Anna is a girl - a sort of introvert really - who has an obsession with books. She tends to read and get swept away into a world where she neglects things like friendships and reality. When she makes a friend named Laura everything seems perfect. But soon enough, Anna ditches her old friend another girl named Allison. She is popular and makes Anna, who is normally more of an outsider feel important. But when things fall apart, Anna finds herself trying to become friends with Laura again. Overall I thought this was a cute story that makes you happy and sad both at once. I feel that the average person can relate to Anna as you delve into her life and experience a range of emotions. I would recommend this book.
The Year of the Book (An Anna Wang novel)
By Andrea Cheng
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 4 - 8 | Grades 2 - 4 | O | 3.6 | 20719 |
In Chinese, peng you means friend. But in any language, all Anna knows for certain is that friendship is complicated.
When Anna needs company, she turns to her books. Whether traveling through A Wrinkle in Time, or peering over My Side of the Mountain, books provide what real life cannot—constant companionship and insight into her changing world.
Books, however, can’t tell Anna how to find a true friend. She’ll have to discover that on her own. In the tradition of classics like Maud Hart Lovelace’s Betsy-Tacy books and Eleanor Estes’ One Hundred Dresses, this novel subtly explores what it takes to make friends and what it means to be one.
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9780544022638
ISBN-10: 0544022637
Published on 5/7/2013
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 160
Book Reviews (76)
This girl has a bad temper. She takes everything too serious. No offense. I still don't understand why the title is named The Year of the Book.
Okay, it's named The Year of the Book because of the Chinese Lunar New Year. (I study a lot on Asian culture, even though I am not Chinese..) The ancient Chinese people believed that there was a race between some animals to determine who was the fastest on Earth. The rat (because it was very clever and hitched a ride onto the cow) won, so the first year of every cycle is called The Year of the Rat. The second year is The Year of the Ox because the Ox was second. Once the years pass through all of the years of the animals, the cycle starts again, beginning with the year of the Rat. This girl (Anna) likes books more than friends.. or people. She's kind of a bibliophile and loves books A LOT. So that's why it's called Year of the Book because of her Chinese heritage and tradition + the fact that she loves books. I thought I explained this in a past comment to you when you said you didn't understand the title.. oh well. Maybe you didn't see.
You're right, felicisowl! I've heard this story before (not just because I'm Chinese)! I find it a bit ironic that the author just happens to be Chinese; & just happens to share the same last name as another Chinese person I know. :D
Yup! Actually, our school celebrates Lunar New Year in February (I was one of the fan dancers when we celebrated Korea) The first year we celebrated China, the second Korea, the third Vietnam, and we have yet to find out what we will do for the fourth year! And what a coincidence - someone I know also has the last name Cheng :)
Really? That's cool! Maybe one day, all schools could do something like that! :)
& if you notice in the summary, 'peng you' really does mean "friend"! :)
The Year of the Book is about a girl named Anna who believes that the people in books are better than real people. Anna has tried friendship with Laura before, but she left her for a girl named Allison. But when Laura has family trouble and Allison leaves her, Laura has to stay with Anna and her family for a little. Anna then wonders if trying new things and friendships is so bad after all. This book is pretty good. I liked it.
when anna cheats she gets everything wrong and she can not stop getting everything wrong her mom said why do you get everything wrong so much they took her to the docters and they said nothing is wrong with her but if she tries and dosen't cheat she may get stuff right all the time.
A good book. It is about an outcast Chinese girl named Ana who loves reading and painting. She looses her best friend Laura to a popular, rich girl named Allison.
This book does not have a plot and the characters are one dimensional. There is no premise, no backstory, and no development in the story at all. This is a book I would not recommend reading.
Sure, but do you really need a backstory for it to be a good book? I've read plenty of books with no backstories that were good.. But anyway, I see your point. (And a backstory is always appreciated but I don't know, I'm pretty sure you don't need one.)
This book is so touching and is so inspiring! This book amkes me feel i can do anything when reading a book like this and teaches me how easy and sometimes hard making friends can be!
Meet Anna Wang, a Chinese girl who loves books. She takes reading as a strength, but doesn't really seem to care about friendship. Her side, or world, is all about books. Anna had made a friend named Laura. Then Laura found Allison and Lucy. Allison is sort of sassy and Lucy supports her. Soon the three girls forget and Take Anna out of their friendship. Anna doesn't seem to mind though. She lives on with her books, going into her world. After some twists and turns, Laura falls out of the group and hangs out with Anna instead. After some time together, Anna soon realizes that friendship is as good as reading books. I had a moment like this. I had a hard time making friends, too, like Anna. So I just read books. Soon, friendship crept to me. I thought this book was so good because of the story itself and the moments in the book. I understood that others had a hard time and I learned about some “tips” from the book. Have you ever had a time like Anna and me? The read The Year of the Book, for I hope it will teach you something about friendship.
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It is okay. I like that is mentions other books. I now have a list of books I would like to read because of it.
Anna has trouble making friends. Books are just so much more reliable! but over the year she learns that human friends are great too. Read this book ! ! ! ! !