Gene Luen Yang

This is a fun, quick read that elementary kids will like. The art is upbeat and engaging, and the story has some nice moments of surprise and character development. Mixed with this is the chance to learn how binary numbers and coding works. At first I was caught a little off guard, but soon enough I was trying to work out the puzzles on my own (before the characters gave me the answer--a feature which I thought was nicely handled). What I couldn't quite decide is whether this is a book best handed to kids totally new to coding or to ones with some experience.… (mehr)

Chris Bancells

Yang, G.L. (2006) American Born Chinese. New York: First Second.

Multicultural

Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature; National Book Award Finalist

Graphic Novel

Selection tools consulted: School Library Journal, WorldCat


Review:

This is everything a graphic novel should be. The story is creative, deceptively complex, and complete. Moreover, the text and images work symbiotically, as Yang weaves together three seemingly disparate narrative lines. The mythical Monkey King, a kung fu master and ruler of Flower-Fruit Mountain, seeks entry into the upper echelons of heaven. When he is denied, the Monkey King begins to change himself in order to become accepted and acknowledged by the other deities. Jin Wang, ostensibly the title character, is the only son of successful and traditional Chinese immigrants. As his story opens, the nine year-old Jin's family has just moved from San Francisco's Chinatown to an unnamed suburban community. He is the only student of Chinese descent, and Jin's expected alienation is articulated in an efficient, believable way. And then there is Chin-Kee. The embodiment of every racist, anti-Chinese stereotype, Chin-Kee is the inexplicable cousin of the very Anglo-looking Danny. Chin-Kee visits his American cousin every year, causing so much embarrassment that Danny has transferred schools three times by his junior year in high school. As the book progresses, the focus shifts from one story to another, their thematic similarities becoming increasingly obvious. Within two chapters, Yang deftly unites the plots in an unexpected, but satisfying, way. The conclusion requires a willingness to accept certain fantastic elements of Chinese origin, but at that point in the book, the characters have been so thoroughly developed that most readers will be willing to make that leap. In addition to the interconnectedness of his characters, Yang also blends elements of Christianity into the Chinese-inspired mythos. This mixing of cultures, searching for a cohesive social identity amidst the East-West disparity, is central to the story Yang as so brilliantly illustrated. Highly recommended, especially for readers who are hazy on the definition of a graphic novel.
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