The Year of the Baby (Anna Wang Series #2)

by Andrea Cheng, Patrice Barton (Illustrator)

Overview

Last year, Anna learned how to be a good friend. Now that her family has adopted a baby girl from China, she wants to learn how to be a good sister. But the new year proves challenging when the doctor warns that the baby isn’t thriving. Can Anna and her best friends, Laura and Camille, create a science project that saves the day? In this heartwarming sequel to The Year of the Book, readers will be just as moved by Anna's devotion to her new sister as they will be inspired by her loving family and lasting friendships.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544225251
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/01/2014
Series:	Anna Wang Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Andrea Cheng is the author of several children’s books, including the acclaimed middle-grade Anna Wang series critics call "gentle," "accessible," and "just right." Though she passed away in 2015, her books will continue to inspire readers. Visit her website at andreacheng.com.

Patrice Barton's talents were discovered at age three, whens she created a mural with a pastry brush and Crisco. She lives in Austin with her family. Visit her website at patricebarton.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Middle-grade readers will find many ways to connect with Anna and her friends in this warm family and school story."
—Kirkus

"This book deals deftly with a range of thorny adoption- and ethnic-stereotyping issues, such as the abandonment of female Chinese infants and the assumption that all Asians are gifted students, and it has special meaning for families touched by adoption."
—School Library Journal, starred review

"The science-fair and adoption angles make this useful in a number of settings, and readers who have followed Anna since fourth grade will hope Cheng goes on to keep tabs on her as she reaches sixth grade."
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books —

From the Publisher

Worried that her newly adopted baby sister isn't gaining weight, fifth-grader Anna Wang and her friends Camille and Laura make the toddler the subject of a successful science-fair project. Anna, who became a better friend in The Year of the Book (2012), proves to be a capable older sister as well. Three months have passed since her family brought Kaylee from China to the United States. She looks fine to Anna, who enjoys taking care of her, but she doesn't want to eat. Camille gets her to swallow a few bites by distracting her with a song, planting the seed of an idea that blooms into an easy-to-follow experiment involving both Chinese and American nursery songs and a silent meal as a control. Laura's moves between her parents' two households complicate their activities, but, though she's not Chinese, she has joined Anna and Camille at language school, providing continuity. All three use occasional simple Chinese phrases (translated in the opening pronunciation guide). As in the previous title, there are also frequent references to familiar children's books. An ending that has their teacher also considering adoption from China seems an unnecessary embellishment, but the recipe for Grandma's steamed bao zi is welcome. Middle-grade readers will find many ways to connect with Anna and her friends in this warm family and school story. (Fiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews