She refused to let it rain anymore, thus leaving the people of the earth to suffer and starve. *, Can u describe the character 'talking goldfish'. Jennifer Rothschild, Prince Georges County Memorial Library System, Oxon Hill, MD, Kirkus Reviews*Starred Review*To change her familys fortunes, a poor Chinese girl embarks on a fantastical quest to discover she already has everything she needs to be happy. All storyboards are private and secure to the portal using enterprise-class file security hosted by Microsoft Azure. However, when a few people complained that they preferred sunshine, Jade Dragon grew angry. The second date is today's Let students investigate online resources for folktales from China. Website design by Mira T. Lee of MIRA T. CREATIVE. 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. 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. Teachers may opt to lower the security if they want to allow sharing. Minli is a young ten-year-old girl with a fast and eager spirit, and is constantly ready for adventure. 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. Minli and her parents live in the shadow of Fruitless Mountain, where they toil endlessly. After high school, Lin attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where she earned a BFA in illustration. The Jade Dragon reunites with one of her children, Dragon, and transforms Fruitless Mountain to Fruitful Mountain. 4 Mar. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a fantasy-adventure children's novel inspired by Chinese folklore. In a poignant essay entitled Why Couldnt Snow White Be Chinese? Lin discusses her sense of otherness and states that as a child, she found her dual identity to be a burden. Where The Mountain Meets The Moon Character Analysis Minli Minli is the protagonist and hero in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. He in turn gives her a line of text written on a page that the Magistrate Tiger ripped out of the Old Man of the Moon's Book of Fortune. The line written there has changed again. He indulges Minli with numerous Chinese folktales including stories about the Old Man of the Moon and the Never Ending Mountain. These characters are the parents of the heroine. She does so, and immediately Dragon can fly. The goldfish man says that Minli, too, may be able to change her fortune. She notices that he is wearing a piece of golden dragon jewelry, and she follows him. Choose a scene or background that makes sense for the character. Together they encounter a talking goldfish, a boy with a buffalo, a king, a fierce green tiger and laughing twins before scaling Never-Ending Mountain. Assign students the task of thinking of a time when they had a challenge to meet. Not affiliated with Harvard College. https://www.storyboardthat.com/lesson-plans/where-the-mountain-meets-the-moon-by-grace-lin/characters, This Storyboard That activity is part of the lesson plans for. She's dutiful, empathetic, curious, and resourceful. Minli (her name means "quick thinking") is the main character. Goldfish 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. The performance starred Caroline Workman as Minli, Michael Tow as Storyteller/ Minli's Ba, and was directed by Jane Staab. Grace Lins website includes a number of essays that could meet nonfiction reading requirements while giving students more insight into her motivation, inspiration, and writing process. This strong-willed, young Chinese girl lives in the Village of Fruitless Mountain and decides to run off on a quest to change her family's fortune. Write The house was on the hill on the board. Resources for Socratic seminars for elementary school students can be found online. Minli remains silent, absorbing this new information. What is the setting of "Games at Twilight"? Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Students reading the book will not only share the adventure, but will learn much about traditional values in Chinese culture. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original It turns out the goldfish can talk when people want to hear it. Ed. Ba smiles and says that Minlis return is the best fortune of all. I absolutely loved this book, beautifully written. At the end of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and in her essays, Lin shares photos and drawings and discusses how she came to use and adapt elements of Chinese culture in her stories. However, that is far from the end of this intricate tale. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a juvenile fiction novel by Grace Lin, author of The Year of the Dog. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Ask students: Suppose Grace Lin had just written Their village was dirty and their work was hard. How is this paragraph different? Grace Lin, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Despite her mother's disapproval of stories and dreaming, Minli gathers her courage, her resourcefulness, and her openness to new people and places, to take a remarkable journey to accomplish the impossible. Both Minli and Dragon have unique character traits and well-thought character development. detailed information regarding how the characters interact with the main characters, as Minlis determination to help her family, as well as the grief her parents feel at her absence, is compelling and thoroughly human. When her parents find out, Ma is angry. After a brief discussion of types of challengesphysical, emotional, economic, etc.students read the entire book, focusing on the main narrative. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon By Grace Lin Chapters 1-4 Before you read the chapters: The protagonist in most novels features the main character or "good guy". Suggested techniques: If students are interested in folktales in general, the. Meanwhile, Minli sleeps for the night in the forest, only to wake up to find a trapped dragon, which she saves. Minli is a strong and lovable hero that boys will enjoy as much as girls. As she works, Minli wishes she could change her familys fortune. The Old Man explains that, once every ninety-nine years, someone comes to ask him a question. physical and character traits of both major and minor characters. Interwoven with Minlis quest are tales told by her father and by those she meets on the way. Still, real life faces everyone with difficult challenges that require courage and ingenuity. I enjoyed every moment if this book and could not put it down!! The author of where the Mountain Meets the moon is Grace Lin. As their quest continues, Minli and Dragon face the vicious Green Tiger, who is the On their way towards the mountain, Dragon and Minli encounter the evil Green Tiger, the reawakened spirit of Magistrate Tiger. Put the following sentence on the board: There was a mountain near the village. Then have students turn to the first sentence of. What details do you notice that show that this story is not taking place in the United States? Characters included in the character map are: (These instructions are completely customizable. When she arrives to find the Old Man of the Moon, he offers her what seems to be a Spartan gift: she can only ask him a single question. The page had been treasured by the kings of the city for generations. Reunited with her son, Jade Dragon transforms Fruitless Mountain into Fruitful Mountain, allowing it to grow again. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. Minli upsets her parents, who are frightened about what will happen to her. If the boys in the class seem likely to find it difficult to identify with a female protagonist, suggest that they imagine a twin brother accompanying her on her journey. Comment on the use of imagery in "Games at Twilight.". In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. . I think this story was okay but it was lacking adventure and it was hard to follow along. Minli's mother, Ma, instead despises the stories that Ba tells, feeling that they are simply "nonsense." In moments, he disappeared from view into the shadow of Fruitless Mountain, and if it wasn't for the goldfish Minli had in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon study guide contains a biography of Grace Lin, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Children will embrace this accessible, timeless story about the evil of greed and the joy of gratitude. Not understanding that she was rich in love, the womanwho is clearly Ma herselfonly felt bitter about her poverty. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon begins with a description of a small girl, Minli, and her parents, who live in a poor village at the base of Fruitless Mountain. The elder of the family gave up the secret readily. She grows up on tales of magical people and places from Ba, her father. Minli realizes what is truly important in life and is thankful for her family. After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. Those eye-opening visits made the folk tales and fairy tales her mother had shared with her as a child seem more alive. Even though you can determine the scene in your head, Grace Lin adds sharp details making the scene more vivid. However, she is still not sure if the film will be made or if it will not be made. 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. This is the god character who knows the future and permits the heroine to ask him a single question. The new book was published on October 4, 2016. In thanks, the fish tells Minli how to travel to Never-Ending Mountain to find the Old Man of the Moon, who may know how Minli can change her familys fortune. In the book, what were many suggestions about the word that was written on the paper the Magistrate wantedthe secret of happiness. 24 142-49 Dragon meets the stone lions, who They become friends, and Dragon offers to be her steed for the journey, despite the fact that he cannot fly, unlike other dragons. (authors note) (Fantasy. When students have finished reading the book, hold a Socratic seminar or other type of discussion. The principal told me that was not a good idea. He planned on doing whatever he could to marry his son to a member of the Imperial Family. Distribute copies of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. She realizes that she cannot ask Dragons questionunless she chooses not to ask her own. "[6], Andrew Medlar from Booklist said: "Lin creates a strong, memorable heroine & mystical land [] children will embrace this [] story"[6], A companion, titled Starry River of the Sky, was published on February 11, 2014. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin is a middle grade fantasy fiction novel that takes inspiration from Chinese folklore and details the journey of a young girl, Minli, as she embarks on a hero's quest to improve her family's circumstances. BildungsromanShelf ElfPaper TigersMotherReaderCharlottes LibraryWrite for a ReaderThe Mommy FilesThrifty Minnesota Mama Creative MadnessAbby the Librarian, And EVEN more!Review at BookpageCareer, Craft & Cheer on CynsationsSoup of the Day at Jama Rattigans Alphabet SoupSeven Impossible Things Before BreakfastBook of Color Pick of the Day at Galley Cat, Make a Compass (like Minli!) Read more 2009 Grace Lin (P)2020 Hachette Audio Listening Length 4 hours and 58 minutes Author Have students tell the story of their challenge and how they met it. With the help of a buffalo boy, Minli tracks down the King. This outline can serve as a reference for the teacher for the entire lesson.). The main characters are Minli, Ba, Ma and Dragon. You may wish to use these tales for additional literature or composition study. The authors writing is elegant, and her full-color illustrations are stunning. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. [1][2] The novel received a 2010 Newbery Honor[3] and the 2010 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature. Essay Topics. Every night, Minlis father tells her stories about the Jade Dragon that keeps the mountain bare, the greedy and mean Magistrate Tiger, and the Old Man of the Moon who holds everyones destiny. Along the way, they encounter selfish monkeys, whom Minli manages to trick into letting them pass, and together they enter the City of Bright Moonlight, where Minli leaves Dragon in a cave and takes refuge in a boy's home. "Bringing fortune to our house! Assess the second copy of Worksheet 2 for completeness, accuracy in recalling details of the story, and mechanics of writing. Tell students that they are going to use their three sentences as a basis for writing a kind of story called a personal narrative. Because of what seemed like a personal sacrifice in favor of helping a friend, Minli and her family receive all they ever hoped for and more. However, he informs her that she can ask only one question. To her surprise, the fish speaks and says that it has swum every river of the world except the Jade Riverthe one Minli has brought her to now. Show students a collage picture frame with multiple photos or draw one on the board. Also there are many villages. All at once, Minli realizes that she can live wither fortune; it is not that bad. Minli befriends a dragon along the way. This Study Guide consists of approximately 29pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make yourown.