#tbt: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Image: LBYR

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. 288 p. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, July, 2009. 97800316114271. (Own)

#tbt features Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. Astute observers will recall that I featured Grace Lin is a Friday Focus post a few weeks ago. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is an illustrated story-within-a-story that was published in 2009 and won a 2010 Newbery Honor. 

It is the story of Minli, who lives in a hut with her parents on Fruitless Mountain. They are very poor, but rich in stories. Each night, her father tells her stories about Jade Dragon and Old Man Moon, who is very wise. Minli decides to set off in search of Old Man Moon to help her family and village. This story-within-a-story weaves traditional Chinese folk tales with Minli's adventure. Each chapter opens with a stunning full-color illustration. LIn's art style is intricate and elegant.

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

Image: Disney/ Hyperion

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia. Tristan Strong series #1. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~11 hours. Read by Amir Abdullah. Listening Library, October, 2019. 9780593149584. (Review of downloadable e-audiobook borrowed from public library. Own hardcover copy.)

Middle Grade Monday features Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia. This terrific debut is a mythology-based fantasy that centers around thirteen-year-old Tristan Strong, an up and coming boxer in Chicago. He has just lost his very first bout much to the disappointment of his father and grandfather who expect him to continue their legacy. He's also grieving the death of his best friend, Eddie and treasures the notebook where Eddie wrote down the stories his grandmother told. 

While visiting his grandparents in Alabama, that journal is stolen by a ten-inch, sap-covered, sassy doll named Gum Baby. When Tristan tries to catch her, he punches a tree in fury. Turns out it's a magical tree on the farm and he and Gum Baby end up in another world. Unfortunately, evil from our world follows them in as well. Some of the residents of Alke may be familiar to readers, John Henry, Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox. But the others are gods and goddesses of West African mythology, such as Anansi. 

New-to-me narrator Amir Abdullah paced his performance well and he mastered quite a few distinct voices. Looking forward to seeking out more audiobooks narrated by him as well as the next book in the Tristan Strong series.

If you enjoyed Rick Riordan's myth-based adventures, you will love Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky! It's the first book of a planned series, so get on board!

#tbt: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Image: LBYR

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. 288 p. Little, Brown Young Readers, July, 2009. 9780316114271. (Own.)

#tbt features Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. This intricate and beautiful story-within-a-story was published in July of 2009 and won a Newbery Honor in January of 2010. Lin also illustrated the novel. It is a fantasy/ adventure about Minli, an energetic ten-year-old pining for adventure, which she gets when her beloved father tells her stories. Her family and village are dirt poor and her bitter mother sees no value in these stories. She becomes upset when Minli purchases a goldfish. The goldfish talks and Minli sets out to find good fortune for her village. Lin wrote a companion novel, Starry River to the Sky in 2014, and a sequel, When the Sea Turns to Silver in 2016.