Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
This was such a wonderful, heartwarming adventure! Exactly the type of book I'd love to read to my kids one day.
I've never read any of Grace Lin's books before, though I have only heard wonderful things. I decided to give this one a try, since my daughter is now at the age that she might enjoy reading Lin's books. "When the Sea Turned to Silver" is, apparently, a "companion" book to "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon", though it can absolutely be read as a stand-alone.
In "When the Seat Turned to Silver", Pinmei must rescue her grandmother - The Storyteller - from an Emperor who is determined to make himself immortal. Along the way, Pinmei meets some truly strange and wonderful people and creatures, helps try to steal the moon, and learns that friendship can be one of the best gifts given. Interspersed within the story are beautiful full-color photos done by Lin that each show a piece of the story.
I truly enjoyed this story, and one of the best parts about it was the storytelling within the story. A wonderful variety of tales being told by Penmei or her grandmother, yet all related in some way to the main story itself. It was quite well done, and very interesting. In fact, I'm going to have to read "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" now to see if it is done the same way, and which characters from this book might make an appearance in that one.
Overall, I do recommend this book. It would be a great book for readers in 3-6 grade (3rd grade for advanced readers, 6th grade for readers who struggle). It would also make a wonderful read-aloud book for teachers and parents alike!
In "When the Seat Turned to Silver", Pinmei must rescue her grandmother - The Storyteller - from an Emperor who is determined to make himself immortal. Along the way, Pinmei meets some truly strange and wonderful people and creatures, helps try to steal the moon, and learns that friendship can be one of the best gifts given. Interspersed within the story are beautiful full-color photos done by Lin that each show a piece of the story.
I truly enjoyed this story, and one of the best parts about it was the storytelling within the story. A wonderful variety of tales being told by Penmei or her grandmother, yet all related in some way to the main story itself. It was quite well done, and very interesting. In fact, I'm going to have to read "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" now to see if it is done the same way, and which characters from this book might make an appearance in that one.
Overall, I do recommend this book. It would be a great book for readers in 3-6 grade (3rd grade for advanced readers, 6th grade for readers who struggle). It would also make a wonderful read-aloud book for teachers and parents alike!
Just as magical as its companion! This is the type of story I can see myself going back to reread over and over.
DNF at 11%.
Didn't grab my attention until now and there are too many books in the sea for reading something I don't care for..
Didn't grab my attention until now and there are too many books in the sea for reading something I don't care for..
Rounding up to 4 stars because I recognize the merit of this story. I just didn't...feel it.
When the Sea Turned to Silver follows the storyteller's granddaughter as she tries to rescue her grandma from the evil emperor. As she goes, she tells the stories she learned and the mythology she weaves plays into the other characters in the narrative.
I agree with all the other positive reviews on here--this would be a great story to read to children. It a delightful homage to Chinese mythology and oral tradition and a high-stakes adventure novel with myth and fantasy.
I just really, really struggled to get into it.
I've been poking at it for almost a year now and feel some relief at being done. But I've got the other two books by this author and I suppose I should read those and return all of them to my cousin before another year sneaks by with me holding onto her books...
When the Sea Turned to Silver follows the storyteller's granddaughter as she tries to rescue her grandma from the evil emperor. As she goes, she tells the stories she learned and the mythology she weaves plays into the other characters in the narrative.
I agree with all the other positive reviews on here--this would be a great story to read to children. It a delightful homage to Chinese mythology and oral tradition and a high-stakes adventure novel with myth and fantasy.
I just really, really struggled to get into it.
I've been poking at it for almost a year now and feel some relief at being done. But I've got the other two books by this author and I suppose I should read those and return all of them to my cousin before another year sneaks by with me holding onto her books...
Less adventure and suspense than I expected. Loved the idea of mixing the main narrative with traditional folktales, but sometimes found it hard to keep the stories straight.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Absolutely amazing! I loved this book. The resolution of all the plots is so satisfying!
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I don't know, it's just a really really good book that I loved when I was in fifth grade. Honestly, for a tiny Asian-American child who liked books and never really saw any East Asian girls in the middle school library, especially in that transition year of fifth grade, Grace Lin was incredible. The Year of the Dog was so much fun and I devoured it and like it was so nice to learn about her Taiwanese identity and American identity and Chinese identity so definitely read that if, but probably one of my most favorite books in fifth grade was Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. And naturally, When the Sea Turned to Silver, because it just added on to the story and gave us more of the world. So yeah, totally recommend if you're looking for just good books for elementary and middle schoolers. and also anyone, really.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix