When the sea turned to silver / Grace Lin.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This breathtaking, full-color illustrated fantasy is inspired by Chinese folklore, and is a companion to the Newbery Honor winner Where the Mountain Meets the Moon .

Pinmei's gentle, loving grandmother always has the most thrilling tales for her granddaughter and the other villagers. However, the peace is shattered one night when soldiers of the Emperor arrive and kidnap the storyteller.

Everyone knows that the Emperor wants something called the Luminous Stone That Lights the Night. Determined to have her grandmother returned, Pinmei embarks on a journey to find the Luminous Stone alongside her friend Yishan, a mysterious boy who seems to have his own secrets to hide. Together, the two must face obstacles usually found only in legends to find the Luminous Stone and save Pinmei's grandmother--before it's too late.

A fast-paced adventure that is extraordinarily written and beautifully illustrated, When the Sea Turned to Silver is a masterpiece companion novel to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Starry River of the Sky .

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

In this compelling companion to Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Starry River of the Sky, inspired by Chinese folklore, shy Pinmei, granddaughter of the revered Storyteller, sets out to rescue her grandmother from the evil emperor who has seized her. In the midst of the seemingly endless winter that has fallen over the kingdom, Pinmei and her good friend Yishan begin a dangerous journey in search of the Luminous Stone That Lights the Night to give the emperor in exchange for her grandmother. Lin's fans will not be disappointed: she again delivers a rich interweaving of ancient tales with fast-paced adventure, fantasy, and slowly unfolding mysteries told through captivating language with beguiling similes ("uncooked rice began to fall... like beads from a broken necklace"). Like the Sea King who turns into a dragon when needed, Pinmei remembers her grandmother's words that "when it is time for you to do something, you will do it," and transforms into a storyteller in her own right. Ages 8-12. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

Gr 3-6-This luminous companion to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Starry River of the Sky complements-and may even outshine-its predecessors. When the Tiger Emperor kidnaps Pinmei's grandmother, she sets out, along with her mysterious friend Yishan, to find the legendary stone that lights the night sky. Chinese folklore is incorporated throughout, as are Lin's jewel-like full-color illustrations. Fantasy, mystery, and adventure combine through elegant storytelling. This is Lin at the top of her game. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Lin's third book in her fantasy cycle set in ancient China once again takes traditional folklore and beautifully reimagines it for a new audience. Pinmei lives with her wise, storytelling grandmother, Amah, up on a mountain where her nearest neighbor is the mischievous orphan Yishan. Timid Pinmei must reach deep inside herself when her grandmother is taken by the emperor and his soldiers. After learning that the emperor might trade Amah for the Luminous Stone That Lights the Night, Pinmei and Yishan set off on a perilous journey, periodically interspersed with fantastical stories that cleverly capture human nature as the girl assumes Amah's mantle of the Storyteller. The book jumps between Pinmei and Yishan's adventures, Amah's stay in a prison, and the distress of the Black Tortoise of Winter, who has been captured for nefarious purposes. Each of these plotlines weave with the folktales Pinmei and Amah are telling, each containing bright threads that embroider the final, fuller picture. At times it's hard to keep characters and plot points straight, but concentration is not really the goal. Lin's evocative language sweeps readers away, and the stories within the story are juicy and delicious. To be illustrated with Lin's lovely full-color paintings, this is a worthy companion to her Newbery Honor Book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (2009) and Starry River of the Sky (2012).--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2016 Booklist

Horn Book Review

In this companion to Lins Newbery Honor book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (rev. 9/09) and Starry River of the Sky (rev. 11/12), young Pinmei goes in search of a Luminous Stone, hoping to give it to the emperor in exchange for her grandmother, whom he has kidnapped and imprisoned. Alternating chapters follow both Pinmei and her amah, a renowned storyteller. As in the previous books, legends are interspersed throughout, here retold by Amah, to her stonecutter cellmate, and also by Pinmei, to those she meets on her journey. Included sporadically are the struggles of the Black Tortoise of Winter, whose survival affects all of humanity. On its own, this third volume contains a richly complex adventure story that revisits previous themes (greed, honesty, forgiveness) and features numerous clever connections between the characters in the novel and those in the interior tales. The three books together, however, offer one grand epic that spans generations, with characters who are re-introduced with different names and appearances but with nuanced clues to their identities. Objects (a multicolored jacket, a jade bracelet, a rice bowl) passed down within families also connect the books stories, offering their own hints at ties between people. Once again, the handsome book designgorgeous cover art, thoughtfully chosen type, compact trim size, and vivid full-page full-color illustrationsis a perfect match for the story. Lins stonecutter claims that storytellers can make time disappearbring us to places we have never dreamed offeel sorrow and joy and peace; the description is a fitting one for author-illustrator Lin herself, who has proven herself a master. jennifer m. brabander (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

When her grandmothers kidnapped, a shy girl living in ancient China embarks on a magical journey to find her.Pinmei lives with her grandmother, Amah, a revered storyteller, and Yishan, a boy with a secret, on Never-Ending Mountain. When soldiers of the cruel Tiger Emperor abduct Amah and burn her hut, Pinmei hides in a huge vat. Learning the emperor wants a Luminous Stone, Pinmei and Yishan set out to find it to barter for Amahs release. As their quest unfolds, Pinmei tells Amahs stories, which alternate structurally with the main story. Elements and characters from these folk tales feature in Pinmeis own quest as she encounters such evocatively named figures as Nuwas Tear, the Paper of Answers, the Starry River, the Ginseng Boy, the Red Stone, the Iron Rod, the Green Tiger, the Black Tortoise, and the Sea King. While many things are not what they seem, everything amazingly connects in the surprising finale, when Pinmei finds her voice. The meticulous craft delivers what Lins fans have come to expect. Final illustrations were unavailable for review. This beautifully told companion to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (2009) and Starry River of the Sky (2012) offers lyrical storytelling, bringing us to places we have never dreamed of. (authors note, book list) (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Grace Lin won the Newbery Honor award for her novel "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon".

(Bowker Author Biography)