www.crackingthecover.com
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Home
    • Picture
      • Ages 0-3
      • Ages 2 and up
      • Ages 3 and up
      • Ages 4 and up
      • Ages 5 and up
      • Ages 6 and up
      • Ages 8 and up
      • Author Interviews
      • Bedtime Stories
      • Gift Guide
    • Middle Grade
      • Author Interviews
      • Ages 6 and up
      • Ages 7 and up
      • Ages 8-12
      • Ages 9-12
      • Ages 10 and up
      • Gift Guide
    • YA
      • Author Interviews
      • Reviews
      • Adult Crossover
      • Gift Guide
    • Seasonal
      • Back to School
      • Christmas
      • Earth Day
      • Easter
      • Fall
      • Father’s Day
      • Mother’s Day
      • Gift Guide
      • Halloween
      • Spring
      • Valentine’s Day
      • Winter
    • Diversity
      • AAPI Heritage
      • Autism Month
      • Black Experience
      • Chinese New Year
      • Hispanic Heritage
      • Pride Month
      • Women’s History
    • Crossover
    • About
      • Review/interview policy
      • About our reviewers
    www.crackingthecover.com

    Grace Lin’s ‘When the Sea Turned to Silver’ is beautiful

    2
    By Jessica on November 7, 2016 ages 9 & up, Middle Grade
    when-the-sea-turned-to-silver“WHEN THE SEA TURNED TO SILVER,” by Grace Lin, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Oct. 4, 2016, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 9-12)

    Grace Lin is a masterful storyteller in every sense of the word. My first introduction to her was with “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon,” a Newberry finalist. Next came Starry River of the Sky. And her most recent middle-grade novel, “When the Sea Turned to Silver,” is a National Book Award Finalist.

    Like her previous novels, “When the Sea Turned to Silver” is based on Chinese folktales. Those tales come to life through the eyes of Pinmei and her grandmother, the storyteller.

    Pinmei has spent her entire life with her grandmother on the side of a mountain; their existence peaceful and filled with stories. That all changes when the Emperor’s soldiers break into their home and kidnaps the storyteller.

    Pinmei could just stay on the mountain and eke out a living, but that’s not Pinmei. Pinmei is her grandmother’s granddaughter and sets out to save the storyteller. But first she must find the Luminous Stone That Lights the Night. With the help of her friend Yishan, Pinmei discovers the line between fact and fiction is much blurrier than she first thought.

    starry-river-of-the-sky-by-grace-linwhere-the-mountain-meets-the-moon“When the Sea Turned to Silver” is a beautiful novel. Not only are Lin’s illustrations intricate and beautifully rendered, her prose is, too.

    When I reviewed “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, I mentioned the charm in its simplicity. The same can be said for Lin’s newest novel. Only I would add that “When the Sea Turned to Silver” has added layers that make the novel even more exciting.

    “When the Sea Turned to Silver” is not your typical middle-grade novel, and that might throw some readers off. I hope those readers will give it a chance, because it’s well-worth reading. The book has a timeless quality to it that should appeal to readers of all ages.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Jessica
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • X (Twitter)

    Jessica Harrison is the main reviewer behind Cracking the Cover. Prior to creating Cracking the Cover, Jessica worked as the in-house book critic for the Deseret News, a daily newspaper in Salt Lake City. Jessica also worked as a copy editor and general features writer for the paper. Following that, Jessica spent two years with an international company as a social media specialist. Jessica is currently a freelance writer/editor. In 2023, she was selected to be one of the first-round judges for the Cybils Awards — middle-grade fiction. She is passionate about reading and giving people the tools to make informed decisions in their own book choices.

    Related Posts

    Polly Horvath’s Library Girl is whimsical middle-grade novel

    Jessie Janowitz’s All the Ways to Go is strong contemporary MG

    Linda Sue Park explores climate change in Gracie Under Waves

    2 Comments

    1. Pingback: Review: Miya T. Beck's The Pearl Hunter is a magical MG fantasy

    2. Pingback: 2023 Gift Guide: Middle Grade Books - www.crackingthecover.com

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    • facebook
    • twitter
    • instagram
    • goodreads
    • amazon
    • bloglovin
    • mail
    Subscribe by email
    Follow
    Recent Posts
    September 20, 2024

    Polly Horvath’s Library Girl is whimsical middle-grade novel

    September 19, 2024

    As Edward Imagined tells fascinating story of Edward Gorey

    September 19, 2024

    Jessie Janowitz’s All the Ways to Go is strong contemporary MG

    September 19, 2024

    Mini Review: I Want to Read All the Books celebrates curiosity

    September 18, 2024

    The Light of Home is tender exploration of home

    Archives
    Categories
    Cybils Awards

    On Writing

    “The dance with words and the way the hair on the back of my neck raises when it works right is what I live for.”

    —Gary Paulsen

    “I write because I exist. Because I read. Because I breathe.”

    —Lindsay Eager

    “Books are kind of like the sense of smell: inhale one page and memories come rushing back.”

    —Keir Graff

    Cracking the Cover is a website dedicated to picture, middle-grade and young adult books. It features reviews, author interviews and other book news. PLEASE NOTE: We are not currently accepting self published books for review.

    Copyright © 2010-2022 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.

    Reviews Published Professional Reader 2016 NetGalley Challenge 100 Book Reviews

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.