The Year of the Dog

Lin, G. (2006). The year of the dog: A novel. New York: Little, Brown.  It’s Chinese New Year and it’s the year of the dog meaning this is the year Pacy is supposed to “finds herself” and her talent. With two names, Grace for school and PAcy for home, Pacy sets out to find her way and what her talent is. But finding that talent seems harder than Pacy thought it would be. As she makes a new friend, Melody, deals with struggles and disappointments, Pacy is determined that this is her year.

Lin provides a story of Pacy and her Taiwanese-American family.  It offers many themes of friendship, family, finding the route in which you are destined to follow. Throughout the book, Pacy’s mother provides stories of her past coming to America and what her family did to work hard to make a living, such as Pacy’s grandfather being a new doctor and serving his patients. She also provides stories that explain the culture.  Lin provides examples of working hard to find one’s talent.  Each story has a lesson or a meaning behind it to help Pacy find her talent one way or another.  Lin uses language that elementary students can easily read as well as understand.  Even when characters do not speak in the native language, Pacy translate what is being said so young readers and non-Taiwanese speaking individuals can follow along.  At times an elder speaks in broken English,, such as when Pacy’s grandmother is speakin to her about the tiger and the pig when rubbing her neck.  Pacy describes food that she and her family prepare and the meaning behind them, such as red eggs for a new baby to bring wealth and good luck.  Although some readers may not be of Taiwan ethnicity or culture, they can relate to it in one way or another, such as identifying with other peers at school, translating for others as Pacy did for the readers, and understanding the different values and celebrations within ones culture.  

Throughout the text, small black and white drawings randomly fill in the margins. They consist of Pacy in traditional dress, with her friends Melody and Becky, and family events. Young readers may find this interesting as they can visualize what Pacy is talking about.

Reviews

School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–A lighthearted coming-of-age novel with a cultural twist. Readers follow Grace, an American girl of Taiwanese heritage, through the course of one year–The Year of the Dog–as she struggles to integrate her two cultures. Throughout the story, her parents share their own experiences that parallel events in her life. These stories serve a dual purpose; they draw attention to Graces cultural background and allow her to make informed decisions. She and her two sisters are the only Taiwanese-American children at school until Melody arrives. The girls become friends and their common backgrounds illuminate further differences between the American and Taiwanese cultures. At the end of the year, the protagonist has grown substantially. Small, captioned, childlike black-and-white drawings are dotted throughout. This is an enjoyable chapter book with easily identifiable characters.–Diane Eddington, Los Angeles Public Library

Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 3-5. When Lin was a girl, she loved the Betsy books by Carolyn Hayward, a series about a quintessentially American girl whose days centered around friends and school. But Lin, a child of Taiwanese immigrants, didn't see herself in the pages. Now she has written the book she wished she had as a child. Told in a simple, direct voice, her story follows young Grace through the Year of the Dog, one that Grace hopes will prove lucky for her. And what a year it is! Grace meets a new friend, another Asian girl, and together they enter a science fair, share a crush on the same boy, and enjoy special aspects of their heritage (food!). Grace even wins fourth place in a national book-writing contest and finds her true purpose in life. Lin, who is known for her picture books, dots the text with charming ink drawings, some priceless, such as one picturing Grace dressed as a munchkin. 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. Ilene Cooper

This book is simple and cute for young readers to read This book can be a start for older ESL or LEP students when looking for a chapter book to practice reading out loud. It could also help students in general comparing cultures within the school setting and finding the difference between the cultures and the difference between those individuals born in American versus individuals born in their native country to see how life is different in the home, at school, and in general. Students will see that Pacy struggles with the same things as they do and will be able to relate to her. This novel could lead to students to writing narratives about their culture events, food, celebrations and sharing it with one another to become aware of the diversity that they are surrounded in.