The Year of the Rat

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.

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.

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.

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!!!

Think of the great themes found in children's literature. The new kid in class/on the block/in the family. One's relationship with one's parents. And, of course, friendship. Friendship binds children's literature together. Series books thrive on it. Think of The Baby-Sitters Club, Sweet Valley High, or any of their modern incarnations. Classic children's literature used friendship as a focus as well. The Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace are one of the finest examples of this, and it's hard to find a modern day equivalent to Lovelace's throne. Think hard now... how many chapter books can you think of that have that same balance of sweetness, family, love, and friends in a perfect little package with a classic kind of feel? "Classic", in the sense that it's a book that will age well and be beloved for generations. Few books or series fit the bill, but one definitely sticks out in my mind. Grace Lin's semi-autobiographical stories of Pacy and her life in New Hartford contain just the right balance of sweetness and story. Without ever becoming trite or saccharine, Lin hits gold yet again with "The Year of the Rat", the sequel to her justly applauded (and popular) The Year of the Dog. The start of the New Year is supposed to be a time of happiness and anticipation. But the fact that this Chinese New Year is The Year of the Rat means that there are also changes afoot. For Pacy, that means learning that her best friend Melody is going to be moving away soon. Unhappy but unable to do anything about it, Pacy and Melody vow to keep in touch. Still, it's hard knowing that Melody will never finish her square on the class quilt. It's even harder to see a new Chinese family move into her best friend's old home, particularly when their boy (her age) doesn't understand English. Still, there's nothing to say that change is all bad. This is the year that Pacy gets to participate in a wedding and show off her artistic talents. It's also a time when she learns to confront her friends about their prejudices and strengthen her own determination to become a writer. Not every good year is an easy one. The test of any sequel is in its necessity. Did the previous book really need more stories? In her Author's Note at the end, Lin explains her reasoning for continuing Pacy's story. "Would I have loved Anne of Anne of Green Gables as much if I had only gotten to know her through only one book?" Some stories are meant to continue and some characters have to given the chance to grow. Pacy is not the same girl in this book as she was in "The Year of the Dog". She has had to grow up a little. This book isn't a recap of her old dreams and plans, but is instead a slightly older tale of dealing with change, both pleasant and unpleasant. If she continues at this rate, readers may be lucky enough to watch Pacy as she grows up through the years. It might take some doing, but I have confidence that Grace Lin is up to the job. Lots of little