Grace Lin writes about The Year of the Rat. It is a novel that focuses on Pacy dealing with the emotions of her best friend Melody's move to California and finding the courage to become a writer and illustrator. Pcy faces challenges and is faced with herself to overcome them. Year of the Rat features black and white illustrations but is primarily a novel and specific for a particular age group. this book is great for a topic-specific related to Asian American culture because it focuses on many of the specific traditions and cultural backgrounds related to the meaning behind "the year of the Rat". ( )

Really charming story -- love the autobiographical nature, the gentle but realistic tone, the things that Pacy/Grace learns for herself as she matures. An enjoyable read! ( )

I enjoyed this book; it was a quick read and I read it in one sitting. I liked how it seamlessly blended universal themes such as dealing with childhood bullies and friends moving with culturally-specific themes. In the story, the main character, which goes by Pacy at home and Grace at school, also struggles with the balancing act that comes with bridging two cultures. Lin does an excellent job of introducing information about Chinese culture into the story without it feeling clunky. This is mainly done through the use of stories her parents tell her or dialog between characters. Readers learn a little bit about the Chinese food, celebrations such as Chinese New Year, and wedding traditions while enjoying the main story line. We also learn a little bit about the background of the animal names for years and the symbolism of the Year of the Rat, which is new beginnings or changes. ( )

I liked this book for two reasons. First, I liked how it is a book with a story, yet also is informational about what the year of the rat means for the Chinese New Year. In the beginning, it gives a couple paragraphs explaining the story of the twelve animals of Chinese New Year and how the rat was first. The story is a good insight into how the Chinese New Year can have big changes for those whole celebrate. I also like this story because it has pictures through out. For example, in the beginning it has Pacy's and Melody's resolutions written out in what looks like their own handwriting. This makes the connection with the characters stronger. Also there is a picture of how to make a haversack when Melody and her class are taking a field trip and learning about the Revolutionary War. The little pictures through out are all sown for different reasons and help the reader feel more connected. The main idea of this story is how to find beauty in changes. ( )

I think girls could easily relate to this story. It would give them an insight as to how people who look different on the outside feel on the inside.
I would have students relate this story to their own lives, and even though the students in my class may not be Asian American, they still can relate to the story. ( )