The objective of her quest is to find the Old Man of the Moon who possesses the power to change a persons fortune. Why did Ma change from being envious of other peoples wealth to being content? Suddenly understanding what she needs to do, Minli asks the Old Man why Dragon cannot fly. Wishes to find Old Man of the Moon in order to change her family's fortune.Has to choose which question to ask Old Man in the Moon. He says they bring good fortune, so Minli buys one using one of only two copper coins she owns. He resolved to kill them for this impertinence, but when he and his army arrived at their house, they had mysteriously disappeared. Along the way, Minli meets a special friend. Personification is a literary device that give human traits to nonhuman objects. How does this character interact with the main character. Powerful Stories About Martin Luther King Jr. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2009. . However, what she especially enjoys are her father Ba's stories, which are often told at the dinner table. Then do the same for high ground: mountain, hill, crag, and slope. Sift (A) into a mixing bowl. The author of where the Mountain Meets the moon is Grace Lin. The stone lion gives the thread to Dragon. The grandfather, A-Gong, gives Dragon medicine that doubles as tea. Together, they live in a small stick hut in a bleak, dry farming village at the intersection of the . Tell students that before they write the story, they are going to practice the skill of using vivid language. Have you added vivid details about how you met the challenge? I bolted to get the book and started to read. (For example: ReadWriteThink's, Each student should have a notebook or composition book with a dedicated section for. Her mother, Ma, complains that these stories are foolish and harmful. He scoops some plain rice out of his bowl for the fish to eat. It will take more than a goldfish to bring fortune to our house, she says. Perfect for Moon Festival celebrations or Mother-Daughter Book Clubs, this kit provides an invite, posters and instructions for the journey-like game. These characters are the parents of the heroine. Written by people who wish to remain anonymous Where the Mountain Meets the Moon tells of a classic journey with a young duo, Minli and Dragon, working to find their way to the mountain that leads to the moon. An editor According to the goldfish, the wise man can answer Minli's question on how to bring good fortune to her family and the village. As the novel ends, the goldfish man glimpses Minli in a courtyard, looking up at the place where the Mountain meets the moon., "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Extended Summary" eNotes Publishing While some may say there are too many pages, I think the amount of pages doesn't matter anyways, although I like the amount, and reading more pages is a great challenge. A-Fu and Da-Fu, twins who are a bit younger than Minli, explain that a vicious magistrate once planned to kill the whole family out of jealousy over their happiness. 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 Summary, Read the Study Guide for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, View Wikipedia Entries for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. However, she is still not sure if the film will be made or if it will not be made. It is not as adventurous as I thought it would be. With beautiful language, Lin creates a strong, memorable heroine and a mystical land. Youre always wishing to do impossible things! Think about how important the telling of stories was to Minli and Ba. ", Grace Lin, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Every day, the family works in the mud growing rice. When the magistrate heard about this, he decided that the family must have been trying to trick him. 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. JOIN GRACES MAILING LISTYoull receive her Author Newsletter in your email inbox! Dragon also reveals that he was born from a painting and came to life when his eyes were painted. Read the Study Guide for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, View Wikipedia Entries for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a juvenile fiction novel by Grace Lin, author of The Year of the Dog. Get Started Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Grace Lin 4.30 45,753 ratings5,600 reviews In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. detailed information regarding how the characters interact with the main characters, as (Teacher Resource: Plot Outline can serve as suggested answers. Minli is a strong-willed, young Chinese girl who lives in the Village of Fruitless Mountain. Explain your design ideaswhat There, he meets the first dragon he has ever seen, a female dragon with bright orange skin. Spurrier, Leslie. The depth of Minlis affection for Dragon is put to the test, as is her loyalty to her family. Then ask them to share their best sentence with the class. Image Based Life > Uncategorized > where the mountain meets the moon character traits Meanwhile, Minli sleeps for the night in the forest, only to wake up to find a trapped dragon, which she saves. Ask students to think of and share other types of challenges they have seen or experienced. When they have finished, have them compare the results with a partner to see what different effects they get when they use vivid language. The game is an age-appropriate series of puzzles; kids are rewarded at It was written and illustrated by Grace Lin and published in 2009. The people and the houses look happy and prosperous. Grace Lin introduces Minli, the main character well, as a girl who wants to change their fortune when her mom repeatedly talks about how poor they are. Where The Mountain Meets The Moon Chapters 1-4 Summary & Analysis. Have a Feast (recipes to enjoy with the book). Less than half of the information of the notes is correct and relevant. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. You may use Worksheet 4: Narrative Rubric provided for both student self-assessment and your own final assessment. Minli feels guilty when her father gives up some of his food for her fish. You can find this storyboard in the following articles and resources: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon characters in a Character Map. Soup of the Day at Jama Rattigans Alphabet Soup, Book of Color Pick of the Day at Galley Cat. This is a good time to show students how to use a print or online thesaurus, but remind them only to use words that they are comfortable with; a fancy word is not necessarily the best word. Determined to change her familys fortune, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, urged on by a talking goldfish who gives her clues to complete her journey. The dragon explains that he does not know how to fly and wants to learn, so Minli invites him to come with her to see the Old Man of the Moon, the only person who might be able to tell him how. Identify (4) Traits for this character and supply evidence2. 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. One year later, the goldfish man returns to the town at the base of Fruitless Mountain, and he cannot believe how much it has changed. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. Magistrate Tiger/Green Tiger. Anonymous "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Characters". The boy finds out that the king is supposed to appear in the Market of Green Abundance. All storyboards and images are private and secure. I think this story was okay but it was lacking adventure and it was hard to follow along. While Lin tells the tale of the courageous Minli, she also imbeds other story vignettes that weave together and connect in complicated ways. 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. In this activity, students return to the novel to analyze the folktale embedded within it. Frame Stories in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Buy It Now In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. They will also appear in Google search results. Ask students to choose a page at random and read aloud the most vivid sentence they can find to the class. Word Count: 2124. The main character, Minli, is a young Chinese girl scraping by with her poor parents in the village at the base of Fruitless Mountain. Ma and Ba. When Dragon and Minli reunite, each is surprised to learn that the other has found a borrowed line. This summer I finally able to purchase the book and re-read it a third time. 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. "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Summary". [4] It has been translated into Chinese, French, Hebrew, Romanian, Korean and Slovene.[5]. Essay Topics. This is the god character who knows the future and permits the heroine to ask him a single question. By a bare mountain, where the Jade River runs through, lies a poor, mud-covered village known as the Village of Fruitless Mountain, where the protagonist, Minli lives. The elder of the family gave up the secret readily. 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. . Before students begin their draft remind them in the real world it is not a good idea for children to leave home to confront evil and danger. Meanwhile, at the Village of Fruitless Mountain, Ba and Ma have decided to return home and wait for Minli, and during this time, Ma feels remorse for having been so discontent when she already had her own precious treasure: her daughter. However, at the last moment, the Old Man of the Moon transported the family magically to a new home, where they continue to livepoor but contenttoday. When Minli finds Dragon, it cant fly and is caught up in some ropes. [1][2] The novel received a 2010 Newbery Honor[3] and the 2010 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Students plan and then write a personal narrative about a challenge they have overcome using vivid descriptions of persons and places. Ask students to write one final paragraph in which they compare themselves with Minli. If you read Where The Mountain Meets The Moon, you wouldn't be disappointed because it is an incredible book. Ba smiles and says that Minlis return is the best fortune of all. She's dutiful, empathetic, curious, and resourceful. Eventually she decides to run off on a quest to change her family's fortune. ), If you wish, divide students into pairs. Grades 3-6. Remind them that to be a narrative, a story must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Near a mountain region. Still following the goldfishs instructions, Minli sets out for the City of Bright Moonlight. Have you explained how you felt when you had met the challenge? Design a costume for the character. Use evidence from the text to argue who is the most generous character in the book. While her mother worries and complains about their lot, her father brightens their evenings with storytelling. At the onset of the quest, she meets Dragon. Create a character map of the characters in the story. Then I dropped something and it made a loud noise. This talking creature helps the heroine and her friend along their way early in the story. This character was a cruel ruler of the land in which all the main landmarks (save the moon) were located over a century ago. Inspired by her fathers stories and dedicated to her family, Minli decides to leave and seek a more prosperous future for them all. 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. 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. Within the portal, all users can view and copy all storyboards. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Put the following sentence on the board: There was a mountain near the village. Then have students turn to the first sentence of. However, that is far from the end of this intricate tale. Meanwhile, as Dragon waits outside of the city, he receives a string of destiny from one of the Guardians of the City. The performance starred Caroline Workman as Minli, Michael Tow as Storyteller/ Minli's Ba, and was directed by Jane Staab. (Most students will say it is very big and has a huge population; a few may be able to bring up current events involving China.) Minli (her name means "quick thinking") is the main character. They keep journals to record the challenges Minli faced, and how she met the challenges. Seeing her mothers unhappiness, the daughter grew discontented and went away to try to change her familys fortune. Frightened for her new-found friend, Minli goes for help and finds two twins: A-Fu and Da-Fu. [10], According to Journal of Education, Grace Lin is the "best-selling author of The Year of the Dog and The Year of the Rat". My mom and I first read it as part of my Sonlight curriculum and we loved it. When the students come to class, give them time to share their sentences from the pre-activity in small groups. eNotes.com, Inc. In addition, any storyboard can be made sharable, where a private link to the storyboard can be shared externally. (If the class has already studied the concept, teachers may want to point out that this is an excellent example of a. The following day, Minli then sets out, freeing the goldfish so as not to burden her parents further, and leaves the village to find "the old man of the moon". She returns to Dragon and, following the Old Mans instructions, helps him pull a big, heavy bump off the top of his head. Define a frame story and explain the complex way that subsidiary stories are embedded within the novel, Identify different types of challenges in the story. During her journey, she comes across many challenges. While folktales often include recognizable character types, and certainly we can identify some stock traits here (clever, wise, whiny, kind and poor, greedy, etc.) I loved Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. As they work, hold writing conferences with individual students in need of assistance. It was even better than I remembered! Which characters in the book prove to be true friends? Minli is a young ten-year-old girl with a fast and eager spirit, and is constantly ready for adventure. All at once, Minli realizes that she can live wither fortune; it is not that bad. . WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON is a fantasy-fiction story where Chinese Folklore is engraved throughout the story. In August 2015, Lin revealed that the film rights for the book had been bought. Minli realizes she has to go on alone, but before she leaves, she promises to ask Dragons question for him. For number 4, you could even ask students to walk across the classroom to act out the sentence as they rewrote it. I think it has a good message for readers and Minli is a good role model. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man of the Moon to ask him how she can change her familys fortune. Mix well, a soft dough should form. Teachers may opt to lower the security if they want to allow sharing. Together they fly home to Minli's village. Minli befriends a dragon along the way. Amazed, Ma observes that the fortunes of the family have changed. The meaning of that gift can only be revealed by reading the book. Have students write a paragraph or more using the following prompt: Your values are your principles, the things that you hold to be important in life. In the story that the girl told the Great Green Tiger she stated that another tiger had taken her brother to be his slave for life. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. 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. Ma and Ba say that Minli is too little to do such a thing. At the end of the story, Ba says that he thinks nobody is meant to find Minli, just as the magistrate was not meant to find the paper that explained the secret of happiness. eNotes Editorial. The second date is today's Where The Mountain Meets The Moon Character Analysis Minli Minli is the protagonist and hero in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. While waiting in the Market of Green Abundance, Minli spends her coin buying a peach for a beggar. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Create a character map for the major characters. When her parents find out, Ma is angry. 3. I went down to the cellar the other day. How can students use Where the Mountain Meets the Moon as a mentor text to write a personal narrative with vivid language? [Optional activity: Show them the first 1:40 minutes of Al Rokers interview with Grace Lin in which she covers much of the same material. Stories, drawn from a rich history of Chinese folktales, weave throughout her narrative, deepening the sense of both the characters and the setting and smoothly furthering the plot. As they search, they come upon the goldfish man, who listens to their troubles and tells them his story. Have students tell the story of their challenge and how they met it. There are numerous other minor characters in the book: You can help us out by revising, improving and updating 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. When Minlis parents discover that she is missing, they run after her. Give them copies of Worksheet 1 or assign questions from the worksheet as the class progresses. Using a classroom map, show students the location of China and ask them what they know about it. Give them time to legibly recopy (and edit!) Even though you can determine the scene in your head, Grace Lin adds sharp details making the scene more vivid. This is quite a minor character. Give each student a complete copy of worksheet 1 at the beginning. What benefits did they get from the stories? Minlis parents desperately hope she can change the familys fortune. What are three things you can do to make your narrative even better? I think it is good for many different ages, from 7-year-olds to 12-year-olds. 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. Explain to students that they have been working mostly with the story of Minli and her quest, and that now they are going to look at the other stories that are woven into the main story. The second is the date of 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 . Under house have students brainstorm as many words as they can for house: mansion, shack, apartment, rancher, hut, etc. Along the way, she finds excitement, danger, humor, magic, and wisdom, and she befriends a flightless dragon, a talking fish, and other companions and helpmates in her quest. 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". Have students pay close attention to the Part 2. This first activity introduces the book and requires students to read it and keep a journal. Those eye-opening visits made the folk tales and fairy tales her mother had shared with her as a child seem more alive. Day 2. They continue the journey together. Jennifer Rothschild from School Library Journal stated in her review: "The author's writing is elegant, and her full-color illustrations are stunning. Written by people who wish to remain anonymous Minli Minli (her name means "quick thinking") is the main character. The effort is enormous, and they grow barely enough to feed themselves. All of the villagers, along with Minli's family, are also very poor, as farming is difficult in the hard and dry land due to Fruitless Mountain being the broken and lonely heart of the immortal Jade Dragon, a dragon that once brought rain to the Earth. size). She notices that he is wearing a piece of golden dragon jewelry, and she follows him. (Something that takes great physical or mental effort to do successfully) Show students photos of types of challenges (see Preparation and Resources) and discuss the types of challenges shown. the end with a mysterious gift. The next day, Minli sneaks away from her village, leaving a note for her parents saying where she is going. Do you like books with magical elements? Thus she spent much of her childhood trying to ignore her Asian heritage in order to fit in better with her peers. After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. 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. The boy laughs and refuses to accept it. Students will provide detailed information regarding how the characters interact with the main characters, as well as challenges the characters face. Put the character's name in the title boxes and choose a character and scene to represent each one. Far away from here introduces the suggestion of an exotic location and/or time; The Jade River suggest China, which is known for jade. 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. In this activity, students will depict the characters of the story using a character map. The last date is today's After her mother ridicules what she believes to be a foolish purchase, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, who, it is told, may impart the true secret to good fortune. As the Get Where the Mountain Meets the Moon from Amazon.com. The protagonist Minli, like one of Joseph Campbells archetypal heroes, leaves her home, sets out on a quest, has to pass through many crucial tests to reach her goal, and returns to her village bringing back the aid that the villagers and her family need. Minlis determination to help her family, as well as the grief her parents feel at her absence, is compelling and thoroughly human. Write the definition of a frame story on the board (a main story which has other stories contained within it) and have them copy the definition in their notebooks. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. With the help of a buffalo boy, Minli tracks down the King. Lead a class discussion about the differences between the sentence on the board and the sentence in the novel. He wrote a single word on a sheet of paper, but the magistrates soldiers lost it on the way home. Did they show the same qualities that she did in her quest, or did they use different qualities to meet the challenge? Many of the notes have correct information, but some are incorrect or missing. Is your story really a narrative? Are all your sentences complete and correctly written? Frame Stories in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Minli and her parents live in the shadow of Fruitless Mountain, where they toil endlessly. Keeping a Reading Journal. What is the setting of "Games at Twilight" by Anita Desai? Website design by Mira T. Lee of MIRA T. CREATIVE. The two unlikely allies travel together in search of the Old Man, coming upon many different places along the way. They travel all through the night, searching. Character map is unfinished and/or disorganized. However, when a few people complained that they preferred sunshine, Jade Dragon grew angry. I loved the way it was told through a lot of fairy tales. Written by people who wish to remainanonymous. A Newbery Honor book in 2010, this novel moves on from the ordinary lives of Asian Americans in her other books to a fantastical adventure in a timeless, traditional China. The goldfish man says that Minli, too, may be able to change her fortune. young girlflowing black haircaringadventurousgenerous. Have students complete the worksheet. Minli remains silent, absorbing this new information. A set of twins from the village manage to trick the Green Tiger down an abandoned well and the next day take Minli and Dragon to Never-Ending Mountain, which turns out to be only a day's journey from the village. [7] Have them copy each days assignment into their notebooks; Make a photocopy of Worksheet 1 for each student and cut off a strip for each daily assignment for students to paste at the top of the notebook page; Cut off each assignment strip and paste it onto a sheet of lined paper. Why did Minli also learn to be content? Chinese Lesson (write the Chinese characters for mountain and moon) With nothing else to occupy them in the evenings, Minlis father spins tales of the Old Man in the Moon and the Jade Dragon. 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. How important is magic in the story? Not affiliated with Harvard College. At that point, the string turns into a bridge Minli uses to walk up to the moon and visit the Old Man. The single line of text upon it is usually unreadable, but sometimes during historically important moments, the words are intelligibleand they always say something different. "Bringing fortune to our house! When students have finished reading the book, hold a Socratic seminar or other type of discussion. The authors writing is elegant, and her full-color illustrations are stunning. My father came down the stairs and asked what I was doing down there. 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. 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. 2020 GRACE LIn, all rights reserved. Together, the two fly back to Minlis village, so she can return to her parents. Encourage students to consider why Grace Lin chose those particular words to describe the mountain. After contemplating her choices, Minli chooses to ask Dragon's question for him: Why can he not fly? The Question and Answer section for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a great 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. Symbols & Motifs. Minli's mother is very dissatisfied with the family's situation. (Teachers do not have to assign all the stories.). 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. While Minli has this adventure, Dragon waits outside the city. He tells her that she must hurry up and ask what she wants to know. What words bring it to life? Map Your Own Connections (with red threads) Make two copies for each pair of students to use in analyzing the embedded stories. 4 Mar. This made Jade Dragon regret her selfishness. This is quite a minor character. While Lin tells the tale of the courageous Minli, she also imbeds other story vignettes that weave together and connect in complicated ways. After some collaboration, they realize they can use their lines (the line of text and the line of destiny) to form a kite and fly up to the moon. Minli's father is a storyteller. She realizes that she cannot ask Dragons questionunless she chooses not to ask her own.