MMGM (1/9/2017): Dumpling Days by Grace Lin

Firstly, I am extending the deadline for the New Year's Poetry Contest for one week! Remember that, if your poem is good enough, you will win a $20 Barnes & Noble eGift card, which you can use in store or on your Nook! Click here to enter. Secondly, for MMGM, I am recommending Dumpling Days by Grace Lin.

Here's the publisher's description:

Pacy is back! The beloved heroine of The Year of the Dog and The Year of the Rat has returned in a brand new story. This summer, Pacy's family is going to Taiwan for an entire month to visit family and prepare for their grandmother's 60th birthday celebration. Pacy's parents have signed her up for a Chinese painting class, and at first she's excited. This is a new way to explore her art talent! But everything about the trip is harder than she thought it would be--she looks like everyone else but can't speak the language, she has trouble following the art teacher's instructions, and it's difficult to make friends in her class. At least the dumplings are delicious...

As the month passes by, Pacy eats chicken feet (by accident!), gets blessed by a fortune teller, searches for her true identity, and grows closer to those who matter most.

I have recommended another book by Grace Lin in the past, When the Sea Turned to Silver. Although this book is the third in a series, it, for the most part, makes sense by itself, and is easily the best of all three great books, which are based on the author's real life. One great part of this book is getting to learn about the culture of Taiwan and how different it is from the United States. Much of the culture is expressed either through short anecdotes, which are very interesting, or through events in the story. The main character, Pacy, often feels out of place in Taiwan or, in the case of her art class, feels less talented than others. However, by the end of the book, Pacy ends up enjoying Taiwan. This book is great for anyone who is interested in other cultures!