“My favorite books when I was younger were by Carolyn Haywood– B Is for Betsy and Eddie and His Big Deals. The stories took place in school, in Betsy’s home, and in Eddie’s neighborhood. They had families and ate dinner and waited for the bus. . . When I read those books, it was as if I was wrapped in a warm hug. I saw all the things that I loved and lived— my neighborhood, my friends, and my school. The only thing I didn’t see was me.” —Author Grace Lin

So Grace Lin has written the Chinese American equivalent of B Is for Betsy. Except of course, no two authors are alike, and no good book is simply a copy of another with different characters. The Year of the Dog is a good book, in a comforting, Betsy-ish sort of way. Grace, however, instead of going Christmas caroling on Christmas morning, celebrates Chinese New Year with her family and extended family and lots and lots of food. The story begins with the new year, The Year of the Dog, and ends with another New Year’s celebration, beginning The Year of the Pig. The book is cozy and each story is somewhat self-contained, with little stories about Grace’s parents and grandparents interspersed throughout. The thread that ties all the stories together is Grace’s quest, during The Year of the Dog, to find out who she is and who she wants to become. The Year of the Dog is supposed to be good for thinking about that sort of thing.

It’s the stories themselves that are fun and revealing of Taiwanese-American culture. First of all, Grace can’t decide if she’s Taiwanese-Amercan or Chinese-American. The real Grace Lin says that this distinction was something that bothered her as a child, and I can see how it would be a puzzlement. The cultural differences in growing up Chinese in America are woven through the stories, but not intrusively so. What we’re left with is a year in the life of a little girl who is enjoying her school, her friends, and her family.

The reading level is fairly simple, so I’ve got Betsy-Bee (age 7) reading it now. Betsy-Bee’s favorite book is, yes, B Is For Betsy.

Two more things to note about this book: The cover looks better in reality than the Amazon-derived picture makes it look, and this book is one of the many good books nominated for the Cybil Award for Middle Grade Fiction.