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Her grief at losing her children made Fruitless Mountain barren of growth. young girlflowing black haircaringadventurousgenerous. The CharactersThe Characters Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is filled with rich and varied characters: Minli, whose name means quick-thinking; Dragon, her companion on the . With nothing else to occupy them in the evenings, Minlis father spins tales of the Old Man in the Moon and the Jade Dragon. This talking creature helps the heroine and her friend along their way early in the story. Also there are many villages. I think this story was okay but it was lacking adventure and it was hard to follow along. Now the woman can see that she had fortune all along, but that she lost it when she lost her daughter. After a brief discussion of types of challengesphysical, emotional, economic, etc.students read the entire book, focusing on the main narrative. This character came to life from the magic ink by which it was painted and flew away. Read more 2009 Grace Lin (P)2020 Hachette Audio Listening Length 4 hours and 58 minutes Author But the stories that the dad told I did like and it added more fun to the book and made me want to finish it. Then the twins, and their grandfather A-Gong, nurse Dragon and lead the travelers to Never-Ending Mountain. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. Be sure to include evidence from the text in their answers. Tell them the novel Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is like the picture frame, with one main frame story holding many other stories within it. Why did Ma change from being envious of other peoples wealth to being content? Lin's love of Chinese culture is evident in her creation of vivid new folktales that are built into the narrative in such a way that they become a seamless part of the story and their messages are thus relevant and meaningful. She does not like for Ba to tell the stories to Minli because she thinks he is filling her head with ideas. Chapter 1 Summary. It says the word thankfulness over and overand nothing else. Not understanding that she was rich in love, the womanwho is clearly Ma herselfonly felt bitter about her poverty. I definitely recommend this book! Dragon cannot fly. It is about Jade Dragon, who used to be beloved by the people of the earth because she controlled the rain that made crops grow. However, when a few people complained that they preferred sunshine, Jade Dragon grew angry. This is a good book but it is kinda slow. Still following the goldfishs instructions, Minli sets out for the City of Bright Moonlight. One day, after a goldfish salesman promises that his wares will bring good luck, Minli spends one of her only two coins in an effort to help her family. As she works, Minli wishes she could change her familys fortune. The authors writing is elegant, and her full-color illustrations are stunning. In August 2015, Lin revealed that the film rights for the book had been bought. She does so, and immediately Dragon can fly. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon, who knows the answers to all of lifes questions. Part 2. En route she befriends a dragon who joins her quest. Ask students to write one final paragraph in which they compare themselves with Minli. The objective of her quest is to find the Old Man of the Moon who possesses the power to change a persons fortune. With her lively and impulsive spirit, Minli emerges a stalwart female role model who learns the importance of family, friendship and faith during her amazing journey. They have a line of red thread that was once given to them by the Old Man of the Moon, who told them to keep it until it was needed. It blends an adventure narrative with a female hero, a collection of traditional and invented folktales, and an array of Chinese-style paintings and woodcuts into an appealing and challenging reading experience. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates.