When the Sea Turned to Silver

by Grace Lin

[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!