BookBright
ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSMinli lives in a poor village in the shadow of Fruitless Mountain, where the land is so hard that her family can barely grow enough rice to eat. Every night her father tells her folktales, including stories of the Old Man of the Moon, who lives atop Never-Ending Mountain and can answer any question in the world. Fed up with her family's misfortune, Minli spends her last two copper coins on a goldfish from a traveling peddler, then sets off alone across an unknown land to find the Old Man and ask him how to change her family's fortune.
Free Battle of the Books questions for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book does a girl follow a salty stream and find a giant crying creature trapped in twine?
✓ Answer
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Minli's curiosity about a salty stream leads her to a lake of tears made by a crying red dragon. Mischievous monkeys had tied him up while he slept. She climbs onto his back and cuts him free.
- First half
In what book does a buffalo accidentally sit on a swimming sister's blue silk dress?
✓ Answer
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
The buffalo boy describes pushing the lumbering animal off the dress so the youngest sister could climb out of the lake. His rough hands felt ashamed touching the soft silk.
- First half
In what book does a girl spot a golden dragon bracelet on a beggar's wrist?
✓ Answer
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
When Minli grabs the disappearing beggar's sleeve, his cuff slides back. Only royalty may wear the dragon image, so Minli realizes the kindly trickster who grew the peach tree must be the king in disguise.
- Second half
In what book does a girl in red kowtow to a tiger, lying that a darker beast stole her brother?
✓ Answer
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
A-Fu pretends to be a sacrificial offering and tearfully tells the Green Tiger that another beast carried off her twin brother, baiting the tiger's rage to set up the trap.
- Second half
In what book is a stony settlement transformed by golden flowering trees that grow from seeds raining down at night?
✓ Answer
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
The Village of Moon Rain sits on harsh stony ground but blooms with silver-trunked trees and golden blossoms thanks to the seed rain that falls every night.
- Near the end
In what book does a girl recognize a guide rabbit from the painting on her old blue rice bowl?
✓ Answer
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
When Minli arrives at the end of the bridge, the white rabbit looks exactly like the one painted on the blue rice bowl she has carried since babyhood.
