Lalani of the distant sea

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Title :

Lalani of the distant sea / Erin Entrada Kelly ; illustrations by Lian Cho.

Title:

Lalani of the distant sea

Author:

Kelly, Erin Entrada

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

384 pages : illustrations, map ; 22 cm

Edition:

First edition.

ISBN:

9780062747273

9781848129153

Production / Publication Information:

New York, NY : Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2019.

Summary:

"Twelve-year-old Lalani Sarita takes on the impossible task of traveling to the legendary Mount Isa, towering on an island to the north. Generations of men and boys have died on the same quest--how can a timid young girl in a tiny boat survive the epic tests of the archipelago?"--

Sometimes you choose yourself. Lalani Sarita faces an impossible future. Her mother has fallen ill and is unlikely to recover. Drum and Kul - her stepfather and stepbrother - are cruel and vindictive overlords. There is only cleaning and cooking and mending and errands - for someone such as Lalani, like on Sanlagita involves little else. Lalani Sarita faces an impossible task. She only wanted to save Toppi. She only wanted to help her best friend, Veyda. But everything is her fault. Everything. The rain - coming now in torrents and causing unspeakable disaster - is all her fault. So Lalani does what only one girl on the island of Sanlagita has ever done before. She slips into a small scouting boat and sets out across the Veiled Sea, looking for a different future. That other girl never returned. Will Lalani? Sometimes you choose yourself. --

Target audience note:

600L

Language:

English

Added Author:

Genre:

Subject Term:

Villages -- Juvenile fiction.

Sex role -- Juvenile fiction.

Adventure stories.

Villages -- Fiction.

Sex role -- Fiction.

Adventure and adventurers -- Fiction.

Fantasy.

JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy & Magic.

JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / Friendship.

JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / Emotions & Feelings.

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... North Andover - Stevens Memorial Library	J KEL	31478003564904	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Amesbury Public Library	J FIC KELLY	32114002563063	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library	TWEEN FICTION KELLY	31330008845467	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library Children's Room	J KELLY	31330008687786	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Billerica Public Library	J/KELLY	33934004257334	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Boxford Town Library	J KEL	32115002051181	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Burlington Public Library	J KELLY	32116003678956	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Carlisle - Gleason Public Library	J KELLY	32117001998107	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Chelmsford MacKay Branch	J/FIC/KELLY	31480011301782	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Chelmsford Public Library	J/FIC/KELLY	31480011301790	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groton Public Library	JFIC KEL	37003701816721	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groveland - Langley-Adams Library	J FIC KELLY	32121000819629	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Hamilton-Wenham Public Library	J KEL	30470001774214	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Ipswich Public Library	J KELLY	32122002749129	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lowell - Pollard Memorial Library	J FIC KELLY	31481005455790	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library	J FIC KEL	32124001997279	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Merrimac Public Library	J KEL	32125001345880	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Methuen - Nevins Memorial Library	J FIC KEL	31548003268092	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Middleton - Flint Public Library	J KELLY	32126001697791	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newbury Town Library	J KEL	32127001227035	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newbury Town Library	J KEL	32127001231219	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newburyport Public Library	J KELLY	32128003801439	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Rockport Public Library	J FIC KELLY	32129002352143	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Rowley Public Library	J FIC KEL	32130000949765	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tewksbury Public Library	J FICTION KELLY	32132003165282	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Topsfield Town Library	J KELLY	32133002460351	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... West Newbury - G.A.R. Memorial Library	J KEL	32135001462478	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	MG F KELLY	31990004818634	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	J F KELLY	31990004839739	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Wilmington Memorial Library	KIDS FICTION KELLY	32136003391368	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

"Fast-paced and full of wonder, this is a powerful, gripping must-read."--Kirkus (starred review)

"A lush and mysterious fable, full of beauty, full of wonder."--Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Reach Me

Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly's debut fantasy novel is a gorgeous, literary adventure about bravery, friendship, self-reliance, and the choice between accepting fate or forging your own path.

When Lalani Sarita's mother falls ill with an incurable disease, Lalani embarks on a dangerous journey across the sea in the hope of safeguarding her own future. Inspired by Filipino folklore, this engrossing fantasy is for readers who loved Grace Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Disney's Moana.

Life is difficult on the island of Sanlagita. To the west looms a vengeful mountain, one that threatens to collapse and bury the village at any moment. To the north, a dangerous fog swallows sailors who dare to venture out, looking for a more hospitable land. And what does the future hold for young girls? Chores and more chores.

When Lalani Sarita's mother falls gravely ill, twelve-year-old Lalani faces an impossible task--she must leave Sanlagita and find the riches of the legendary Mount Isa, which towers on an island to the north. But generations of men and boys have died on the same quest--how can an ordinary girl survive the epic tests of the archipelago? And how will she manage without Veyda, her best friend?

Newbery Medalist and New York Times-bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly's debut fantasy novel is inspired by Filipino folklore and is an unforgettable coming-of-age story about friendship, courage, and identity. Perfect for fans of Lauren Wolk's Beyond the Bright Sea and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon.

Reviews (5)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 5--8--Lalani Sarita must leave her home on Sanlagita Island in search of solutions to the struggles of her family and friends. After her mother falls ill and a devastating landslide wreaks havoc that leaves the island leaderless, Lalani feels responsible as she's the one who approached their cursed mountain and wished for rain. She sets out to find the island of Isa, which legend says will provide the help Sanlagita so desperately needs. But dozens of sailors have been sent to find Isa previously and never returned. After Lalani leaves, her friend Veyda and her brother Hetsbi, and the other islanders struggle to survive. Lalani has no idea the dangers she is up against just trying to cross the Veiled Sea, let alone what faces her should she reach Isa. But she's determined to find help for her loved ones and make up for her mistakes--and her pure motives may just be enough to carry her through. Kelly's beautifully rendered novel leaves readers with much to ponder. The tale has themes of good and evil, hope and despair, and finding the courage to bring change to old traditions. Lalani's story is intertwined with the tales of those around her, human and creature alike. All of these eventually culminate into a journey illustrating the importance of story and the power of faith and hope. VERDICT A first purchase where books such as Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon are popular.--Heidi Grange, Summit Elementary School, Smithfield, UT

Publisher's Weekly Review

A fantasy inspired by Filipino folklore, this vibrant story by Newbery Medalist Entrada (Hello, Universe) follows Lalani Sarita, 12, on her harrowing quest to save her mother and her island, Sanlagita, from the horrible fates for which they seem destined. When Lalani's father perished after being selected to sail to Mount Isa, "where all of life's good fortunes were said to be," Lalani and her mother were forced to live with her frightening uncle and his cruel son. Now, with her mother ill and her island suffering from a drought that has killed off medicinal plants, Lalani faces an impossible quest: sailing across the sea that has taken the lives of countless men, including her father, in search of something that might heal her mother and reveal what's really beyond their small island home. Entrada intersperses second-person narratives that describe the mountain's many fantastical creatures ("Imagine you are a weeping loset"), weaving adventure and magic into the story. Unlikely but determined heroine Lalani is lovably loyal, kind-hearted, and optimistic even as she faces unspeakable dangers, and her relentless spirit makes her a worthy protagonist in this triumphant tale about fighting for the people one loves and staying true to oneself. Ages 8-12. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Horn Book Review

Kelly turns from the contemporary realistic settings of the Newbery-winning Hello, Universe (rev. 3/17) and of You Go First (rev. 3/18) to a tropical island-set fantasy world. Lalani lives on Sanlagita, an isolated island where gender roles are strictly defined; life is under the control of an all-powerful menyoro; and sailors hold the most esteemed positions in the village's caste system, though tragically they leave in search of new lands and never return. When Lalani finds a foreign creature living on the island's sacred mountain, she sets in motion a challenge to the menyoro's authority, beginning with her departure from home. Over the course of her voyage, she encounters supernatural creatures, both allies and enemies, and brings about major changes to her world. Although Lalani is the protagonist, a strong cast of secondary characters, particularly her best friend Veyda and Veyda's brother Hetsbi, are crucial to the story, making the novel more complex than a tale of an individual's rebellion. Kelly does an excellent job of world-building, with folklore-like chapters interspersed throughout the story that both introduce the supernatural elements ("Imagine you're an exquisite eel...You are Ditasa-Ulod. The water is your kingdom") and build the book's themes. The narrative voice keeps the tale firmly in its environment of magic and legends, maintaining the atmosphere of otherworldliness even as characters deal with bullying, abuse of power, and other problems with clear resonance in the real world. Sarah Rettger November/December 2019 p.88(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

A young girl goes on an epic journey across the sea.Twelve-year-old Lalani Sarita lives on the fictional island of Sanlagita, where people say benedictions to the foreboding Mount Kahna and dream of sailing to paradise on Mount Isa. But sailors who journey to Isa never return. When a strange creature on Mount Kahna grants Lalani a wish, she discovers magic comes with a price. After her mother falls ill, the villagers turn on her, and with everything in ruins, she runs away in search of Isa and the flower that might save everyone. Along the way, she encounters creatures and plants, some friendly and some deadly. Lalani must overcome many hardships and challenges to create her own path. Inspired by Filipino folktales, Newbery Medalist Kelly (Hello, Universe, 2017) writes a heroic fantasy about making choices, going on a quest, and conquering evil. Though the tale is told primarily in the third person, characters develop deeply through revealed thoughts and actions. Each character adds another layer to the story, all facing their own issues, such as finding courage, patriarchy, and gender roles. Scattered throughout the novel are short, beautifully illustrated second-person vignettes allowing readers to imagine they are the mythical creatures Lalani encounters, adding yet another layer of depth and fantasy to the story.Fast-paced and full of wonder, this is a powerful, gripping must-read. (Fantasy. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

On the island of Sanlagita, the strongest men have always sailed north in search of fabled Mount Isa. It is said that there are riches at Isa's peak, chief among them a yellow flower that can cure disease. All her life, 12-year-old Lalani has watched the sailors leave including her own father only for them never to return. When Sanlagita is beset by calamities first a drought, then torrential rains, and finally illness befalling Lalani's mother Lalani finds inspiration in the tales of Ziva, the precocious girl who long ago dared to stow away on a ship bound for Isa. Stealing a boat, Lalani sets sail hoping against hope that the smallest and least imposing of Sanlagita's sailors can be the greatest of all. Inspired by Filipino folklore, Newbery Award winner Kelly has woven her narrative with a mythology that is rich and delicious; it is also one fraught with peril. As Lalani journeys closer to Isa, she encounters the lethal flora and fauna that have bested the sailors who came before her. In true storytelling fashion, each of these creatures is given its own story and history, bringing the entire tale to life. By the end, readers will be cheering for Lalani in her unlikely quest to save her family and friends, using only the power of her wits, courage, and empathy.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Kelly's first novel since her best-selling, Newbery Award-winning Hello, Universe (2017) will make quite a splash with her many fans and possibly hook devotees of Disney's Moana.--Reinhardt Suarez Copyright 2019 Booklist