Monday, November 19, 2012

The Year of the Dog


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lin, Grace.2005. The Year of the Dog. New York: Little Brown. ISBN-5

2. PLOT SUMMARY
The Year of the Dog is a story of Pacy and her search to "find herself" during the year of the dog. Pacy struggles throughout the year, but manages to find friendship and luck all the same.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Grace Lin moves away from picture books and tackles her first juvenile novel with The Year of the Dog.  Pacy, or Grace to her school friends, is determined to discover her talents.  The year of the dog is supposed to be for discovering new friends and yourself.  Written with a diary like quality, The Year of the Dog is an easy read that will allow children to connect to Grace on a friendly, personal level. 

Scattered throughout the book are short family tales that help to share the Taiwanese culture.  Within these short stories are cultural gems that help the reader to understand the customs and mannerisms of the Taiwanese American way of life.  Although the stories sometimes feel as if they have caused a disjointedness within the story as a whole, their value culturally is worth the slight off feeling which occurs. 
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
• 2006 Fall Publisher's Pick
• Starred Booklist Review
• 2006 ALA Children's Notable
• 2006 Asian Pacific American Librarian Association Honor
• 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

5. CONNECTIONS
Visit the authors website at http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=book_yeardog
What "year" were you born in?  Learn about the Chinese zodiac.
What is the Chinese New Year?  Learn about it here: http://www.chinaholidays.com/guide/chinese-culture/chinese-new-year.html
Read additional books about Chinese New Year:
Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Chinese New Year: With Fireworks, Dragons, and Lanterns by Carolyn Otto (Jan 13, 2009)
A New Year's Reunion: A Chinese Story by Li Qiong Yu and Zhu Chen Liang (Oct 31, 2011)
Pacy is Tiawanese.  Learn more about Taiwan at http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/
Make a paper lantern to celebrate the new year.
Make a snake craft to celebrate 2013 as the year of the snake (instructions at http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mspiralsnake.htm)


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