Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin, is an enchanting read. It's meant for kids 3-5 grade, but the storytelling format and illustrations are equally beautiful for all ages. It reminds me of Holes in the way that it wraps up all the loose ends and in the skill of the storytelling, but Mountain has a setting in fantasy China and incorporates a lot of beloved mythology. The author also includes a note in the back explaining her inspiration for the book, and I love when the author shares their process. No wonder this book was nominated for a Black Eyed Susan Award, and received a Newbery Honor!
Also finished Graceling, by Kristin Cashore. I liked the book, but it was a typical girl-saves-the-world-and-falls-in-love story. The main content of the book is divided between the politics (kings=bad, people=good) and the step-by-step thinking of Katsa, the main character and a linear thinker, who slowly works out her feelings, her interpretation of right vs. wrong, and her understanding of Po, the handsome lover figure.
The one unconventional feature in this book is that, no, Katsa does not marry Po and ride off into the sunset. Katsa's independence isn't seen as a psychotic fear of attachment or result of childhood abandonment, like so much popular religious culture will cry. It's okay for a woman to love a man but not want to marry him, have his babies, and settle; it's okay for a woman to want her freedom. Because of that, and not because she can kill a mountain lion with her bare hands, Katsa has potential as a strong female role model.
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