The Year of the Dog (Lin)

Lin, Grace. The Year of the Dog. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2006. ISBN 0316060003

PLOT SUMMARY
Pacy is happy to have two names, her Chinese name and her American name. It isn't always easy for her to know who she is when she is one of the only Chinese-American kids at her school. To make matters more confusing, Pacy thinks she might be Taiwanese-American too, if she can figure out the difference! Pacy decides to make the most of the Year of the Dog by getting “rich”, discovering herself, and deciding what she wants to do when she grows up. It seems like a lot to do in just one year, but the lunar calendar has put luck on Pacy's side.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The Year of the Dog is a playful look at a year in the life of an average American girl. The events in the story are all loosely based on the author's own experiences growing up Taiwanese-American in a predominately Caucasian community. The result is a very realistic look at identity amongst first generation Americans and the resulting blend of cultures. Pacy is unhappy when she can't find any realistic books about Chinese or Chinese-Americans in the library. She becomes even more distressed when she is told she wouldn't make a good Dorothy in the school play because she is Chinese, and later is told that she is too Americanized and is more like a “twinky” than a real Taiwanese girl. It takes some careful introspection, and a little help from Mom, for Pacy to accept herself as "neither and both" Chinese and American.

Lin uses Pacy's addition of American M&Ms to the traditional tray of Chinese taffy melon candy at Chinese New Years to symbolize this blending of cultural identity. Both traditional Chinese and American celebrations, such as a Red Egg party to celebrate the birth of Pacy's cousin and Thanksgiving, are important highlights of Pacy's year. Taiwanese and Chinese words and writing are used sporadically and translated throughout the English text, again blending two cultures.

Lin uses delightful imagery throughout the novel, giving significance to Pacy's cultural heritage and helping those unfamiliar with Chinese and Taiwanese traditions and culture to visualize and fully participate in the story. When Pacy decides to enter a writing contest at school she decides to write about herself and her mother's ugly Chinese vegetables- including the ones that look like "warty frogs" and "purple sausages" and cook together to make her favorite soup- one that is like "swallowing a nice warm hug after being in the cold." Later, when Pacy won her first award for the same book she describes the experience as "creamy chocolate in my mouth, a warm feeling melt[ing] through me." Simple sketches also accentuate the text and elaborate on the story. For example, a drawing further details Pacy's dad's careless attitude toward's Christmas and tree decorating. Short stories told by Pacy's mom are added throughout the story as humorous looks at her mother's life that teach Pacy about her cultural background and the experiences of immigration.

The Year of the Dog is a fun novel that is perfect for reading aloud. It is a humorous novel that will produce elicit rounds of laughter while being completely relatable. It is both familiar and exciting to a cultural outsider- filled with both the universal experiences of childhood and the unique experiences of Taiwanese-Americans.

AWARDS
2006 Asian Pacific American Librarian Association Honor
2007-2008 Texas Bluebonnet Award

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist: “something new for today's young readers”
Kirkus Reviews: “This comfortable first-person story will be a treat”
Publisher’s Weekly: “an autobiographical tale of an Asian-American girl's sweet and funny insights on family, identity and friendship”
School Library Journal: “A lighthearted coming-of-age novel with a cultural twist.”

CONNECTIONS
Visit the author’s website, GraceLin.com, for book trailers, recipes featured in books, author history, coloring pages, and other activities to accompany this book.

Read the other novels written about Pacy.
Lin, Grace. The Year of Rat. ISBN 9780316033619
Lin, Grace. Dumpling Days. ISBN 9780316125901

Readers who enjoyed The Year of The Dog may also enjoy reading:

Yee, Lisa. Good Luck, Ivy! ISBN 9781593693565