Starry River of the Sky

by Grace Lin

Paperback, 2014

Status

Available

Call number

PZ8.L6215 S

Series

Where The Mountain Meets the Moon (Book 2)

Genres

All Topics

Fiction

Publication

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (2014), Edition: Reprint, 320 pages

Description

An innkeeper's chore boy discovers that a visitor's stories hold the key to returning the moon to the Starry River of the Sky.

User reviews

LibraryThing member brangwinn

I love this companion to WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON. Weaving mythology into the story, Lin continues introducing young readers to Chinese folklore. The moon is missing and young Rendi, a runaway, finds a place as a servant in an isolated village. As he gets to know the residents of this poor

community, through the stories of the mysterious visit, he finds himself the hero as he brings the moon back to the sky. Lin's rich artwork adds more depth to the story.

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LibraryThing member FrancescaForrest

This was a lovely sequel to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, with overarching themes of forgiveness and family reconciliation. As in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, the stories that characters come together to tell one another weave into the plot of the main story and provide the clues for how

the main story will be resolved, and as in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, folktale elements are highlighted in the stories being told. Because the story took place in one spot instead of during a journey, and because of the theme of family relations, the story had, perhaps, a more intimate feel. The growth in the protagonist, Rendi, is nicely done.

I had two small quibbles, whereas I think I had *no* quibbles with the first book. The first relates to Rendi's father, the fearsome, autocratic Magistrate Tiger from the previous book. I very much like the message that someone who appears cold or harsh (like some parents) can in fact love you, and that we need to look beyond surfaces to find love. But, sadly, there's no real sign in the book that Rendi's father is anything but cold, autocratic, and power-and-prestige hungry. I think perhaps we're meant to see his searching for Rendi as a sign that really, in his heart, he loves his son, but knowing the way a certain sort of unpleasant person likes to control everything (and is unwilling to let anyone get away from them), I can't help having my doubts. So I'm happy for Rendi to return to his sister and mother--who no doubt missed him desperately--but not so sure that his father deserves the benefit of the doubt. Maybe if there could have been a slightly bigger sign that Magistrate Tiger had a heart...

The other quibble concerns the vanishing of the moon, and it's probably more my denseness than an actual quibble about the story. The moon left the sky back in the time of little Peiyi's ancestors. But the moon is a celestial object everyone sees, so.... was the moon missing for everyone? I tend to think yes, it had to be, and yet, I feel like this would have been noticed--the moon missing from the sky for generations. I'd love to hear other readers' perceptions of this!

But really, my love for this book goes way beyond quibbles. I really loved the relationship between Rendi and Peiyi (loved the scene with him attempting to write out a taunt in snail shells), loved the sibling stories, and loved Mr. Shan and the little frog very much. Definitely one of my favorites. This book and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon are so special--I treasure them. Many thanks to Minli for giving them to me!

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LibraryThing member francescadefreitas

Run away Rendi is stuck in a village in the middle of nowhere, he's the only one who can hear the wailing in the night air, and the moon has gone missing.
As Rendi and the people around him begin to tell stories, his mysteries and those of the villagers around him become more and more tangled.
Like

Where the Mountain Meets to Moon, this story blends in many different Chinese folktales into a wonderful coherent whole. I loved reading it, and I also appreciate the list of source material she provides at the end.

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LibraryThing member jennycheckers

Starry River of the Sky, written and illustrated by Grace Lin, is the companion novel to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Revamped Chinese myths weave through this story about a young boy, Rendi, on a journey of self-discovery. Meeting lots of interesting characters along the way allows Rendi to

see what's truly important to him. This is a delightful read.

Grace Lin provides a reference list in the back of the book that includes the books of Chinese myths that inspired her to write this book, and in the classroom, I would love to compare some of the older Chinese myths to the more modern ones found in Lin's book. Grades 3-6.

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LibraryThing member mamalaoshi

Loved it! I enjoyed how the author wove together many different folk tales, some familiar to me and many new, into cohesive whole, gradually building a story about forgiveness. I also loved the beautiful colored illustrations, many in a paper-cut style.
The companion novel, Where the Mountain Meets

the Sky is equally good. I own that one and this one is going on my"to buy" list also.

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LibraryThing member spoko

Grace Lin's novels are really in their own space. There's a kind of magic in the way she works the larger story together with traditional stories and her own original paintings. Beyond that, they're just wonderfully written, beautifully woven stories, filled with interesting characters and gripping

moments. The kids loved hearing this (and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, before), and I really enjoyed reading it with them. The story just rings in your ears, and fades very slowly, and it's a really nice space to be in.

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LibraryThing member LibrarianMaven

Rendi dislikes the drought-stricken village of Clear Sky as soon as he arrives, and swears to run away as soon as he is able. Soon however, he finds himself drawn into the life of the village and its increasingly strange inhabitants, as well as the mysteriously absent moon. Could it be that he is

an instrumental part of solving the mystery? Author Grace Lin skillfully weaves elements of Chinese folklore into a fantasy that is all her own. The characters will appeal to boys and girls alike, and while the length of the book might be long for children below fourth grade, the content makes it a good book for younger children who read well above grade level or as a read-aloud. Occasional full-page color illustrations enhance the text. Lin provides both an author note about her interpretation of Chinese folklore as well as a list of some of the books that inspired her while writing, which teachers could use as a starting point for a folklore unit. Readers will want to read Lin’s companion book as well as explore Chinese folklore further on their own or for a class project- the wise librarian will be sure to have both on hand. Highly recommended.

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LibraryThing member dms02

We will nee to come back to this one at another date. My 7 year old was not enjoying this one as much as the first. We will try it again when she is a little older.

LibraryThing member FrancescaForrest

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LibraryThing member joeydag

Lovely retelling of stories about the Moon Lady within a frame story of a boy running away from home. Good for reading or being read to. The author uses her writing as a way to reconnect with her ethnic background.

LibraryThing member foggidawn

Starry River of the Sky is a lovely little book which incorporates Japanese folklore and mythology with a young hero's quest.

Rendi is running away from home, but when the merchant whose cart he was hiding in discovers his presence, Rendi is stranded in the tiny village of Clear Sky. Worse, every

night his sleep is disturbed by a pitiful moaning sound: the sky mourning because the moon is missing. Rendi may be the only one who has noticed that the moon is gone. Is it because he, like the moon, is not in his proper place? Through the stories shared by the villagers and visitors to Clear Sky, Rendi will go on an introspective journey that will lead him to the point where he is able to share his own story -- and, yes, to find the missing moon in an unexpected place.

This book is a companion to the Newbery Honor-winning Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, and I found it just as charming. The two books feature different protagonists, and stand alone perfectly, but they also work beautifully together.

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LibraryThing member Salsabrarian

Narrated by Mai Guest. Guest nicely handles Rendi's story in engagingly dulcet tones, just right for portraying the children Rendi and Peiyi, as well as presenting the folktales told by the mysterious Madame Chang. Great for sharing on family car trips.

LibraryThing member Erika.D

I love Grace Lin's books! This is the prequel to her first book "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon." I love her illustrations and how she ties in traditional asian folktales with a story unique to her style and characters. She is one of my favorite authors and it is always a delight to read her

books.

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LibraryThing member electrascaife

A boy runs away from home and finds ends up as a helper boy at the town of Clear Sky's inn. But something's not right here - the moon is gone from the sky, Rendi can hear someone moaning every night, and everyone seems to be hiding something about their true identity.
Lin's storytelling abilities

are spectacular, and her way of spinning stories within stories and connecting them all together is wonderful. Definitely recommended, as the writing is as magical as the stories themselves.

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LibraryThing member krau0098

I read and absolutely loved "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" and was very excited to pick up another book by Lin. This book was very similar to “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” theme wise. I didn't like this book quite as much as that book, but it was still very good.

This book follows a

young boy named Rendi who has run away from home and is working as a chore boy in a small village. A mysterious lady arrives and, through stories, helps both the village and Rendi find their way.

There is excellent storytelling in here and interesting folklore. I continue to really enjoy the way the book is put together with beautiful illustrations and full color plates throughout.

I didn’t think this story was as engaging and fluid as “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon”. This book does weave a lot of stories within stories but they weren’t as adventurous..

Overall I enjoyed this beautifully done Asian-themed folklore story. Although not as stunning as “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” it still has a lot of the qualities that made me love that book. I recommend to those who enjoy folklore and fairy tales.

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LibraryThing member jothebookgirl

It is a well written story, but not what I enjoy reading,so I cannot really give a review its justice.

LibraryThing member wrightja2000

the Sky is equally good. I own that one and this one is going on my"to buy" list also.

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LibraryThing member LibroLindsay

Gotta say that I liked Where the Mountain Meets the Moon a lot more than this. I think I enjoyed the higher level of fantasy with that one, and I really liked the dynamic between the characters (and especially with the parents). The plot in Starry River moved reeeeeally slowly at first--I wasn't

sure exactly where it was going for the longest time--and then a lot of the foreshadowing seemed a bit too heavy-handed. I still love the means of storytelling in both books--interspersing Chinese folklore--and I liked the way the tales came together here. And I will absolutely read any book Grace Lin writes in this fashion. It just *feels* like a luxurious read.

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LibraryThing member reader1009

children's fiction. historic fic/cultural fic. I appreciate what Grace Lin does with the genre but it wasn't what I felt like reading at the time (and there were lots of other library patrons waiting in the queue for it).

LibraryThing member AKBWrites

Grace Lin is going to end up one of my favorite fantasy authors (not even sure if she would consider herself a fantasy author). This and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon are just splendid children's books, and, I think, must-reads for anyone who enjoys fantastic stories based on folktales and myth.

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