by Grace Lin
Flap Copy Description:
The moon is missing in the remote Village of Clear Sky, but only a young boy named Rendi seems to have noticed! Rendi has run away from home and is now working as a chore boy at the village inn. He can't help but notice the village's peculiar inhabitants and their problems - where has the innkeeper's son gone? Why are Master Chao and Widow Yan always arguing? What is the crying sound Rendi keeps hearing? And how can crazy, old Mr. Shan not know whether his pet is a toad or a rabbit?
One day, a mysterious lady arrives at the inn with the gift of storytelling, and she slowly transforms the villagers and Rendi himself. As she tells more stories and the days pass by in the Village of Clear Sky, Rendi begins to realize that perhaps it is his own story that holds the answers to all those questions.
My Thoughts:
Newbery Honor winner Grace Lin is one of our country's most gifted author/illustrators. Her most recent novel - Starry River of the Sky - is a treasure trove of wonderful writing, beautiful illustrations, and marvelous Chinese folklore. The protagonist in the story - Rendi - learns a multitude of life lessons as he moves from being an angry, rebellious boy, to a kind and caring young man. I would highly recommend this middle grade novel to readers from the ages of eight to eighty!
To learn more about the author, Grace Lin, click here: http://gracelin.com/
