Minli (her name means "quick thinking") is the main character. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. . Get Started This book will be a highlight of your life, so go and check out Where The Mountain Meets The Moon, and you wont regret listening to me! Dragon cannot fly. While folktales often include recognizable character types, and certainly we can identify some stock traits here (clever, wise, whiny, kind and poor, greedy, etc.) According to the goldfish, the wise man can answer Minli's question on how to bring good fortune to her family and the village. Where The Mountain Meets The Moon Character Analysis Minli Minli is the protagonist and hero in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. This talking creature helps the heroine and her friend along their way early in the story. Minli is a strong-willed, young Chinese girl who lives in the Village of Fruitless Mountain. This strikes Minli because The Old Man is what she thought, only a character from her father's stories. What an engaging book! More than half of the characters and scenes do not match the characters in the book. Plus, there is barely enough rice to feed the people there, causing Minli to develop a wish for good fortune. by Grace Lin Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Character List These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Resources for Socratic seminars for elementary school students can be found online. I loved Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Ed. Ma blames Ba, saying that his stories put foolish ideas in Minlis head. When they first meet, he has been bound with ropes and she cuts them off of him. When the students come to class, give them time to share their sentences from the pre-activity in small groups. Characters included in the character map are: Minli Ma Ba Goldfish Man Dragon Buffalo Boy King Da-A-Fu A-Gong & Amah Green Tiger Rabbit Old Man of the Moon Copy Activity* Minli befriends a dragon along the way. This book has many pages, yet it is the perfect amount for me. Unlisted storyboards can be shared via a link, but otherwise will remain hidden. 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. What words bring it to life? GradeSaver, 25 April 2017 Web. Ma and Ba camp in the forest, and Ba tells the story of a greedy magistrate who tried to steal the secret of happiness from a poor but otherwise perfect family. Together they fly home to Minli's village. They become friends, and Dragon offers to be her steed for the journey, despite the fact that he cannot fly, unlike other dragons. One day I thought I would surprise my friends. The cellar was dark and kind of creepy. All storyboards are private and secure to the portal using enterprise-class file security hosted by Microsoft Azure. Near a mountain region. I LOVED it! Be sure to include evidence from the text in their answers. Consider the traits of that particular character. He planned on doing whatever he could to marry his son to a member of the Imperial Family. The art is absolutely beautiful. Along the way, Minli meets a special friend. 8-12), Reading level: Ages 8-12Pages: 288 pagesPublisher: Little, Brown Young ReadersLanguage: English ISBN: 0316114278, 978-0316114271. The two then meet and after relating their adventures, set off once again, puzzled as to which is the real borrowed line. She looks up to her father, the optimist, and clashes with her mother, the cynic. 2023 - Clever Prototypes, LLC - All rights reserved. It was written and illustrated by Grace Lin and published in 2009. 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. Students will provide detailed information regarding how the characters interact with the main characters, as well as challenges the characters face. Richly hued illustrations reinforce the Chinese folk theme. In the final activity and summative assessment, students plan and then write a personal narrative about a challenge they have overcome, using vivid descriptions of persons and places. (The first column of Teacher Resource: Plot Outline provides a summary for the suggested answers. As you read, take notes on the characters by answering the questions. Along the way, Minli meets a special friend. She's dutiful, empathetic, curious, and resourceful. 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. date the date you are citing the material. The Question and Answer section for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a great From the beautiful design and the breathtaking full-color illustrations throughout, to the gentle humor and touching prose, this book is truly a gem. Grace went on a blog tour for her book. They learn the new concept of a frame story and explore how the embedded stories enrich and amplify and reflect the main story. After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. Remind them that to be a narrative, a story must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. 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. 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. The next day she finds a stream, but it is salty. 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. Eventually she decides to run off on a quest to change her family's fortune. As she debates what to do, she looks down at the Book of Fortune on the Old Mans lap and sees that he has added in the paper she received from the king. For number 4, you could even ask students to walk across the classroom to act out the sentence as they rewrote it. Minli's mother is very dissatisfied with the family's situation. 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. This outline can serve as a reference for the teacher for the entire lesson.). Why did Minli also learn to be content? Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery), (You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.). Minli is restless and never content with her lot in life. 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. Tell students about Grace Lin, using information from the Background section. Chinese Lesson (write the Chinese characters for mountain and moon) Magistrate Tiger/Green Tiger. 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 . She returns to Dragon and, following the Old Mans instructions, helps him pull a big, heavy bump off the top of his head. The stone lion gives the thread to Dragon. She walks deep into the forest and travels all through the night, stopping to sleep at first light. She endeavors on a journey to find the Old Man of the Moon who will answer her question of how to find her family's fortune. The Old Man explains that, once every ninety-nine years, someone comes to ask him a question. Give students time to reread and analyze their stories and fill in the results on Worksheet 2 as you circulate to answer questions and give assistance. Students will provide We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. 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. 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. When they reach their destination, Minli and Dragon are devastated to discover they cannot climb it. Perfect for Moon Festival celebrations or Mother-Daughter Book Clubs, this kit provides an invite, posters and instructions for the journey-like game. (Teacher Resource: Plot Outline can serve as suggested answers. The main character, Minli, is a young Chinese girl scraping by with her poor parents in the village at the base of Fruitless Mountain. After learning about the concept of the frame story, pairs of students take one of the folktales to analyze and then illustrate a key scene from it. Each figure tied to the next with the fine red thread of fate. Encourage students to consider why Grace Lin chose those particular words to describe the mountain. Think About Your Own Answers (with a reading guide) Along the way she makes new friends including a flightless dragon and an orphan and proves her resourcefulness when she tricks a group of greedy monkeys and gets help from a king. 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. Activity 2. This character was a cruel ruler of the land in which all the main landmarks (save the moon) were located over a century ago. Website design by Mira T. Lee of MIRA T. CREATIVE. Slides or photos of challenges for Activity 1. She has written over a dozen books, many of them using Asian American child characters, in an effort to help Asian American children appreciate their heritage and to create the kind of books she wished she had been able to read when she was growing up. Children will embrace this accessible, timeless story about the evil of greed and the joy of gratitude. So Mini decides to leave and set off to find the Old Man of the Mountain. As an optional activity, they may make a bulletin board or wall display that shows the embedded stories within the frame of the main narrative. Part 1. My father came down the stairs and asked what I was doing down there. These characters are the parents of the heroine. Ma and Ba say that Minli is too little to do such a thing. 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. If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance Have students explain how they grew or changed because of this experience. Inspired by her fathers stories and dedicated to her family, Minli decides to leave and seek a more prosperous future for them all. When the magistrate heard about this, he decided that the family must have been trying to trick him. 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. When Minli finds Dragon, it cant fly and is caught up in some ropes. More books than SparkNotes. Stop believing stories and stop wasting your time. 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. Bitter and resentful, Minlis mother complains when her husband fills Minlis imagination with enchanting tales of Never-Ending Mountain and the Old Man of the Moon. 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. StoryboardThat is a trademark of Clever Prototypes, LLC, and Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. When Dragon and Minli reunite, each is surprised to learn that the other has found a borrowed line. Neither is sure which line is the one they need, so they decide this is another question for the Old Man of the Moon. Then ask what they think of when they see each of these words and phrases: crowded; faded brown; coax the rice; tramping and stooping; dried mud. Every day, the family works in the mud growing rice. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a fantasy - adventure children's novel inspired by Chinese folklore. Suggested techniques: If students are interested in folktales in general, the. In the book Where the Mountain meets the Moon, How did Magistrate Tiger plan on making his wish come true. Lin's love of Chinese culture is evident in her creation of vivid new folktales that are built into the narrative in such a way that they become a seamless part of the story and their messages are thus relevant and meaningful. 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. The characters and scenes are both appropriate for the book's characters. Minli is restless and never content with her lot in life. size). They travel all through the night, searching. What is the setting of "Games at Twilight"? Anonymous "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Characters". The principal told me that was not a good idea. Many of the notes have correct information, but some are incorrect or missing. Within the portal, all users can view and copy all storyboards. With each photo, ask students to identify what is happening in the picture, what kind of challenge is presented, and what kinds of skills or abilities the subjects need to be successful. 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. [1] [2] The novel received a 2010 Newbery Honor [3] and the 2010 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature. The twins explain that their village's name is due to raining seeds that fall from the moon every night, allowing flowering trees to bloom there. She realizes that she cannot ask Dragons questionunless she chooses not to ask her own. That is, does it have a beginning, a middle, and an end? Create a character map of the characters in the story. . It must have at least one character, a setting, and a plot or series of events that occur. During her journey, she comes across many challenges. In this activity, students will depict the characters of the story using a character map. The line written there has changed again. These characters are the parents of the heroine. The journal topics generally cover a group of chapters; teachers may assign them all at the beginning or assign individual topics as appropriate. However, what she especially enjoys are her father Ba's stories, which are often told at the dinner table. Themes. Minli and her parents live in the shadow of Fruitless Mountain, where they toil endlessly. WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON is a fantasy-fiction story where Chinese Folklore is engraved throughout the story. Character Analysis. I think it has a good message for readers and Minli is a good role model. If you read Where The Mountain Meets The Moon, you wouldn't be disappointed because it is an incredible book. If you read Where The Mountain Meets The Moon, you wouldn't be disappointed because it is an incredible book. Minli watches him go, feeling puzzled that he is so happy. How Do I Protect My Young Child from Cyberbullying? Why or why not? I think this story was okay but it was lacking adventure and it was hard to follow along. This brings enormous wealth to Minlis village which alters her familys fortune dramatically. Make two copies for each pair of students to use in analyzing the embedded stories. Distribute copies of Worksheet 2. The setting is somewhere in China. Are all your sentences complete and correctly written? publication online or last modification online. Without even asking the Old Man of the Moon, Minli has come to understand why people like the buffalo boy and A-Fu and Da-Fu seemed so happy: they are thankful for what they have rather than bitter about what they do not. Show students a collage picture frame with multiple photos or draw one on the board. How can students use Where the Mountain Meets the Moon as a mentor text to write a personal narrative with vivid language? As a pre-activity, ask students to list the challenges Minli had to face (for example: living in poverty; being threatened by the monkeys; overcoming her fear to climb the bridge of string). Here are some questions to extend students' understanding of the novel. 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 Jade Dragon reunites with one of her children, Dragon, and transforms Fruitless Mountain to Fruitful Mountain. 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. 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. Common Sense Media. Still following the goldfishs instructions, Minli sets out for the City of Bright Moonlight. Identify (4) Traits for this character and supply evidence2. Because of Minli's sacrifice to help a friend, she and her family receive everything they could ever have hoped for. Minli is a young ten-year-old girl with a fast and eager spirit, and is constantly ready for adventure. Jennifer Rothschild from School Library Journal stated in her review: "The author's writing is elegant, and her full-color illustrations are stunning. After each assignment, review the journal questions in a class discussion or individual reading group discussions. Another main theme idea of this story is friendship. thissection. Minli feels guilty when her father gives up some of his food for her fish. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. They identify the friends and mentors who helped her, and the character traits that led to her success. Tell them the novel Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is like the picture frame, with one main frame story holding many other stories within it. My mom and I first read it as part of my Sonlight curriculum and we loved it. Log in here. I read it when I was around 7, and I thought it is AWESOME! I brought my pet into school. Did they show the same qualities that she did in her quest, or did they use different qualities to meet the challenge? There, he meets the first dragon he has ever seen, a female dragon with bright orange skin. It is at this point she asks the Old Man in the Moon Dragons question. For years, she and her siblings were the only Asian American children in her school and she was the only one in her class. 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. Many of the characters and scenes match the book's characters. The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. She decides to let it go because of how bitter it made Ma. He tells her that she must hurry up and ask what she wants to know. When he lands, he says that he feels like he is home. At the onset of the quest, she meets Dragon. [11], Renee Greenfield and Jennifer Rabold. 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. A battle between the Green Tiger and Dragon ensues, and Dragon is mortally wounded. Activity 2, Key Scenes: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, follow the directions at the beginning of Day 2. She invites them to come with her to see the Old Man, but they laugh and say, Why would we want to change our fortune? Minli is left to ponder these words as she flies a kitemade of both the paper and the thread from the City of Bright Moonlightinto the sky. I definitely recommend this book! My teacher said she was really surprised and she told me how she felt about my pet. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a Chinese fairy tale about an adventurous girl who searches for the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of changing the fortune of her poor family. Give students a few minutes to survey the book and look at the pictures. Image Based Life > Uncategorized > where the mountain meets the moon character traits With the help of a buffalo boy, Minli tracks down the King. Personification is a literary device that give human traits to nonhuman objects. She realizes that her family cannot afford to feed a pet. He resolved to kill them for this impertinence, but when he and his army arrived at their house, they had mysteriously disappeared. Give each student a complete copy of worksheet 1 at the beginning. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. Day 2. For example: Teachers may opt for their own method of discussion. She thinks it will be made from 2020 to 2025. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.). Design a costume for the character. (For example: ReadWriteThink's, Each student should have a notebook or composition book with a dedicated section for. In August 2015, Lin revealed that the film rights for the book had been bought. However, he informs her that she can ask only one question. Read More Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Characters Visual Vocabulary Theme Answer the Prompt Figurative Language Text Structure Create a Storyboard Minli's restlessness is her central conflicted character trait. An editor She describes a poor woman who was blessed with loving husband and a beautiful, happy daughter.
