Review:
The year of the dog by Grace Lin
Little
Brown and Company, New York, 2007
(Age 10+) Grace is an American, and her parents are Taiwanese, so
accepting her place in the scheme of things causes her some anxiety.
Wanting to join the school play, Wizard of Oz, she auditions for
Dorothy, but others in her class laugh and tell her that Dorothy is not
a Chinese girl, but American, so where does Grace fit?
This funny story of Grace's search for her place in the world will be
instantly recognized by anyone who has felt an outsider. Sometimes
people tell her she is Chinese and she quite rightly retorts that she
is Taiwanese, but when attending a camp for Taiwanese Americans, she
has problems here too, as she cannot speak either Chinese or Taiwanese
and so feels outside even there. Her parents have insisted she learn
English as she is American not Chinese or Taiwanese.
All rolled into the story of the year of the dog, Grace learns some new
talents, discovers a new friend and finishes her book for the class
project. It is indeed a lucky year for Grace.
Fran Knight
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Consulting, 2007