{"id":31921,"date":"2017-02-11T22:06:53","date_gmt":"2017-02-12T02:06:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=31921"},"modified":"2017-02-11T22:10:59","modified_gmt":"2017-02-12T02:10:59","slug":"review-of-when-the-sea-turned-to-silver-by-grace-lin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=31921","title":{"rendered":"Review of When the Sea Turned to Silver, by Grace Lin"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>When the Sea Turned to Silver<\/em><\/p>\n

by Grace Lin<\/p>\n

read by Kim Mai Guest<\/p>\n

Hachette Audio, 2016. 7.5 hours on 6 CDs. Unabridged.
\nStarred Review
\n2016 National Book Award Finalist
\n2016 Sonderbooks Stand-out<\/a>: #7 Children’s Fiction<\/p>\n

Like Where the Mountain Meets the Moon<\/a><\/em> and Starry River of the Sky<\/a>,<\/em> Grace Lin weaves Chinese fairy tales throughout this story, bringing elements from the various tales into the conclusion at the end. It\u2019s okay if you haven\u2019t read or don\u2019t remember the other two, as this story stands well on its own.<\/p>\n

The audiobook includes a pdf file of the illustrations, but I chose to check out a copy of the print book so I could enjoy them as I went. Each day after my commute, I\u2019d look at the pictures as far as I\u2019d gotten in the audiobook. Grace Lin is an illustrator as well as a writer, and this book includes color plates at intervals, and small one-color illustrations at the start of each chapter. This book is a treat to hold in your hands, and would make a wonderful read-aloud.<\/p>\n

At the start of the book, the evil emperor comes with his soldiers up the mountain, during a winter that has lasted far too long, and takes away Pinmei\u2019s grandmother, the Storyteller. When the neighbor boy Yishan protests, the emperor tells him that they can have the Storyteller back if they bring the emperor the Luminous Stone that Lights Up the Night.<\/p>\n

The soldiers set fire to the hut and leave, but Yishan rescues Pinmei from her hiding place, and the two travel together to try to find a Luminous Stone and save Pinmei’s Amah. Their adventures take them to the City of Bright Moonlight and the kingdom of Sea Bottom. Along the way, Pinmei tells stories she\u2019s learned from her Amah \u2013 and those stories provide clues to what the emperor is looking for and how to thwart him and get Amah back.<\/p>\n

This book has a theme of immortality, the importance of stories, and finding your voice. At the start, Pinmei is too shy to even speak in the presence of others, but by the end, she can speak truth even in front of the emperor.<\/p>\n

This book would make a wonderful family or classroom read-aloud. The fairy tales woven throughout give it a timeless appeal for a wide age range.<\/p>\n

gracelin.com<\/a>
\nHachetteAudio.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Fiction\/when_the_sea_turned_to_silver.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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