Grace Lin's Blog, page 123
September 28, 2010
book talk tuesday
THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton JusterIndieBound Description: Illustrated in black-and-white. This ingenious fantasy centers around Milo, a bored ten-year-old who comes home to find a large toy tollbooth sitting in his room. Joining forces with a watchdog named Tock, Milo drives through the tollbooth's gates and begins a memorable journey. He meets such characters as the foolish, yet lovable Humbug, the Mathemagician, and the not-so-wicked "Which," Faintly Macabre, who gives Milo the "impossible" mission of returning two princesses to the Kingdom of Wisdom.
My Thoughts:
One of my favorites! It's fun and nonsensical, yet also full of allegorical wisdom. As an author, I realize how hard this kind of book is to write without being annoying--and this book never is. I remember loving the word marketplace and the idea of "eating your words." When this book hit it's 35th anniversary (in 1996), the publisher reissued it in hardcover which I, very luckily, got autographed! One of my treasured possessions!
September 27, 2010
September 24, 2010
fortune cookie friday
"When you fall into a pit, you either die or get out."
-Chinese Proverb
September 22, 2010
Happy Moon Festival!
Tonight is officially night of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival and though I plan on celebrating it again this weekend with friends, I already had a lovely time celebrating it with my book this past weekend at the Museum of Chinese in America. Not only did I get to meet awesome author Lenore Look for the first time:
It was a great turn out and Thanking the Moon was very warmly received by the audience (people even tried the mooncake with the egg inside it!):
And, appropriately, I am very thankful!...
It was a great turn out and Thanking the Moon was very warmly received by the audience (people even tried the mooncake with the egg inside it!):
And, appropriately, I am very thankful!...
September 21, 2010
book talk tuesday
MANY MOONS, by James ThurberIndie Bound Description:Princess Lenore is ill from eating too many raspberry tarts. She believes that possessing the moon is the only thing that will cure her. Despite a command from the King, neither the Lord High Chamberlain nor the Royal Wizard nor the Royal Mathematician can get the moon for her. Only when the clever Court Jester consults the Princess herself is the problem solved--with characteristic Thurber wit.
My Thoughts:
I decided to talk about this book ...
September 20, 2010
on my desk monday
I'm saving mine for the official date of the Moon Festival, Sept. 22nd. Isn't your mouth is watering?
September 18, 2010
Come tomorrow to the Mid-Autumn Moon Family Festival!
Don't forget to come and celebrate my new book Thanking the Moon & the Moon Festival with me tomorrow in NYC at the MOCA's Mid-Autumn Family Festival! I'm on the train now!WHEN: Sunday, September 19th, 12pm reading and signing (other activites will be going on all day from 10-5)
WHERE: Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013
I'll have moon cakes to share, so I really hope to see you!!!
September 17, 2010
Moon Poetry
In my book, Thanking the Moon, you'll notice one of the elements the family brings to their night picnic is a book of poetry. Traditionally, it was during the Moon Festival that one waxed poetic--inspired by the beauty of the moon. If you read any Chinese poetry, you'll notice that a great many poems mention the moon. In fact, a legendary Chinese poet from the 8th century, Li Po (also known as Li Bai), is said to have died while trying to catch the image of the moon reflected in the waters of...
September 16, 2010
tea eggs
In my book Thanking the Moon, you'll notice that part of the night-time picnic meal includes eggs (eggs are also eaten in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, too!). That is because eggs are round--symbolizing harmony and fullness--just like the moon! So eggs, are a customary snack during the Moon Festival. You could have them simply boiled or even deviled, but a traditional preparation that is easy, delicious and also quite pretty is to make tea-stained eggs:
Chinese Tea Egg Recipe
Ingredients:
September 15, 2010
bunny lantern craft
No Moon Festival is complete without the soft glow of a lantern. Children often parade their lanterns of different shapes and colors. Nowadays lanterns can range from modern cartoon characters to rocket ships, but usually they are round (like the moon) or in the shapes of rabbits (because of the Jade Rabbit that lives on the moon).Which is why I decided to create a bunny lantern craft! This bunny lantern is easy, fun and (I think!) extremely cute:
When I was a child in school we had a paper...
