Bibliographic Information
Publisher: First Second Books
Publication year: 2006
ISBN: 978-0312384487
Reader’s Annotation
A monkey king who yearns to be accepted by the Gods as a legitimate deity; an all-American boy with a stereotypical Chinese cousin; a second-generation Chinese-American exploring his identity. These three characters come together in a surprising and mystical way as each explores his personal identity and their own place in their culture.
Plot Summary
This unique graphic novel combines three story lines to bring the reader on a journey of self-discovery with Chinese-American boy Jin Wang. Jin’s story focuses on his coming to terms with his identity as a child of Chinese immigrants and making friends in a school consisting mostly of white students. The second story’s main character is Danny, a classic all-American white boy with a Chinese cousin whose frequent visits upset Danny’s idealistic life. The final story tells the tale of the Monkey King, who is the subject of a traditional Chinese folktale. The three story arcs seem unrelated until a surprise twist that opens each main character’s eyes to what it means to be part of Chinese culture in their own way.
Critical Evaluation
Every aspect of American Born Chinese, from the quality of the art, to the surprising way the three storylines fit together, to details such as a “laugh track” running across the bottom of certain panels to give the reader the feeling of watching a sitcom are fascinating. Yang does an especially good job with the over-exaggeration of the stereotypes Americans place on Chinese immigrants with his portrayal of Chin-Kee. The twist to the story when the true identities of the Monkey King and Danny are revealed is unexpected, but as soon as it happens all the loose pieces of the puzzle fall effortlessly into place. This creates a can’t-put-it-down experience for readers of all ages. The execution of this book is nothing short of masterful.
Author Information
Hi! I’m Gene Luen Yang. Thanks for visiting my site! I began making comics and graphic novels in the fifth grade. In 2006, my book American Born Chinese was published by First Second Books. It became the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book Award and the first to win the American Library Association’s Printz Award. It also won an Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album – New.
In 2013, First Second Books released Boxers & Saints, my two-volume graphic novel about the Boxer Rebellion. Boxers & Saints was nominated for a National Book Award and won the L.A. Times Book Prize. I’ve done a number of other comics, including Dark Horse Comics’ continuation of the popular Nickelodeon cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender and DC Comics’ Superman!
In addition cartooning, I teach creative writing through Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. I teach alongside amazing authors like Anne Ursu, Gary Schmidt, Laura Ruby, Matt De La Pena, and more.
In January 2016, the Library of Congress, Every Child A Reader, and the Children’s Book Council appointed me the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.
Source: http://geneyang.com/about
Genre
Fiction
Graphic Novel
Curriculum Ties
Art
Booktalking Ideas
Give an introduction to the three main characters; Danny, the Monkey King, and Jin Wang. Have a poster-size print-out of the passage I will read aloud so the audience can experience the book as it was meant to be experienced. Then give a rating from 1-5 and tell the audience why this is my rating, and take questions.
Reading Level/Interest Age
Booklist: Grades 10-12
Challenging Issues
Racial Issues and Stereotypes
Preparing for Potential Challenges
http://jeselynsminiyacollection.blogspot.com/p/preparing-for-potential-challenges.html
http://jeselynsminiyacollection.blogspot.com/p/preparing-for-specific-challenges_6.html
Why the Item Was Chosen
I chose to include this item in my collection because it opened my mind to the world of graphic novels. I have never been a fan of comics because I thought the only options were super heros or Manga. After being assigned American Born Chinese and subsequently hearing a lecture from a young adult librarian whose specialization is comics and graphic novels, I felt as if I had been exposed to a whole new world of literature. This graphic novel is an excellent stepping stone for anyone just stepping into the daunting world of comics, as well as those who have been fans of the genre for a long time. I also included it because the journeys of all three main characters that land in self-acceptance is an important story for young adults to read as they navigate the changes and growth in their own identities.
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