CITY I LOVE

CITY I LOVE 

by Lee Bennett Hopkins

 Illustrated by Marcellus Hall

Image credit: www.commonsensemedia.com

Bibliography

Hopkins, Lee Bennett.  2009. City I Love. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers.  ISBN 9780810983274

Critical Review and Analysis

This book is a collection of poems written by the award-winning poet Lee Bennett Hopkins.  These poems take the reader on an international journey as each one conjures images of an urban location from around the world.  From Venice, to Tokyo, to New York City, eighteen of the world's largest cities are depicted in the poems and illustrations.

Marcellus Hall uses brush and ink and bright watercolors to show a backpacking dog traveling around the world.  The paintings show various types of architecture along with some recognizable landmarks like Big Ben, the Pyramids, and the Golden Gate Bridge stretching across a double-page spread.  The cities that are shown in each poem are also marked on a breezy blue-green world map on the endpapers of the book.  

Though the illustrations are delightful, the poetry is what brings to life the bustling city on each page. This is a themed collection of poems that each focus on some aspect of living in a urban setting. Though the entire collection is penned by Hopkins, the poems vary in length and tone.  Most of the poems are free verse with exception of "Sparrow", a haiku.  Hopkins utilizes many poetic elements that make these poems so much fun to read aloud.  There is personification in "Mother's Plea" which is written from the point of view of an annoyed mother pigeon pleading with noisy traffic in Paris.   The metaphor of the poem "Subways Are People" is obvious as the busy subway is described as "People dashing / Steel flashing / Up and down and round the town".  In "City I Love", the alliterative description of the street sweeper as it "swishes, swashes / sputters / of sweepers / swooshing litter" is a almost a tongue twister.  

Spotlight Poem

CITY

by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Mile-long skyscrapers are my trees 

Subway's whoosh -- my summer breeze.

A hydrant is my swimming pool

Where friends and I find some cool. 

City is the place to be.

City is the place for me.

CITY is a poem that celebrates the ways that urban dwellers enjoy certain aspects of life differently than others, but they still love it.  It is written in rhyming couplets with several metaphors in this short poem.   This poem and others in the collection could be easily integrated with Social Studies curriculum when learning about urban, suburban, and rural communities.

I would introduce this poem by asking students if they have ever visited downtown Dallas or other large city.  What did it look like?  What did it sound like?  What was different about it from their own town?  Then, I would explain that in this poem, the poet describes how people in cities enjoy their summer.  After reading this poem aloud and discussing the descriptions of city life, I would invite students to write their own poem about where they live.  

HABIBI

HABIBI

by Naomi Shihab Nye

Image credit: www.simonandschuster.com

1. Bibliography

Nye, Naomi Shihab. 2007. Habibi. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0-689-80149-5

2. Plot Summary

This story begins with 14-year-old Liyana as a teenager in St. Louis, Missouri.  After Liyana has just had her first kiss, her father announces that he is uprooting the family and returning to his homeland of Jerusalem.  Liyana, her brother, and her American mother are apprehensive about the move to a new country.  The family packs their things and nervously flies across the world to become immersed in Poppy's culture and meet the relatives they have never known.  Shortly after their arrival, they meet a throng of relatives including Poppy's mother, Sitti.  The Abbouds slowly settle in to a new home and the pace of life in Jerusalem.  During the week, Liyana and Rafik attend school and visit Sitti's village on the weekends.  Liyana often explores on her own visiting the shops and she meets Omer, a Jewish boy in a ceramics shop.  They begin a flirtatious relationship.  Liyana learns more about the conflicts that often arise between the Palestinians and the Jews, although she does not fully understand their differences.  Finally, Liyana begins to feel more at home in Jerusalem and does not long to return to America anymore.

3. Critical Analysis

This fascinating novel follows the Abboud family's transition from living in St. Louis to their new home in Jerusalem.  The plot is unique as there are many immigrant stories of families moving to the United States, but this one features an Arab-American family as newcomers in a Middle Eastern country.  Written from the insider viewpoint of Naomi Shihab Nye, herself a Palestinian-American, this story will resonate with readers looking to delve into the intricacies of the Palestinian culture.  The country of Israel seen through the eyes of Liyana is interesting and vibrant as she is immersed in a culture she has never known before.  There are numerous colorful characters including Liyana's fun-loving younger brother, Rafik, her physician father, Poppy, her industrious, old-world grandmother, Sitti and Omer, her Jewish crush.

This story is a celebration of cultural differences between the rich culture of Jerusalem and Liyana's American sensibilities.  The first cultural difference Liyana notices is the mannerisms of her Palestinian family members.  They greet her with kisses, tightly-squeezed hugs, and cheek-pinching, and an overwhelming amount of affection she and her brother are not used to.  Liyana and Rafik were not prepared to hear high-pitched trilling from Sitti with their aunts clapping along.  Next, Liyana describes the clothing that the village women wear such as "long dresses with thick fabrics" stitched brightly with embroidery, gold bangles, and long scarves over their hair.  The older men wear a checkered keffiyeh draped over their head.

Liyana also describes many of the foods that are enjoyed in Israel such as yogurt, hummus, baba ganoush with pita bread, dates, and mint tea.  She notes the American foods that are difficult to find such as mayonnaise, lima beans, and lemon meringue pie.  Liyana could hardly bear the butcher shop where patrons can choose a live chicken to be slaughtered on the spot.  At school, Liyana attends the kindergarten class to work on her Arabic language skills.  She tries to use the few phrases she knows, but still must have her father translate when listening to Sitti's stories.  Arabic phrases are intertwined throughout the text such as "shukraan", the word for "thank you".  The names throughout the story are distinctly Arab or Jewish, such as Rafik, Khaled, and Omer.

Liyana disagrees with some of the cultural differences, such as the fact that public displays of affection are strictly forbidden in Arab culture.  In many ways, Liyana is a contemporary American teenager, but as she is placed in a highly conflicted area of the world, the long history of the Palestinians and the Jews is slowly revealed to her through events that happen to her family.  This is apparent when Sitti's home is attacked by Israeli soldiers and they damage her bathroom while searching for one of her sons.  Then, Liyana is outraged when Poppy is jailed for a night for trying to render aid to a refugee that lives in the nearby camp.  This story is an excellent example of Arab-American young adult literature and reveals much about the culture of Israel through the trials of a strong female protagonist.

4. Review Excerpts and Awards

BOOKLIST (September 1997) "[Nye] writes from a unique perspective, as the American newcomer/observer and as the displaced Palestinian in occupied territory.  The story is steeped in detail about the place and cultures: food, geography, history, shopping, school, languages, religions, etc. Just when you think it is obtrusive to have essays and journal entries thrust into the story, you get caught up in the ideas and the direct simplicity with which Nye speaks."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (September 1997) "Poetically imaged and leavened with humor, the story renders layered and complex history understandable through character and incident. Habibi succeeds in making the hope for peace compellingly personal and concrete ...as long as individual citizens like Liyana's grandmother Sitti can say, 'I never lost my peace inside.'"

• ALA Notable Books for Children, 1998
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee, 1999
• Georgia Children's Book Award Nominee, 2000
• Jane Addams Children's Book Award, 1998
• Judy Lopez Memorial Award, 1998

5. Connections

• Habibi is the perfect companion story for a social studies lesson on the conflict between the Palestinians and the Jews in Israel.  Students could locate both St. Louis and Jerusalem on a map.

• Readers that enjoy Habibi might also want to read Sitti's Secrets, a picture book by Naomi Shihab Nye or another one of her immigrant stories, The Turtle of Oman. 

GEORGE

George

By Alex Gino

Image credit: www.alexgino.com

1. Bibliography

Gino, Alex. 2015. George. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 978-0-545-81254-2

2. Plot Summary

This is the story of George, who appears to be a boy to the world, his family and his friends, but feels more like Melissa inside.  The story begins as George is reading magazines for teen girls that she must hide in the back of her closet.  At school, George learns that the class will be putting on the school play Charlotte's Web.  George longs to be Charlotte, but the role is only available to girls.  George's best friend Kelly gets the part of Charlotte, but together they devise a plan to let George show everyone who she truly is.  

3. Critical Analysis

George is a timely and unique novel for middle grades readers.  It tells the story of a transgender 10-year-old boy and the trials she goes through in an attempt let her true self shine.  Through Alex Gino's candid words and insider perspective, the reader feels empathy for George and her struggle with gender identity.  Although gender identity is a major theme of this novel, it is also an enjoyable and highly readable tale of genuine friendship.  

This book has numerous cultural markers that characterize this book as an example of LGBTQ children's fiction. First, George finds solace in teen girls' magazines.  She finds magazines in dumpsters around town and these become her most prized possessions.  She feels like she "would fit right in" to the scenes in the magazines.  This is the reader's first clue that George does not envision herself as a 10-year-old boy.  The second cultural marker is that the narrator refers to George throughout the novel with feminine pronouns.  For the reader, the use of these pronouns cements George's gender identity as a girl from the beginning.  Another cultural marker is that she gets bullied by Rick and Jeff in her class.  Bullying is a common occurrence for LGBTQ individuals and it is no different for George.  They begin by giggling in class, but later the bullying escalates into Jeff punching George in the school yard.  

Next, George's idea to audition to be Charlotte in the school play is rejected by his teacher.  She has specific ideas about gender and roles in the school play and insists that only girls are allowed to tryout for Charlotte.  Even though George has memorized all of Charlotte's lines, the teacher gives the part to Kelly.  George has a strong will to let her true self be known.  When George and Kelly discuss the plan to switch places in the school play, Kelly abruptly asks, "Do you want your mom to know you're a girl?" and George replies with an emphatic "Yes."   George's mom is apprehensive about her son's gender identity.  Even though George is sure about it, his mother is not.  After George's rousing performance as Charlotte, her mother curtly responds, "Well, that was unexpected."  Families of LGBTQ individuals often have mixed reactions when their loved one comes out for the first time, as is the case with George's mother.  

Another cultural marker is the presence of allies in the story.  Principal Maldonado is seldom seen in the story, but always appears as an ally.  After the play, she quietly reminds George, "my door is always open".  Kelly is George's best friend and accepts her just the way she is without hesitation.  At the end of the story, Kelly encourages George to borrow her clothes and go to the zoo dressed as Melissa.  George remembers the outing as a part of "the best week of her life".

4. Review Excerpts & Awards

BOOKLIST (August 2015) "George is an appealing, thoroughly believable character, and her best friend Kelly adds humor and zest to this gentle story.  Gino does an excellent job introducing factual information into the narrative without impinging upon the accessible and appealing story."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (November 2015) "This is a brave and necessary choice for the school library. Not only does this book fill a niche that is much needed, but it is an amazing story of friendship and a tribute to how we should be living our lives: authentically."

• Stonewall Award Winner, 2016
• Lambda Literary Award Winner - LGBT Children's/Young Adult, 2016
• California Book Awards, Gold, 2016
• Children's Choice Book Awards, Debut Author, 2016
• E. B. White Read-Aloud Award - Middle Reader Honor Book, 2016
• Goodreads Choice Award for Middle Grade & Children's Literature, 2016
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, Nominee, 2017
• Cybils Awards, Nominee, 2015

5. Connections

• Students that enjoyed George might also want to read Rules by Cynthia Lord, The Thing About Georgie by Lisa Graff or Wonder by R. J. Palacios.  Though none of these stories specifically address transgender children, they are all stories with a character that faces challenges.
• Reading this book in a middle grades classroom would bring up many topics for discussion such as what it means to be transgender, bullying, acceptance of others' differences, etc.

THE PIRATE OF KINDERGARTEN

THE PIRATE OF KINDERGARTEN
by George Ella Lyon
Illustrated by Lynne Avril

Image credit: www.simonandschuster.com

1. Bibliography

Lyon, George Ella. 2010. The Pirate of Kindergarten. Ill. by Lynne Avril. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-1-4169-5024-0

2. Plot Summary

Ginny is a kindergartner suffering from double vision.  At school, she sees two of everything including chairs, people, and words on a page.  Ginny is determined to read, so she closes one eye and squints. In math, the "numbers hopped around like popcorn" and she had difficulty cutting out shapes with scissors.  She sometimes gets frustrated while doing her work.  Then, a school vision screening caught the problem and the school nurse explains to Ginny that "most people see only one".  After a visit to the eye doctor, Ginny would have to wear a patch on her eye to correct the problem.  With the patch in place, she calls herself a "kindergarten pirate" as she is now able to do her favorite activities with ease.

3. Critical Analysis

This story introduces a character with a vision disability in an approachable and easy to grasp manner.  Young children would be engaged with the short text and expressive illustrations.  This story does not make the reader feel sorry for Ginny, but it does show her having difficulties in school.  The story is honest as it shows other kids laughing at Ginny at the way she read, she reacts by "tighten[ing] her mind" and reading softer.  During the school vision screening, the nurse figures out Ginny's problem, but does not act alarmed or embarrass her.  Ginny's trip to the eye doctor would reassure children who are nervous about such a visit.  Ginny matter-of-factly explains her eye exam stating, "It didn't hurt, but it made her a little dizzy." At the end of the story, her new eye patch is given a positive spin as she "became a Kindergarten Pirate", and she is able to "read and read".

Avril's colorful pastel, acrylic and colored pencil illustrations perfectly portray a lively kindergarten classroom and then a friendly eye doctor's office.  Some illustrations depict Ginny's view of the world with double sets of chairs and double text on the pages of her books.  These illustrations are an effective way to show children what some people experience that have a vision problem without making fun of them.  

There are several cultural markers present in The Pirate of Kindergarten. In the beginning of the story, Ginny is not aware that she has any sort of disability.  She thinks that way that her eyes work is the same for everyone.  This feeling could be true for young children that have various disabilities.  Ginny also displays her frustration with her skills that are not equal to her peers' when she "got so mad, she stuck the scissors in the paste".  Readers would be able to understand that sometimes a disability can cause a person to act out from their frustration.  The empathy that her teacher, Ms. Cleo, displays throughout the story is an example of an appropriate attitude toward a person with a disability.  This book could be an effective read aloud for young children to initiate discussion about how to treat others that see, hear, move or learn differently.

4. Review Excerpts & Awards

BOOKLIST (May 2010) "Based on Lyon's own experience, the sensitively written story radiates empathy and good humor. Even children who have not experienced Ginny's problem will understand her occasional frustration and find it intriguing that one person can literally see the world differently from another."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (June 2010) "Lyon's short, descriptive sentences set up the situation deftly, and Avril's astute chalk, pencil, and acrylic drawings of 'two of everything' provide a vivid window into Ginny's pre-treatment world."

• Schneider Family Book Award, 2011
• Volunteer State Book Award Nominee, 2013

5. Connections

• Similar titles about children with vision-related disabilities are My Travelin' Eye by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw and The Patch by Justina Chen.
• This award-winning book could be used to begin a classroom discussion about treating others with respect, how people have differences, and how to treat others with differences.
• Teachers or librarians could access a short list of kid-friendly questions answered by the author, George Ella Lyon here.

TEA WITH MILK

TEA WITH MILK

by Allen Say

Image credit: www.scholastic.com

1. Bibliography

Say, Allen. 1999. Tea with Milk. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.  ISBN 0-395-90495-1

2. Plot Summary

This is a story about a young Japanese-American woman who grew up in San Francisco.  After she graduates high school, her parents become homesick and decide to return to Japan.  In Japan, Masako is unhappy and often feels like an outsider.  Instead of going to college, she must attend high school in Japan to begin to learn the language.  After her parents use a matchmaker to try to set her up with a banker from a good family, Masako is fed up with their traditional ways.  She decides to strike out on her own and get a job in the city of Osaka.  She begins working as an elevator operator in a department store, but she quickly advances by using her English skills to help foreign visitors shop in the store.  While at work, she meets Joseph, an equally worldly match who also enjoys his tea with milk and sugar.  They get married and decide to live in Japan. At the end of the story, the reader find out that the couple is the author's parents.

3. Critical Analysis

Tea with Milk can be added to the collection of excellent multicultural children's literature written from the insider perspective of Allen Say.  Say draws on his own life experience of living in both the Japanese and American cultures.  This story centers around the experience of his mother who began her life in America, but later lived in Japan.  Because of Masako's upbringing in America, she feels and looks like a foreigner in her parent's homeland.  Even though Masako's heritage is Japanese, she quickly realizes she is not interested in "flower arranging, calligraphy, and the tea ceremony".  Masako disappoints her parents when she does not enter into an arranged marriage and gets a job in the city.  Her parents' traditional Japanese values are set against Masako's American way of life showing that the bridging of two cultures rarely comes without conflict. 

In the beginning of the story, Say's watercolor portraits are sparse with muted colors; they convey the loneliness that Masako feels in Japan.  The illustrations become brighter and full of life when Masako dons her red dress from America and finds happiness with Joseph.  Say perfectly depicts the setting in his watercolors. Except for the first painting which takes place in America, each picture shows the uniqueness of Japan.  The special tools used in the tea ceremony, the details of her kimono, Japanese writing on the signs and the gilded halls of the department store combine to create an authentic setting. 

There are Asian-American cultural markers present throughout this book.  The physical appearance and traditional dress of the characters in the illustrations accurately depict the Japanese culture.  The main character Masako, or May as she is called in America, is shown wearing both a kimono and western-style clothing.  There are a variety of skin tones and facial features showing both Japanese and Caucasian people.  Masako is an outgoing and independent character that does not adhere to tradition or support stereotypes of Asian Americans.  Children of many backgrounds could be exposed to the culture of Japanese Americans through this realistic fiction text. Children that have immigrated to another country will be able to identify with Masako's struggle to fit in when she moves to Japan.

4. Review Excerpts and Awards

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (May 1999) "This is a thoughtful and poignant book that will appeal to a wide range of readers, particularly our nation's many immigrants who grapple with some of the same challenges as May and Joseph, including feeling at home in a place that is not their own." 

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (March 1999) "[Say's] exquisite, spare portraits convey emotions that lie close to the surface and flow easily from page to reader: with views of Masako's slumping posture and mask-like face as she dons her first kimono, or alone in the schoolyard, it's easy to sense her dejection.  Through choice words and scrupulously choreographed paintings, Say's story communicates both the heart's yearning for individuality and freedom and how love and friendship can bridge cultural chasms."

• ALA Notable Books for Children, 1999
• Children's Literature Choice List, 2000
• Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year, 1999
• School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, 1999

5. Connections

• Interested readers could read the other stories about Allen Say's family members including Grandfather's Journey and Tree of Cranes.  
• After reading this book, a fun activity would be to have tea party in which students could taste the plain, green tea of May's youth and her favorite tea with milk and sugar that she enjoyed at friends' houses. 

THE NAME JAR

THE NAME JAR

Image credit: www.scholastic.com

1. Bibliography

Choi, Yangsook. 2001. The Name Jar. New York: Dell Dragonfly Books. ISBN 0-375-90613-4

2. Plot Summary

Young Unhei has just moved to America from Korea. On the school bus she realizes that the American students cannot pronounce her name easily and they tease her about her Korean name.  In her new classroom, she does not introduce herself, but she tells the students she will choose a name by the following week. At home, she tells her mother she will be choosing an American name.  Her mother explains how special her name is and that she went to a name master in Korea for it.  The next day at school, there is a jar on Unhei's desk and the students fill it up with suggested name ideas. Unhei carefully reads and considers each one.  By the end of the story, she decides that she likes her Korean name best and teaches her classmates to correctly pronounce Unhei.  

3. Critical Analysis

The Name Jar is an immigration story centered around young Unhei's experience as she starts school in an American school.  She must make an important decision about whether she will quickly begin to assimilate into American culture by choosing a name like "Amanda" or "Laura".  Unhei considers how her name will affect her own identity in her new culture.  She learns from her mother that her Korean name carries meaning and was carefully chosen by a name master.  To add an even stronger connection to her name, the gift her grandmother gives her as she leaves Korea is a wooden name stamp.  Unhei values this gift and carries it in her pocket. Ultimately, Unhei explains to the class "I realized that I liked my name best, so I chose it again. Korean names mean something. Unhei means grace." 

Choi's brightly colored oil paintings show Unhei in a contemporary, urban setting.  There is a variety to the layout of the illustrations that make each one interesting.  From the close up of Unhei's face seen through the transparent name jar to the bold red ink of her name stamp as she shows it to her new friend Joey, each illustration helps the reader clearly understand the context of the story. Choi adds some elements to the illustrations that add to the cultural authenticity of this book.  There is Korean writing on several pages like in the signage at Kim's Market, on wall hangings in her home, and on the letter from her grandmother.  

This story contains many cultural markers that portray Unhei's Korean heritage, even though she has recently moved to America.  In this modern story, Unhei and her family wear western-style clothing with their straight, black hair.  At home, Unhei and her mother use chopsticks and a Korean-style steamer for their food. Her mother buys traditional Korean foods at the store such as cabbage to make kimchi and seaweed for soup. Unhei's mother comments on the fact that they will continue to eat their favorite Korean foods in America. At school, Unhei's classmates have a range of skin tones and diverse hair colors and textures.  At the end of the story, the reader is exposed to a bit of Korean language as Joey refers to himself as "Chinku", meaning friend in Korean.  Many immigrant children from all cultures will be able to relate to Unhei's name dilemma and how she must carefully consider giving up such an important part of her identity.  Reading this story will promote empathy among readers as they internalize the way Unhei felt when the children were teasing her and incorrectly pronouncing her name.  This story could be read to children of many ages as it will spark discussion regarding respecting others and their cultural differences. 

4. Review Excerpts and Awards

KIRKUS REVIEWS (June 2001) "Choi draws from her own experience, interweaving several issues into this touching account and delicately addressing the challenges of assimilation.  The paintings are done in creamy, earth-tone oils and augment the story nicely."

HORN BOOK MAGAZINE (Spring 2002) "The sensitively told story is illustrated with warm paintings that portray Unhei's multicultural urban neighborhood and school."

• Arizona Young Readers' Award Nominee, 2005
• Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award Nominee, 2003-2004
• California Young Reader Medal Nominee, 2004
• Delaware Diamonds Nominee, 2003-2004
• Emphasis on Reading Nominee, 2003
• Flicker Tale Children's Book Award Nominee, 2003-2004
• Sharing Cultures: Asian American Children's Authors, 2001
• Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association, 2002
• Teachers' Choices, 2002
• Utah Children's Book Awards Nominee, 2003

5. Connections

• In The Name Jar, Unhei's name stamp from her grandmother is very special to her.  Have students make their own name stamp by gluing foam letters to a wooden block.
• Students that make a connection to this story could also read My Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits.  Both stories explore the idea of immigrating to America and adapting to cultural differences. 

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.