A delightful read for adults and children

books:


	• The Year of the Rat Grace Lin Little, Brown Young Readers, 2008 - 192 pages average customer review:based on 6 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Book Review: Year of the Rat

I read the book that preceded "Year of the Rat", "Year of the Dog", toward the end of Aught 7 and was nothing but pleased. The book was not so much a story as a collection of events in the life of a grade school kid. At that age, school, family, and friends is about all there is. The characters were undeniably real. The semi-autobiographical protagonist made for some great examinations of Asian/American cultural differences that youngsters could understand. Well, Grace Lin continues the theme in "Year of the Rat" with similarly successful results. A book that doesn't wow as much as it satisfies. Or maybe I should put it this way: "Year of the Rat" just walks the walk, no talk necessary.

Pacy is a couple years older than last time and the Year of the Rat is about to begin. This particular year is destined to bring change, and it certainly comes through. Pacy's best friend Melody is moving, and our heroine is crushed. Her life plan, to be an author and illustrator, is also brought into question when Pacy learns that it is considered a "cold door" profession (see: bound to leave you broke as a joke). She begins to second guess herself. Pshhhhhhhheeeeeewwwwwww - Crash! That's the sound of change, my friends. These worries make for an unexpectedly stressful year. But there are some other changes in store for Pacy. The internal kind that allow her to see her year in a new light.

I've got to say, the book is a pleasure to read. Simple black and white illustrations scattered about to shed light on the text. Girls from a variety of cultural backgrounds will identify with the struggles of making friends and fitting in. An easy one to recommend.

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What a year!!

My 8 year old daughter and I read this book aloud. We enjoyed every minute of it. There is much to learn about the Taiwanese American cultural that is revealed in this book. We just started reading Year of the Rat and can't wait to see what happens this year!!!

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Entertaining and informative

Reviewed by Maya Landers (age 10) for Reader Views (2/08)

"The Year of the Rat," by Grace Lin, is an interesting, entertaining book about a Taiwanese girl, Pacy, who lives in New Hartford, Connecticut. The book does a fabulous job of describing her thoughts and feelings. This feeling is enhanced when, on the sides of the pages, there are drawings, pictures, and interesting notes--including how to make an American Revolution haversack!

I thought that the way that many of the characters were described was very realistic; it made me feel as though I knew them, and as if I could relate to them. Also, many times throughout the book, when an adult is explaining something, then they will tell an Asian folktale, including "The Story of the Twelve Animals of Chinese New Year," and "Knowing the Fish," (or, "The Two Philosophers"). Because of this, I felt like I could enjoy reading a fictional book about fictional characters while I was learning the culture of a foreign country.

This book is the sequel to "The Year of the Dog," also by Grace Lin. Although I have not read this book, I felt like I could understand everything that was going on. Lin did a very good job of making sure that the reader could understand everything, and not including too many things that would be hard to understand if you hadn't read the previous book.

Pacy and her best friend, Melody, are so close that they are like sisters. So when Melody announces that she is moving to California, the other side of the country, Pacy is heartbroken! Melody is moving because her dad needs to go there for his work, and so they are renting out their house. When a Chinese boy, Dun-Wei moves in, Pacy thinks of him as the enemy, because he lives in her best friend's former house. Because he is not very good at speaking English yet, the people at Pacy's school bully him and call him insulting names. Will Pacy stand up for him as she would for Melody, or will she survey him with cold indifference, believing it to be only what he deserves for moving into the house that used to be her friend's?

I would recommend "The Year of the Rat" to my friends because it did a very good job of describing the life of a girl who had to make some hard decisions and then live with those decisions afterward.

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Another Great Read from Grace Lin

The Year of the Rat is as wonderful as its predecessor, The Year of the Dog. My eleven-year-old and I loved reading this aloud together, learning more about Pacy and her challenges during a year of changes as she loses her best friend, struggles with school friendships, and faces conflicting feelings towards a new classmate from China. As in the first book, we especially loved the stories of Pacy's mom as she uses her eye-opening experiences of life in Taiwan and immigration to America to gently teach her daughter some life lessons. Again we enjoyed the weaving in of Taiwanese food and culture. The adorable black&white line drawings top off this highly-recommended book.

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A delightful read for adults and children

This is a wonderful book to read with, or to, a child. A delightful style to the writing. Children, and adults, can learn Chinese customs and life lessons. The illustrations are a pleasant addition to the story.

reviews: page 1, 2

In this sequel to Year of the Dog, Pacy has another big year in store for her. The Year of the Dog was a very lucky year: she met her best friend Melody and discovered her true talents. However, the Year of the Rat brings big changes: Pacy must deal with Melody moving to California, find the courage to forge on with her dream of becoming a writer and illustrator, and learn to face some of her own flaws. Pacy encounters prejudice, struggles with acceptance, and must find the beauty in change.

Based on the author's childhood adventures, Year of the Rat, features the whimsical black and white illustrations and the hilarious and touching anecdotes that helped Year of the Dog earn rave reviews and satisfied readers.

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