The Year of the Baby
CCBC Review:
In a follow-up to The Year of the Book (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012), Anna Wang is worried about her baby sister Kaylee, recently adopted from China, who isn’t gaining weight. When she isn’t worrying about Kaylee or about finding a science project for class, Anna enjoys her friendships with Laura and Camille. These elements merge when the girls devise a science experiment charting Kaylee’s food intake with the hypothesis that she will eat more when they are singing to her than when they are not. This story about family and friendship also examines racism in an age-appropriate manner. Anna isn’t sure how she feels when Laura says that she looks just like Kaylee—is it simply because they are both Chinese? When Laura’s mom thinks all Asian people are smart, Anna wonders how this makes Camille, who is Chinese and struggles in school, feel. These small moments of questioning, tension, and forgiveness combine with the larger arc of the baby-centric science project, resulting in a fresh and engaging story. ©2013 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Illustrated by Patrice Barton
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 7-10
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Adoption
Asian Americans
Chinese and Chinese Americans
Racism
Science and Scientists
Sisters
Worry
Diversity subject:
Asian
Publisher:
Houghton Mifflin
Publish Year: 2013
Pages: 162
ISBN: 9780547910673
CCBC Location: Fiction, Cheng