BIBLOGRAPHY
Lin, Grace. 2006. THE YEAR OF THE DOG. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN: 0-316-06000-3
PLOT SUMMARY
Pacy is a young girl living in the United States and has the culture of Taiwan or China from her parents. She has two sisters, Ki-Ki and Lissy. The story begins with a Chinese New Year celebration and goes through Pacy’s adventures at school and trying to understand how she fits into the world having two cultures, American and Taiwanese/Chinese. Pacy meets another girl at her school Melody who is just like her. Their mothers met at a grocery store and the girls become fast friends. Throughout the story are mini-stories about her parents and family in Taiwan/China. The family seems to have a good time together and there is lots of laughter in the book.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story is set in modern times except for the “rememberings” of family member’s stories. Pacy does describe herself in the way she looks and comments that the other children in school do not look like her until she meets Melody. The cafeteria worker will almost not give Pacy her lunch confusing her with Melody. Pacy does identify with Chinese/Taiwanese culture, food and practices throughout the book. Pacy does explain to friends about her name. She uses a different name at school then at home because the teachers at school had difficulty pronouncing her name. The family celebrates Chinese New Year with a feast of authentic food and red envelopes with money. They also go to celebrate a birth in the family and the baby receives red envelopes with money for good luck. There are minimal illustrations in the book and they are black pencil drawings on the paper the text in printed on. So, in essence the background is a manila color. They do show the dark hair and facial features of almond shaped eyes.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
2006 Fall Publisher's Pick
Lin, Grace. 2006. THE YEAR OF THE DOG. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN: 0-316-06000-3
PLOT SUMMARY
Pacy is a young girl living in the United States and has the culture of Taiwan or China from her parents. She has two sisters, Ki-Ki and Lissy. The story begins with a Chinese New Year celebration and goes through Pacy’s adventures at school and trying to understand how she fits into the world having two cultures, American and Taiwanese/Chinese. Pacy meets another girl at her school Melody who is just like her. Their mothers met at a grocery store and the girls become fast friends. Throughout the story are mini-stories about her parents and family in Taiwan/China. The family seems to have a good time together and there is lots of laughter in the book.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story is set in modern times except for the “rememberings” of family member’s stories. Pacy does describe herself in the way she looks and comments that the other children in school do not look like her until she meets Melody. The cafeteria worker will almost not give Pacy her lunch confusing her with Melody. Pacy does identify with Chinese/Taiwanese culture, food and practices throughout the book. Pacy does explain to friends about her name. She uses a different name at school then at home because the teachers at school had difficulty pronouncing her name. The family celebrates Chinese New Year with a feast of authentic food and red envelopes with money. They also go to celebrate a birth in the family and the baby receives red envelopes with money for good luck. There are minimal illustrations in the book and they are black pencil drawings on the paper the text in printed on. So, in essence the background is a manila color. They do show the dark hair and facial features of almond shaped eyes.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
2006 Fall Publisher's Pick
• Starred Booklist Review
• 2006 ALA Children's Notable
• 2006 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) GOLD Winner
• 2007-2008 Texas Bluebonnet Award Masterlist
• 2007 Nene Awards Recommended List (Hawaii's Book Award Chosen by Children Grades 4-6)•
2007 Cochecho Readers' Award List (sponsored by the Children's Librarians of Dover, New Hampshire)
• NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2006
• Kirkus Best Early Chapter Books 2006
•2006 Booklist Editors' Choice for Middle Readers
•Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice 2007•Boston Authors Club Recommended Book
•2007-2008 Great Lakes Great Books Award nominee
•2007-2008 North Carolina Children's Book Award nominee
•2007-2008 West Virginia Children's Book Award nominee
•2009 Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Award (OR) nominee
•2009 Pacific Northwest Young Readers Choice Award (WA, OR, ID)nominee
(accessed from http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=book_yeardog&display=awards_reviews)
Publisher’s Weekly – “The book's inviting design suggests a journal, and features childlike spot illustrations and a typeface with a hand- lettered quality. Girls everywhere, but especially those in the Asian-American community, will find much to embrace here.”
Booklist – “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.”
5th grade student -“This is a good book. It gives an idea of how someone from another culture keeps their traditions and also makes new friends.”
CONNECTIONS
This story would be a good introduction to how we are all different and how we get along in America. It also introduces the custom of Chinese New Year. Presented properly this holiday is very interesting to students.
Marx, David F. CHINESE NEW YEAR. ISBN: 9780516273754
Gleasen, Carrie. CHINESE NEW YEAR. ISBN: 9780778742982
MacMillian, Dianne M. CHINESE NEW YEAR: ISBN: 9780766030381
Book cover image from Barnes and Noble.
(accessed from http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=book_yeardog&display=awards_reviews)
Publisher’s Weekly – “The book's inviting design suggests a journal, and features childlike spot illustrations and a typeface with a hand- lettered quality. Girls everywhere, but especially those in the Asian-American community, will find much to embrace here.”
Booklist – “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.”
5th grade student -“This is a good book. It gives an idea of how someone from another culture keeps their traditions and also makes new friends.”
CONNECTIONS
This story would be a good introduction to how we are all different and how we get along in America. It also introduces the custom of Chinese New Year. Presented properly this holiday is very interesting to students.
Marx, David F. CHINESE NEW YEAR. ISBN: 9780516273754
Gleasen, Carrie. CHINESE NEW YEAR. ISBN: 9780778742982
MacMillian, Dianne M. CHINESE NEW YEAR: ISBN: 9780766030381
Book cover image from Barnes and Noble.
No comments:
Post a Comment