Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Grace Lin (2009)
“A girl climbs a mountain to ask the Old Man of the Moon to change her family's fortune — and discovers that fortune was never what she thought it was.”
For Students
Because this is a fairy tale that actually works like a fairy tale — there are dragons and quests and an old man on a mountain — but the magic is not the point. The point is what you learn along the way, and what you learn is that fortune is not what you thought it was. Also, the dragon is wonderful.
For Teachers
The stories-within-stories structure supports narrative analysis and creative writing exercises. Chinese mythology provides cross-curricular connections to social studies. The theme of fortune as gratitude supports social-emotional learning. Short enough for a 2-3 week unit. Companion novels extend the world for eager readers.
Why It Still Matters
Everyone wants more than they have. Minli's journey teaches — through story, not lecture — that wanting more is not the problem; it is believing that more is somewhere else. Fortune is not at the top of a mountain. It is in the stories your father tells, the friends you make along the way, and the goldfish you were generous enough to release. The novel is a fairy tale about discovering that fairy tales are true.