Dear Lower School Families,
It is with great enthusiasm that we reveal our selection for the “One School, One Book” Lower School’s
summer reading program. All Lower School students, parents, and faculty will read the same book as a
way to build school community through a shared experience. It is our hope that this will also encourage
family and read aloud time.
As a school, we strongly believe in the impact of reading to children, even after they are proficient
readers! Reading aloud to our children will provide opportunity for a bonding experience as well as strong
academic gains, such as increased vocabulary and deeper language comprehension.
This summer's selection, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, is a recently published Grace Lin novel
and Newbery winner. This enchanting fairytale includes all the aspects of a great read aloud book: a
wonderful story for all audiences, rich vocabulary, beautiful language, and a story that teaches us, makes
us wonder and think beyond the pages.
A reader's guide is attached, as an option. Questions are provided to stimulate discussion after the reading
and to help younger family members pay attention to important details and potential foreshadowing.
Please feel free to use this tool as it works for your family.
We do ask that you take a picture of your family this summer during one of your read aloud sessions. We
are excited to see all of the places this book will be read! Please send your photo during the summer break
to [email protected] for the “One School, One Book” Where the Mountain Meets the
Moon bulletin board, which will be posted the first day of school.
Happy Reading! Christy Heno
Head of Early Childhood & Lower School
Reader’s Guide
Chapters 1-3
• Describe fruitless mountain. How did fruitless mountain come to be?
• One of Minli's favorite stories is the story of the old man and the moon. What happens in that
story? What do you think the moral or message of the story is?
Chapters 5-6
• What did Minli make with her rabbit bowl and needle?
• What does Minli set off to find? Why?
• Describe Minlis experience leaving her village, what did she observe?
Chapters 7-8
• How was Ma and Ba's departure from the village different from Minli's?
• What was odd about the 'stream' that Minli discovered?
Chapters 9-10
• What does Ma blame for Minli running away?
• Rather than finding Minli, who do Ma and Ba discover they were following?
• Describe the dragon that Minili found.
Chapters 11-12
• How was dragon 'born'?
• Which antagonist character showed up again in the story of Dragon?
Chapters 13-14
• How do Minli and Dragon get past the greedy monkeys? What lesson does this story teach us?
Chapters 15-16
• In the story of happiness, which antagonist character do we meet again?
• What do we learn about dragons in these chapters?
Chapters 17-19
• When does Buffalo Boy get to see his special friend? What do you notice about her character?
• What do you think Minli realized through her experience meeting buffalo boy?
Chapters 20-21
• What character trait was imperative for Minli to find the king in the market? What lesson does
this teach us?
Chapters 22-23
• Why do you think the king disguises himself and goes into the market?
• Why does the king give Minli the treasured borrowed line?
• How do the king’s actions differ from the monkeys in the peach orchard?
Chapters 24-25
• What does Dragon discover and obtain while he is waiting for Minli?
• What more do we learn about Magistrate Tiger from the lions?
• How does the secret to happiness bring comfort to Ma and Ba?
Chapters 26-28
• How is nature personified in Chapter 28?
• What is it that the weather and nature communicating? What do you notice?
Chapters 29-31
• How did the boy and girl defeat the Green Tiger?
Chapters 32-34
• Describe Da-A-Fu’s village. Do these people remind you of any of the previous stories we have
heard?
Chapters 35-37
• Describe Minli’s gift from the Da-A-Fu’s village. What does this tell us about this family?
Chapters 38-40
• How does a story help Minli send a message to the Old Man of the Moon?
Chapters 41-43
• Why do you think Minli forfeits her chance to ask her question, “How do I change my fortune?”
Chapters 44-45
• Why do you think there was something familiar about the orange dragon? Which story does this
remind you of?
Chapters 46-48
• What bit of magic did Minli add to her compass?
• Why does Dragon feel like he is at home at Fruitless Mountain?
• How does the Emperor’s borrowed line message “you only lose what you cling to” come true for
him?
Closing Reflections
• What do you think were some of the big themes in the story Where the Mountain Meets the
Moon?
• Folktales and Fables often teach stories. What lessons did this tale teach you?
More Fun Ideas for Young Readers K-4th
It is important to find ways to engage in reading during the summer. Past research has found that it
doesn’t matter what children read over the summer, as long as they read! Here is a list of ideas to inspire
your young reader. Choose the ideas that sound like fun to your child.
Variety is Key: If your child needs a break from books, these ideas will keep them reading and learning in
their areas of interest.
Recipes: Cook or bake with your child. Take turns reading the ingredients and directions. Following the
directions accurately will be a wonderful real life reading comprehension lesson. Recipe reading is a lot
like nonfiction text in science and math class with step by step information.
Sports Section: Read the newspaper sport section if you have a sports fanatic. This will enable them to
follow their favorite team or read reviews of the game.
Mail: Children love to get mail, whether it is snail mail or email. Encourage your child to have a pen pal
or ask relatives to write to them.
Magazines: Consider getting a subscription for your child (Big Backyard, National Geographic for Little
Kids, Ranger Rick, Sports Illustrated for Kids)
Joke Books: Jokes are excellent for building oral language because so many jokes are built on word play,
multiple meanings, and figurative language. If your child doesn't understand the joke, take a minute to
explain the vocabulary or figure of speech. This is also a great way to encourage a reluctant reader
because the length is short.
Poetry: So many poems for kids are hilarious. Poems use great vocabulary and have a rhythm that
supports oral reading practice. Find a poem your child loves, encourage them to reread to work on their
presentation, and then perform for others.
Travel books: If you are taking a trip this summer, get a travel book for your child prior to the trip. Take
it a step further and have them write out a suggested itinerary.
Road Trip Fun: Take a break from the ‘screens’ in the car and try some of these fun family games.
Mad Libs: They build your child’s understanding of parts of speech, stretch their vocabulary usage, can
be a shared family experience, and they are usually hilarious! These are also really fun for children to
read and reread.
Brain Quest: These are designed for children to read and quiz themselves but they can also be used to
encourage oral reading. Have the child read from the backseat and pose the questions to the parents. Kids
love quizzing their parents!
Site Seeing: If you visit museums or sites with information plaques, take turns reading the information
with your child.
ABC Game: A long time favorite game, pay attention to billboards and signs while driving. Move your
way through the ABC’s looking for words that begin with the letter.
Travel Journal: Take a daily log. Record what they did, saw, and felt during their travels. Include
illustrations. Journal writing could be in narrative form or written in bullets like a science journal.