Year of the Rat

The Year of the Rat by Grace Lin

This is the sequel to The Year of the Dog, although it does not pick up exactly where The Year of the Dog leaves off.  There has been another year in between, during which Pacy and Melody have become even better friends.  But the Year of the Rat is a time for change and both girls are devastated to learn that the biggest change in store is a hard one, Melody is moving across the country.  Pacy struggles with friendships after Melody has gone.  She also worries about her career choice after attending a birthday party for her young cousin.  At the party she overhears relatives saying that being an artist is choosing a “cold door” and will mean that she won’t make much money.

Again, the book is an excellent pick for third and fourth grades, or as a read aloud for slightly younger children.  The wonderful descriptions of Chinese celebrations are enhanced by Grace Lin’s illustrations.   The narrative is also broken up with stories shared by Pacy’s parents, either tales from her mother’s childhood or traditional stories.  Despite being about a Taiwanese-American family, this book is about friendship and being true to yourself, themes that will interest children regardless of their own heritage.

Great for:  Similes and descriptive language.  For anyone who wants to show students how to use similes to great effect, this is a wonderful choice.  How can you beat this?… “All too soon, like a cherry popsicle on a hot day, the summer melted away.”

Sex, Nudity, Dating – An older cousin gets married and kisses his bride at the wedding.  There is some talk about who likes whom.  The white girls tell Pacy that it’s hard to match her as part of a cute couple because she is Chinese.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – At an historical site a man dressed as a soldier carries a gun.  Some boys fight on the playground.  When Pacy’s mother was young in Taiwan the teacher would beat their hands with a stick if they got an answer wrong. She also ordered them to slap their own faces for errors made on a test.  The Nian monster destroyed entire villages on the New Year until they started using red banners and firecrackers to welcome the new year and scare off the monster.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – The adults toast with glasses of wine.
Frightening or Intense Things – There is some bullying of the newly arrived Chinese boy.  It is racist in nature.  It also causes Pacy to examine her own feelings about being Chinese/Taiwanese, especially as she fears being associated with the new boy.