This is the third book in the series that includes Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat.
During summer break, Pacy and her family are headed to Taiwan, but Pacy’s not exactly overjoyed. She wishes that she were going someplace cool like an amusement park, not halfway across the world to visit family. Once they arrive, Pacy finds herself confused. She loves the delicious food, especially the dumplings. But she’s frustrated that she can’t communicate in either Taiwanese or Chinese. And her art class is not as fun as she’d hoped, because she’s gotten herself caught up competing with the girl who sits near her. Most of all, Pacy’s just not sure where she fits in. She worries continuously that Asian people will think she’s a “Twinkie”, that she looks Asian but really acts white. She worries that other Americans will assume she’s Taiwanese because of how she looks. Surrounded by her loving family Pacy continues to learn about herself and how she can be a part of both worlds.
Despite the cultural identity issues, it’s a fun and humorous book (kids will love the stories about foreign bathrooms and the pickpocket on the train). Adults will love how family friendly it is. I recommend this highly for Grades 3-4, although it could be used as a read aloud with younger children.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – Lissy watched a silly hospital show with lots of kissing. Pacy wishes that she “matched” with a boy so she could make a cute couple. (Evidently, Pacy has a friend that determines who makes a cute couple entirely by them having physical similarities. In Pacy’s case, the lack of an Asian boy means she cannot possibly be part of a “cute couple.” I’m not a big fan of this friend). There’s a story about how it was tradition for a woman to not leave the bedroom the night she is married, not even to use the bathroom.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – Pacy wishes she could slap a girl she doesn’t like.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – Their visit takes place during Ghost Month so there is some talk about visit spirits and ghosts that aren’t at rest. It’s likely that this will not be scary for the intended audience, but if it is being read aloud to younger children, they might be a little scared, especially when they explain that ghosts want to make you a ghost too and erase you away. There’s an explanation of how Big Uncle was taken away by the government during a time of martial law. Also, at one point Pacy gets lost in a market. Finally, there are puppies sold in a vending machine, which freaks me out more than a little.
