American Born Chinese appealed to me on several levels. One: Pictures. Two: I am married to a Taiwanese immigrant. Three: Pictures. Four: The seriously amazing rave reviews. 5: Boba Tea.
Gene Luen Yang’s story follows Jin, Danny, and the Monkey King. Jin is a Chinese American boy who just wants to fit in with his white, all-American classmates. Danny is the apple pie to Jin’s dim sum whose life gets disturbed once a year when his Chinese cousin Chin Kee comes to visit. And the Monkey King simply wants nothing to do with being a monkey. Yang’s three story lines start out going their separate ways until they brilliantly collide and teach everyone a thing or two about identity, acceptance, and the human condition.
And yes, brilliant is the only word that suits American Born Chinese. Brilliantly clever. Brilliantly heartwarming. Brilliantly honest. Each character is at once charming, lovable, and a total rascal. As a graphic novel, I was super impressed at how each character develops so richly throughout the narrative’s short, yet expressive, pages. Yang deserved all the awards, not just the Printz, in my opinion. A great novel to share with anyone in your life.
The illustrations are gorgeous and do such an excellent job at showing motion. I haven’t read another graphic novel that I can recall where the action really seems to move. Each drawing adds something to the story and often has emotional impact. I really can’t gush enough. American Born Chinese is my new favorite graphic novel. It’s a story worth telling and a story Yang tells expertly.
Your turn! What’s your favorite graphic novel? Any other Printz Award winners you’d recommend?
The Blog of Litwits 
This was the first graphic novel I ever read and it set the bar pretty high. My favorite GN is Ethel & Ernest by Raymond Briggs (of The Snowman fame).
Will have to check out Ethel & Ernest. Thanks for the rec!
YAY!!! This is the best book. Well, until you read his new books, Boxers & Saints. They are even more amazing. I used to teach American Born Chinese to my undergraduate children’s lit class (education and English majors). They always threw a fit about having to read this book until they actually read it! Then they were in love with its cleverness and the message.
I would love to teach this book – you know, if I were a teacher and all. I think this is the kind of stuff that gets young people into reading. Also, preorded Boxers&Saints.
I can see that it’s imperative that I buy this! It’s getting all sorts of love 🙂
Yes. IMPERATIVE.
Yay! I love Gene Luen Yang and I loved this book. I also echo Andi in her love of Boxers and Saints. Those books are unbelievably excellent. Give them a read soon!
Boxers & Saints is on my must have list!