Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Rich folklore-fantasy blend makes a great read-aloud.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
WHEN THE SEA TURNED TO SILVER tells the story of how Pinmei and her friend Yishan go on a journey to find and rescue Pinmei's grandmother. The emperor's soldiers come to Pinmei and Amah's remote mountain hut, take Amah away, and burn the hut to the ground. Pinmei and Yishan, her friend from higher up on the mountain, set out to find and rescue Amah from the emperor's clutches. Along the way they encounter the beautiful Lady Meng, the Sea King, a pair of greedy monkeys, and many others; and Pinmei learns not only that she's inherited her grandmother's gift for storytelling and why storytelling is so important, but she also learns she's capable of much more than she thought.
Is It Any Good?
Author Grace Lin has created another gorgeously written, beautifully illustrated folklore-fantasy tale that readers of a wide range of ages will savor over and over. When the Sea Turns to Silver's illustrations and clever book design enhance the experience by providing engaging detail and hidden hints that will delight and intrigue.
The folktales themselves (created by Lin) augment and foreshadow Pinmei's fantastic, magical journey. They're stunningly imagined and so thoroughly steeped in real folklore elements that they seem as old as the Black Tortoise of Winter himself.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about storytelling in When the Sea Turned to Silver. Why do Amah and Pinmei tell stories? What do you and the characters in the book like about the stories?
If someone or something magical could make you immortal, would you want to be? Why, or why not?
Which story in the book is your favorite? What do you like best about it?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Grace Lin
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic , Fairy Tales ) , Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Little, Brown and Company
- Publication date : October 4, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 384
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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