21FA-LS-5653 - Asian Pacific American Literature: The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
"The Year of the Dog was the year that I met Melody and she became my best friend. It was the year I had won a prize, discovered my talent, and got rich. It was the year I had found myself and decided I was going to make books when I grew up.
The Year of the Dog had been a great year."
Bibliography:
Lin, Grace. 2005. The Year of the Dog. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN: 9780316030977
Every year, Pacy Lin and her family celebrate the Chinese New Year. This year is the Year of the Dog, representing friendship, family, thinking, and finding yourself. Pacy's goal for the year is to discover her hidden talent and figure out what she wants to be when she gets older, such as a doctor like her grandpa and dad or a famous movie star — despite what her older sister, Lissy, says about not being pretty enough. When the school year starts, Pacy learns that a new girl in her grade is also Asian American. She quickly befriends Melody Ling, who is practically Pacy's twin, as they share similar birthdays, have long black hair, and play the violin. However, as Pacy's year of friendship begins, she struggles to find her talent. She isn't the best scientist, and she loses her confidence in becoming the school's leading actress. Pacy excels at drawing, so when the school presents a national book contest, she leaps into writing and creating a book that she hopes is worthy enough to win the grand prize and try to find herself in the process.
Critical Analysis:
The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin is a charming and hilarious middle-grade novel about a Tawainese American New York girl who spends the year finding friendship, learning about her family, and discovering her true self. Pacy is an authentic and realistic character that all girls will relate to, especially other Asian Americans. Many readers will also relate to the family dynamic, friendship, and self-discovery themes in the novel. The Lin family feels like a genuine Tawainese American family who celebrates bicultural traditions and supports one another through stories of their heritage. People will love the mini-stories within the story about Pacy's family, such as how her grandfather becomes rich, her mom sleeping in school, and how her name changed from Pacy to Grace.
In school, Pacy's American name is Grace, reflecting the history of Asians migrating to the United States and adopting American-sounding names. I appreciated that Grace Lin addressed and explained the two different names within the story, and I believe that children with similar experiences will easily relate to Pacy's culture. I also enjoyed learning more about the Taiwanese heritage while reading this book, and I know that readers of all ages will learn something new too. For instance, one tradition is the celebration of the Chinese New Year, which is represented by a different animal every year. So, the Lins celebrate the Year of the Dog all year until the next Chinese New Year, when they will honor the Year of the Pig. Each animal also symbolizes a special meaning, such as the year for friendship and finding yourself, "The Year of the Dog is also for thinking. Since dogs are also honest and sincere, it's a good year to find yourself." Readers will enjoy learning about other Taiwanese traditions, like Egg Parties, and the various Chinese food descriptions throughout the novel as well.
Another important aspect of the story is Pacy's friendship with Melody Ling. The friendship between the girls will last a lifetime. They are not the stereotypical Asian girls at the top of their class or portrayed as timid and shy. The friendship begins rebelliously eating vitamins because it tastes like candy and transcends to both families helping one another grow. The Lins introduce the Ling children to cultural food, such as fried dumplings, and the Lings invite Pacy's family to a Tawainese convention to connect with a larger Asian community. However, Pacy does experience a few prejudices in the book as she is teased by other Taiwanese girls for being Americanized and is called a Twinkie because she's considered yellow on the outside but white on the inside. Similarly, Pacy is let down by a school friend who accuses her of not playing Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz play because Dorothy isn't Asian. There are many universal life lessons in The Year of the Dog, and all children will find Pacy's experiences relevant.
Overall, The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin is a must-read for children of all ages and backgrounds. I recommend listening to the audiobook version and reading an eBook or physical copy. The audiobook is narrated by Nancy Wu, who does a phenomenal job voicing Pacy and distinctly distinguishes each character. The voice acting is easy to listen to, and children will get a clear understanding of how Chinese words are pronounced, like "Ja-ba, bei?" If possible, children should also read the eBook to see Grace Lin's illustrations throughout the novel. While reading the book, children will enjoy seeing how Pacy draws a dog, her visual interpretations of her mother's stories, and a pencil-drawn portrait of the Lin family. There are also additional stories and photographs of Grace Lin's family at the end of the book. Anyone who needs to add Asian Pacific American Literature to their bookshelf needs to add The Year of the Dog to their collection.
Awards and Reviews:
- 2006 ALA Children’s Notable
- 2006 Asian Pacific American Librarian Association Honor
- 2006 Booklist Editors’ Choice for Middle Readers
- 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)
- Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice 2007
- NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2006
- Kirkus Best Early Chapter Books 2006
- Starred ALA Booklist Review
From Publishers Weekly, "Lin creates an endearing protagonist, realistically dealing with universal emotions and situations. Girls everywhere, but especially those in the Asian-American community, will find much to embrace here."
Connections:
Discussion: Pacy experiences a couple of discriminations in the book. One is clearly evident by the girls at the Taiwanese Convention calling her a Twinkie, and the other is a subtle incident from Becky at school saying that Pacy can't play Dorothy. Invite patrons or students to openly discuss how they feel about Pacy's encounters. How are the experiences similar, and how are they different? Has anyone had similar experiences of discrimination? Encourage the children to talk about what they have endured.
Activity: Design a book contest and invite patrons or students to enter the stories they create. Encourage the children to design their book covers, write dedication pages, and an author page at the end. You can give small prizes to all participants and larger prizes (like a special gift card) to the top three contestants.
For readers who enjoyed The Year of the Dog, recommend the following novels in the trilogy:
- Lin, Grace. 2008. The Year of the Rat. ISBN: 9780316114264
- Lin, Grace. 2012. Dumpling Days. ISBN: 9780316125901
For readers who are interested in checking out more of Grace Lin's novels, suggest the following:
- 2009. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. ISBN: 9780316114271
- 2012. Starry River of the Sky. ISBN: 9780316215534
- 2016. When the Sea Turned to Silver. ISBN: 9780316125925
- 2020. Mulan: Before the Sword. ISBN: 9781368020336