Module 5 - THE YEAR OF THE DOG by Grace Lin

Bibliography
Lin, Grace. 2006. THE YEAR OF THE DOG. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group USA. ISBN 10-0316060003

Plot Summary
Pacy, a young girl with an older and younger sister, tries to find herself and decide what she wants to be when she grows up as she lives through the Year of the Dog.  Pacy, who goes by Grace at school, struggles with her identify as a Chinese/Taiwanese-American.  She only speaks English but celebrates the Chinese New Year and eats Taiwanese food.  She feels as though she is not American or Chinese/Taiwanese enough for either side to fully accept her.  She deals with disappointment, nervous feelings, and making new friends as the year of the dog passes along and she discovers a bit of who she is.

Critical Analysis
This story reminds me of some of my favorite childhood chapter books; a narrative told from the perspective of a young girl growing up.  Lin's writing of her childhood is relatable to anyone who has weathered the struggles of growing up.  This story is special as it follows Pacy, an American girl of Taiwanese heritage as she navigates through the Year of the Dog and works to understand and assimilate her two, or three cultures if you count Chinese (it gets confusing!).  Lin includes stories from family and friends offset with titles and italicized text that help Pacy make decisions and feel better when she is upset.  These stories serve a dual purpose as they also draw attention to her cultural background and how things change within a culture over time.  Readers learn about Pacy's culture through her descriptions of Chinese New Year, the food they eat, her feelings about only speaking English, and the stories her parents tell about their childhoods.  Lin paints a picture of two different Taiwanese-American households when Pacy visits her friend Melody's home where they eat nutritious Chinese food.   Lin includes small, captioned, childlike black-and-white drawings at the beginning of each chapter and throughout the pages.  Some show the Chinese written language, traditional, as well as modern dress, foods and characters with dark hair.  THE YEAR OF THE DOG is an enjoyable book with endearing characters and I look forward to reading THE YEAR OF THE RAT, a sequel to the former.

Review Excerpts
Booklist Starred Review: "Most of the chapters are bolstered by anecdotes from Grace's parents, which connect Grace (and the reader) to her Taiwanese heritage. Lin does a remarkable job capturing the soul and the spirit of books like those of Hayward or Maud Hart Lovelace, reimagining them through the lens of her own story, and transforming their special qualities into something new for today's young readers."

Connections
Lin, Grace. 2007. THE YEAR OF THE RAT. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group USA. ISBN 10-0316033618
Lin, Grace. 1999. THE UGLY VEGETABLES. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing. ISBN 10-0881063363
Lin , Grace. 2009. WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group. ISBN 10-0316038636