THE YEAR OF THE DOG

THE YEAR OF THE DOG

by Grace Lin

Image credit: www.gracelin.com

1. Bibliography

Lin, Grace. 2006. The Year of the Dog. New York: Little, Brown and Company.  ISBN 0-316-06000-3

2. Plot Summary

This is the story of a young Taiwanese-American girl named Pacy.  It is a new year in the Chinese zodiac and Pacy learns that the Year of the Dog is a time for making friends and finding yourself.  At school, Pacy meets Melody, a new girl who is also Taiwanese-American.  They become best friends always together "like two chopsticks".  Pacy has made a new friend but continues to wonder how she will find herself.  Pacy and Melody enter the science fair, but Pacy quickly decides she is not cut out for science.  She also auditions for Dorothy in the school play, but gets the part of munchkin.  By the end of the year, Pacy participates in a book project by writing and illustrating a story.  When the school year is over, Pacy is excited to go to a convention for Taiwanese-Americans with her and Melody's families. She meets some mean girls there that call her a "twinkie" because she does not speak Taiwanese. By the end of the book, a new school year has started and the principal announces that Pacy won fourth place in the book project.  She decides she will be writer when she grows up. 

3. Critical Analysis

Although Grace Lin has already written picture books, The Year of the Dog is her debut novel.  Her multicultural voice is refreshing and authentic as she draws from her own childhood and intertwines clever anecdotes into the story.  Throughout the book, Lin adds simple, cartoon-like line drawings that look like Pacy has drawn them herself.  The delightful illustrations and fast-paced plot make this story approachable for a middle-grades reader. Pacy is a well-developed character surrounded by her close-knit family and friends.  This story encompasses a year in Pacy's life and details the experiences of a Taiwanese-American girl living in upstate New York.

The Year of the Dog is a great example of Asian-Pacific American literature as it is filled with cultural markers. The book begins with exclamations in Chinese as Pacy's family members are calling to wish the family, "Gong xi-gong xi!" for the new year.  Pacy begins asking about the Chinese zodiac, as her family is celebrating the Year of the Dog.  The Asian-American culture is also portrayed in the descriptions of the foods that Pacy's family shares, including dumplings, steamed buns, and fresh lychees, among others.  They visit a special grocery store in New York City to stock up on their favorite Taiwanese ingredients.  Lin includes specific cultural details such as the mandarin-collared, embroidered dresses the three sisters wear to welcome the arrival of a baby cousin. In the story, Pacy's family blends Taiwanese and American traditions during holidays, such as having a Thanksgiving meal with a turkey surrounded by Chinese dishes.   

Not only does Lin provide cultural information by including details about language, food, dress, and celebrations, but she also describes experiences that Pacy has interacting with others as an Asian-American.  In the school cafeteria, she is almost denied a lunch because she looks similar to another Asian girl that has already been through the line.  At the auditions for the school play, a peer tells Pacy, "You can't be Dorothy...Dorothy's not Chinese."  Readers will get a glimpse at what life is like for a child who looks Asian in a mostly white community.

At school, the trials that Pacy faces are universal in nature and most kids would relate to them.  She enters the science fair, tries out for the school play and participates in a writing contest.  She experiences successes and failures, but takes it all in stride.  Pacy also enjoys celebrations with her family, makes new friends, and attends a convention for Taiwanese-Americans.  Readers will connect with her experiences and root for Pacy to "find herself" in The Year of the Dog.  

4. Review Excerpts and Awards

HORN BOOK MAGAZINE (March 2006) "With a light touch, Lin offers both authentic Taiwanese-American and universal childhood experiences, told from a genuine child perspective.  The story, interwoven with several family anecdotes, is entertaining and often illuminating." 

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (January 2006) "Lin creates an endearing protagonist, realistically dealing with universal emotions and situations."

• ALA Notable Books for Children, 2006
• Asian Pacific American Librarian Association Honor, 2006
• Booklist Editors' Choice for Middle Readers, 2006
• Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice, 2007
• Kirkus Best Early Chapter Books, 2006

5. Connections

• Teachers or librarians could access the activities on Grace Lin's website that include making a New Year banner like the one the Lin family hangs on their front door, studying Chinese horoscopes, and drawing a dog like the one Pacy draws in the story.
• Readers that enjoy the story of Pacy in The Year of the Dog could also read the companion novels The Year of the Rat and Dumpling Days, in which Pacy's family travels to Taiwan.