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American Born Chinese
by Gene Luen Yang

American Born Chinese Cover

Powells.com Staff Pick

For the winter holidays try American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Chang. This quirky book is a fabulous introduction to the new generation of graphic novels, and blends folklore with an exploration of racial stereotyping and the "right stuff" of America — immigration. It also won the Printz young adult literature award.
Recommended by Mary Z., Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

All Jin Wang wants is to fit in...

When his family moves to a new neighborhood, he suddenly finds that he's the only Chinese-American student at his school. Jocks and bullies pick on him constantly, and he has hardly any friends. Then, to make matters worse, he falls in love with an all-American girl...

Born to rule over all the monkeys in the world, the story of the Monkey King is one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables. Adored by his subjects, master of the arts of kung-fu, he is the most powerful monkey on earth. But the Monkey King doesn't want to be a monkey. He wants to be hailed as a god...

Chin-Kee is the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, and he's ruining his cousin Danny's life. Danny's a basketball player, a popular kid at school, but every year Chin-Kee comes to visit, and every year Danny has to transfer to a new school to escape the shame. This year, though, things quickly go from bad to worse...

These three apparently unrelated tales come together with an unexpected twist, in a modern fable that is hilarious, poignant, and action-packed. American Born Chinese is an amazing ride, all the way up to the astonishing climax — and confirms what a growing number of readers already know: Gene Yang is a major talent.

Review:

"As alienated kids go, Jin Wang is fairly run-of-the-mill: he eats lunch by himself in a corner of the schoolyard, gets picked on by bullies and jocks and develops a sweat-inducing crush on a pretty classmate. And, oh, yes, his parents are from Taiwan. This much-anticipated, affecting story about growing up different is more than just the story of a Chinese-American childhood; it's a fable for every kid born into a body and a life they wished they could escape. The fable is filtered through some very specific cultural icons: the much-beloved Monkey King, a figure familiar to Chinese kids the world over, and a buck-toothed amalgamation of racist stereotypes named Chin-Kee. Jin's hopes and humiliations might be mirrored in Chin-Kee's destructive glee or the Monkey King's struggle to come to terms with himself, but each character's expressions and actions are always perfectly familiar. True to its origin as a Web comic, this story's clear, concise lines and expert coloring are deceptively simple yet expressive. Even when Yang slips in an occasional Chinese ideogram or myth, the sentiments he's depicting need no translation. Yang accomplishes the remarkable feat of practicing what he preaches with this book: accept who you are and you'll already have reached out to others. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review:

"[Three] stories converge into a satisfying coming-of-age novel that aptly blends traditional Chinese fables and legends with bathroom humor, action figures, and playground politics." School Library Journal (Starred Review)

Review:

"This graphic novel could be especially cathartic for teens and adults of Asian descent, but people of any ethnicity would find themselves reflected in the universal themes of self-acceptance, peer pressure, and racial tensions." VOYA

Review:

"Yang helps the humor shine by using his art to exaggerate or contradict the words, creating a synthesis that marks an accomplished graphic storyteller." Booklist

Review:

"As an Asian American, American Born Chinese is the book I've been waiting for all my life." Derek Kirk Kim
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About the Author

Gene Yang began drawing comic books in the fifth grade. In 1997, he received the Xeric Grant, a prestigious comics industry grant, for Gordon Yamamoto and the King of the Geeks, his first comics work as an adult. He has since written and drawn a number of titles, including Duncan's Kingdom (with art by Derek Kirk Kim) and The Rosary Comic Book.

He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his lovely wife, Theresa, and son, Kolbe, and teaches computer science at a Roman Catholic high school.

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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
trackie26, May 29, 2008 (view all comments by trackie26)
The book has 3 little stories in it making it a little weird in the beginning, but as the book goes along the stories will blend together. One of the stories is about a monkey king who for gets that he is a monkey after he masters all of the kun-fu’s. Making him get trapped under a mountain of rocks that he can’t escape because of his ignorance. Then there is another story where the Chinese kid wants to be a transformer so that he can transform and be like every one else, he wants this so bad that he transforms in to an American kid. The other is an American boy who gets embarrassed when his Chinese cousin comes over to visit. This is a good book that shows you to except who you are and where you come from so that there will be peace in you life. and this is a fast read because it makes you want more.
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Mat, June 27, 2007 (view all comments by Mat)
This is my most favorite graphic novel. It has amazing art and works three stories into one amazing piece.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781596431522
Author:
Yang, Gene Luen
Publisher:
Libri
Author:
Yang, Gene Luen
Subject:
General
Subject:
Schools
Subject:
Cartoons and comics
Subject:
Comics & Graphic Novels - General
Subject:
CGN004000
Subject:
People & Places - United States - Asian American
Subject:
Social Issues - Prejudice & Racism
Subject:
Fantasy - Contemporary
Edition Description:
Revised
Publication Date:
September 2006
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
- Up
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
233
Dimensions:
8.54x6.08x.71 in. 1.10 lbs.
Age Level:
12-UP
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