Grace Lin: Starry River of the Sky

Reading level: ages 8-12
Pages: 304pp
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780316125956, 0316125954
Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches

Starry River of the Sky

You can have your own Starry River of the Sky party with THIS EVENT KIT! Readers can listen to Chinese legends and then, marked with the symbol of power, save the earth!

Many of the stories tell of why the sun and moon hang in the sky and what can happen when their balance is disturbed. This interactive read-aloud and follow-up game features one of those ancient stories and rewards readers with a glow-in-the-dark sticker that can represent for them the sun, the moon, and how their places in the sky effect our traditional stories and the story of The Starry River of the Sky.

The Interactive Read-Aloud allows you to read aloud from the first ancient story told in the book while using the whole audience for sound effects. The script will also prompt you to use members of the audience and some simple props to tell the story of a hero who shoots multiple suns from the sky.

The Game allows all the attendees to participate post-reading in a simple tossing of a rice-filled arrow onto a sun target.
Download the EVENT KIT!

And there's more! After you read the book you can do one of the many activities below:

Toad Lantern

To celebrate, Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, I designed a Bunny Lantern. Use that craft if you'd like to make the softer representation of the moon. If, however, you want to scare your neighbors with the sight of the Noxious Toad or charm them with the sweet toad of Mr. Shan whose belly is filled with fireflies, you can follow these suggested instructions HERE.

The Mathematics of Chore Boys

Some might say that math is also hard work or a chore, but others would tell you that math is an intriguing puzzle embedded in everything we do. Puzzle out how hard Rendi worked as a chore boy to lose those "tofu" hands. Download this activity HERE.

A Naming Activity

Grace was mesmerized by the hidden meanings of words, symbols, names, and even animals in Chinese culture. In creating her own stories, Grace Lin hid meaning in her own words, symbols, names, and even animals. Even the names of her characters have secret meanings! Figure out the meaning of each Starry River of the Sky character in THIS ACTIVITY!

An Astronomy Activity

Madame Chang tells many stories about the sun and the moon at the Inn of Clear Sky, just as people throughout history have told stories to explain the rising and the setting of the sun and the waxing and waning of the moon. These ancient stories combine excellent observations of the skies with wonderful storytelling. Can you use your knowledge of modern astronomy or read books from the library to explain what is happening in Madame Chang's stories? Use THIS ACTIVITY as a guide!

Day of Five Poisons Art Activity

The Starry River of the Sky opens on The Day of Five Poisons, one of the most dangerous days in ancient China. The day was observed on the fifth day of the fifth month and marked the beginning of summer when villagers were most vulnerable to poisonous animals, insects, and disease. A common protection from the Five Poisons were charms that were hung about your neck or nailed to the your house. Create your own Five Poison Charm with THIS ACTIVITY !