Last week, I Skyped with our eight-year-old granddaughter and asked about what book she was reading. She was excited about WHEN THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON by Grace Lin. I checked it out of our library and read it so we could discuss the different scenes and share which ones we liked and disliked.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story of a young girl dissatisfied with her and her parents' poor life and determined to do something about it. Learning that she must ask The Old Man of the Moon why her village was so ugly and poor, Minli sets out on a journey and meets a dragon, a poor but happy young man, a king, and finally the Old Man of the Moon. She had two very important questions to ask the old man, but learned she could only ask one. Would she ask a question that might benefit her and her family, or would she ask a questions that would help her friend?
This book is made up of 48 short chapters, each a story within itself dealing with Milin's journey, her parents' fears, and what they all learned about being happy.
I can truly recommend this book for any young girl eight years old or older. I wish I could sit down with our granddaughter and discuss it chapter by chapter. I hope parents and grandparents will consider doing this with their granddaughters. For more information about Grace Lin, the author, check out her web site at www.gracelin.com
