Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

The Children's Book Club selection for June was Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.

This fairytale, set in medieval China, tells the tale of Minli and her quest for good fortune. Minli lives with her parents in a small village under the shadow of Fruitless Mountain, a barren behemoth that yields no food. The villagers spend their days planting enough rice to feed themselves and they can never "get ahead". Minli toils with her parents all day in the fields; her only true happiness is listening to her father's fairytales that he tells in the evenings. Minli's mother, however, views these stories as frivolous and is certain that they give Minli unrealistic ideas of what her life could be like.

Worn down by her mother's constant complaining, Minli decides to set off on her own in order to find her fortune from the Old Man on the Moon. Thus begins this thrilling tale filled with dragons, talking fish, magic threads, evil emperors, and action galore! This Kids Reading Across Rhode Island book (and Rooster Book nominee) is a modern classic.

Once again, there was no group consensus on this month's Book Club pick. A few members thought that the magical apsects of the story were really interesting, though maybe there were too many fairytales told by Minli's father. One member felt that the story jumped around too much and was a little confusing. Most members agreed that Minli's mother should not have been so unhappy with her life, as she had her daughter, husband, and the wonderful tales he told in order to keep her happy.

July's Children's Book Club selection is The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn. This Gothic-inspired ghost story is filled with suspense, action, and drama to spare!

A Tale Dark and Grimm

I forgot to post about the Book Club’s January meeting centered on a discussion of Adam Gidwitz’s A Tale Dark and Grimm. My bad. A brief overview: we all loved it!

Gidwitz cleverly weaves together various fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm in order to create a story both familiar and completely original. The book is thrilling, bloody, scary, funny, and just plain great! The reader feels the excitement that Hansel and Gretel experience as they run away from home and have their numerous adventures. The insertion of the narrator throughout the story, warning young kids away before especially scary sections, is a unique device which was appreciated by all of our readers.

We’d recommend this book to all readers, though not to the extremely faint of heart. Though even those readers might surprise themselves with courage borrowed from the brave Hansel and Gretel.

Great New Picture Books!

There are some great new picture books on our shelves. Some of my recent favorites include:

Captain Small Pig, written by Martin Waddell and illustrated by Susan Varley. This picture book, appropriate for pre-K and up, is a beautifully rendered story all about a magical day out. A perfect start to the summer season.

Mirror Mirror, written by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Josee Masse, is a book of reversible verse. Classic fairy tales are rewritten and turned upside down in order to show that there are two sides to every story. A truly inventive work for kids in grades 3+.

Bunny Days, by Tao Nyeu, is a trio of hilarious stories, all involving cute cotton-tailed bunnies who get into some unexpected predicaments. Be sure to pay special attention to the wonderful retro illustrations. A real treat for pre-K and up.

Enjoy these and other new picture books on our shelves. Be sure to share your thoughts on my picks and recommend some of your own!