When the Sea Turned to Silver

by Grace Lin

Pinmei's gentle, loving grandmother always has the most exciting tales for her granddaughter and the other villagers. However, the peace is shattered one night when soldiers of the Emperor arrive and kidnap the storyteller.

Everyone knows that the Emperor wants something called the Luminous Stone That Lights the Night. Determined to have her grandmother returned, Pinmei embarks on a journey to find the Luminous Stone alongside her friend Yishan, a mysterious boy who seems to have his own secrets to hide. Together, the two must face obstacles usually found only in legends to find the Luminous Stone and save Pinmei's grandmother--before it's too late.

A fast-paced adventure that is extraordinarily written and beautifully illustrated, When the Sea Turned to Silver is a masterpiece companion novel to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Starry River of the Sky

• ISBN10: 0606406298
• ISBN13: 9780606406291
• Publish Date: 15 January 2018 (first published 4 October 2016)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 11 July 2022
• Imprint: Turtleback Books
• Edition: Bound for Schools & Libraries ed.
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Beth C.]

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!