catching up with some school visits: One Book, One Read in TX!

Another great visit I don't want to forget was in Houston, TX, where two schools chose Where the Mountain Meets the Moon as their One Book, One School Read title.  

Can I tell you how much I LOVE when schools do this? It's my absolute favorite thing when a whole school reads my book. I admit I get a bit disheartened when Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is pigeon-holed as "ethnic," but when it's used for programs such as these my faith is restored.  

Because, I truly believe that my books are for everyone and anyone can enjoy them, not just for those that look like me. And when my book is chosen for a program such as this, I get to to see and really know that all the kinds of students--boys and girls of ALL races--- enjoy my book and it's wonderful. It's the difference between believing and knowing. 

And these schools were awesome!  First there was the welcome:

isn't that so sweet?

One school had t-shirts of the book made:

I'm holding a special origami book that these students made me, all decorated with compliments about the book!

And then there were the projects:

 

Each student made their family connected together by a red string!

bulletin boards that showed everyone reading the book and where they read it!

And students re-illustrated the cover of the book (I'm only showing two that I picked randomly--there were so many!):

 

 

And because it was a school-wide read, the school made discussion questions to help the students follow along (by the way, I'm planning to have a copy of their discussion guides available online at my website in the future, in case other schools would like it as a resource).  I have to admit, I loved seeing how the youngest grades answer!

I think this is a first grader's! All the answers are quite correct! 

I am told this is a kindergartner's! I am impressed!

It was such an honor for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon to be chosen for these schools' One Book, One School Read programs! Thank you so much, Harvard and Travis Elementary!

hoping for hollywood

Just in case you missed it in my fall newsletter (please sign up to be on the mailing list!):

NYT bestselling author Grace Lin's Newbery Honor WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON, an Asian 'Wizard of Oz'-like adventure about a young girl on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon has been optioned to Original Force, LTD with Penney Finkelman Cox and Sandra Rabins producing and screenwriter Robert Reece attached to pen the adaptation, the deal was brokered by Rebecca Sherman at Writers House and Jason Dravis of Monteiro Rose Dravis Agency, Inc. on behalf of Lin.

Does that mean there's going to be a Where the Mountain Meet the Moon movie?!?

Well, not exactly.

From what I understand, selling a movie option is akin to getting a lottery ticket. Lots of options are bought, very few movies are really made. So, the chances are still pretty slim that there will be a movie.

However, selling the option does mean there IS a chance, right?  So, why not think about the most important question...What would I wear to the premiere?

idea for this photo completely stolen from Barbara O'Connor who will actually really have a movie to get dressed up for!

I'm leaning towards the red. What do you think?

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon hits the stage in the Bay Area!

If you are in the Bay Area, go see Where the Mountain Meets the Moon onstage! I found this video clip with a sneak preview and I really wish I could go!! It opens THIS SAT!!


Min Kahng, the playwright and composer of this production, has also been tweeting images like this:

Oh my gosh, doesn't that look awesome? Did I mention how much I wish I could go?
I will, however, be going to see Boston's Wheelock production in April (I plan to be there for the April 11th and the April 12th shows, there might be a booksigning or something, stay tuned) and I am also going all the way to Hopkins, MN to see the Starry River of the Sky production there (the plan is to be there for the May 3rd show, I think there might also be a booksigning--will let you know!). I am SO, SO thrilled that I will get to see these shows, at least! 
But, if you can, please see the Bay Area production and tell me what I am missing!

Belated post: the Global School in GA

My whole trip to GA was amazing so it's hard to say that anything was my favorite, but part of my trip there included a school visit to the Global Village School, an all girls school for recently arrived refugee teens (from 11-18).  Almost all the students had read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and a handful of them were chosen to introduce me by reading aloud their impressions of the book.

It was one of the most moving things I've ever heard. I was so touched, I asked if I could get a copy of their speech. One girl said:

I like when Minli runs away from her house and tries to find the Old Man of the Moon and make her village turn into Fruitful Mountain. She is brave like I was when I had to run away from my country because it was not very good there, like Fruitless Mountain.

Another girl said:

 The part that is special to me is when Minli's village is changed...I want my village to change like that too because my village where I used to live when I was a kid was so poor.

And this one made me teary:

 I like the part when Minli came back to her family and her Ma and Ba welcome her with happiness. This part is special to me because I don't want to separate with my family anymore.

Seeing the story through their eyes was so humbling and touching. There are times I get caught up in petty things, worrying about booksales and publicity and this is such a heartening reminder of why I try to make the books I do. Who cares if I can't write a big blockbuster book? These girls and the people who connect to my books are the readers that I'm honored and grateful to reach.

At the end of the presentation, they gave me this:

Each girl made a shrinky-dink  piece with their name and the words they would chose for their secrets of happiness (some of the words are in another language) and pieced it together to make  a jacket like the one Minli received from the Village of Moon Rain. It's tied together with a red thread. It's so, so exquisite.

It has a permanent place of honor on my window in my studio, to remind me how thankful I should be.

It's a beautiful gift, not only as an object, but as a reminder of the other non-tangible gifts they gave me. Thank you, Global Village School!

If you are in MN, please go see this!

If you are in MN, please go see the Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Production being put on by the Stages Theatre company! Last night was the opening night, and I heard it was sold out! I so wanted to go and see this; if it weren't for Baby Rain Dragon's upcoming arrival soon (eeks!), I would've made a point of flying out just for this. This is kind of one of those "dream-come-true" dreams for an author, so I'm sad that I couldn't make it.  But, if you are local to the area, please go and see it and tell me what it was like! It looks like there are shows until May 20th.

Here is a link to a TV interview with the actors. Isn't the girl who plays Minli adorable? She looks exactly like I pictured her!

on my desk monday

It's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon in Hebrew:

Anyone read Hebrew? I am thinking I might do a giveaway later of some of my foreign language editions...

a tweet away

I have a twitter account (@pacylin) but I have to admit I am a pretty poor tweeter (twitterer?). I usually forget that I even have the account (my blog posts auto feed into the account so it does look like I do tweet regularly), but every once and a while I check in. Luckily, I recently checked in, because @maggiedoyne (a tweeter previously unknown to me) sent me this photo:

Isn't it lovely? Apparently Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is being read in Nepal! I'm so amazed, honored and thrilled that the book is being read all over the world. So humbling.

on my desk monday

I was incredibly honored when Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was listed on the The 100 "Greatest Books for Kids," by Scholastic Parent & Child magazine. But I didn't realize until I saw the magazine that there was a Q&A with yours truly accompanying the list:

I had, of course, done the Q&A interview but I hadn't linked the two together at all. What a double thrill!

#26!

I am so completely thrilled that Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was listed on the The 100 "Greatest Books for Kids," ranked by Scholastic Parent & Child magazine. #26! Right underneath "The Giver" by Lois Lowry! What an honor.

on my desk monday

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was given the Beehive Award!!! This award is given by the Children's Literature Association of Utah. Winners are chosen from the nominated books by the children of Utah, who vote for their favorite books.
Thanks so much, Utah!!

vote!

Remember the Bookie Woogie's video review of "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" (also on my sidebar over there)? School Library Journal has chosen it as a finalist for the 2nd annual Trailee Awards! The winners are selected by public vote. You can see all the finalists and vote for your favorites in 6 categories HERE!

Voting ends December 16th!

on my desk monday

Even though I meant to post about this much earlier that by no means diminishes the absolute thrill I had when I received this. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was given the Sakura Medal! This is an award given by International Schools across Japan. Arigato gozaimasu!

rouen

From our  place in Giverny, we were able to take some day trips. One day trip was to the city of Rouen.

Rouen is mainly famous for being the place where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake:

But it also the home of the Rouen Cathedral, made famous by a series of paintings done by Claude Monet (do you see a theme?)

I'm holding a postcard of one of Monet's paintings!

I tried to channel some of Monet's artistry by making my own sketch of the Rouen Cathedral:

I had a very "impressionistic" result at least:

There were many other fine sites to see in Rouen, which was a smaller and calmer city than Paris. Such as this very cool, ancient clock (you could take tours to see the inside):

And a sign signifying a whole street of pie! Yum! I imagine each house having its own specialty--apple, blueberry, cherry...

The Sasquatch says it doesn't really translate to Pie Street, but I don't care.

But instead of pie, there were frozen macarons.

I was not really that disappointed.

And there was this beautiful, old carousel that had just been restored:

I love the animals!

But I have to admit, my favorite place was going into the bookstore:

Because there I found...

Oh la la! Is it really my book?

a French copy of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon!!!

or  as it's known in France as, La Ou La Montagne Rejoint La Lune!

C'est magnifique! J'adore Rouen!

RI school visits

The Monday after the Kids Reading Across RI event, I also visited a couple of schools in the state. These schools "won" my visit from the KRARI group (these people sure know how to do a program right!).

As I mentioned earlier, I do get a little picky when school ask for my Where the Mountain Meets the Moon presentation. It is all about the background of the book and the things that I changed vs folklore...and it makes a lot more sense if the students have actually read the book. So I really try to emphasize that the book should be read by all if they want me to give this presentation (they are more than welcome to choose another presentation if that is too much of responsibility).

But that was not a worry at all for these schools. ALL the students had read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and they were incredibly enthusiastic about my visit. They welcomed me with drawings, sculptures and paintings:
.

And even provided their own themed entertainment. There were so many things going on that I almost didn't even have to give my presentation. These girls wrote and performed scenes from the book:

And another student built a mechanized Dragon:

a lego Old Man of the Moon:
and a 6 ft long Never-Ending Mountain (with waterfall) for the two to meet...which they did with panache!

(it might be hard to see, but the dragon shoots/spits out his pearl/marble at the end!)
Pretty neat, huh?

It was a great day and I was so glad to meet these amazing, creative and inspiring RI students!

Kids Reading Across Rhode Island

I was super-duper honored when I was told that Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was chosen as the book for the 2nd annual Kids Reading Across Rhode Island event. It is a one book-one state reading program and it is such a thrill to think so many RI kids will know the book!
So, of course, I was happy and eager to go to the big kick off event at the State House a couple weekends ago. It was a blast, but it was so busy that it went by way too fast! It happened so quickly that most of the day is kind of a blur.



First, there was a lion dance:


Someone told me it was in my honor, which I wasn't sure to believe. But I did get to feed one of the lions with lucky lettuce:


Which they spit onto the audience (always a crowd pleasing trick!):

I want to get these guys for my next book launch! Think that's too much for a bookstore?

Then I gave a talk:

to a lot of people in a really fancy room:

And then I signed books for a long, long time:

The Kids Reading Across Rhode Island program was giving away a copy of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon to every family for FREE! That explains the long line:

I felt like a rock star! Too bad I can't give away my books for free more often!

Thanks so much, Kids Reading Across Rhode Island!!!