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American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

American Born Chinese

Gene Luen Yang

First Second · Print & ebook · October 30, 2007

A Graphic Novels pick for readers exploring American Born Chinese.

YA Coming-of-Age ComicsAsian American YAYA Graphic Novelsyoung
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graphic
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Who it’s for
A modern fable braids school life, Chinese folklore, and sharp-edged stereotype into a layered graphic novel.
Themes
Chinese-American identity, Cultural stereotyping, Interconnected stories
Pacing
Fast

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For older readers: Dinghai Fusheng Records (novel) Vol. 1

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About this book

Original Series Now Available on Disney+ A tour-de-force by New York Times bestselling graphic novelist Gene Yang, American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he's the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny's life with his yearly visits.

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Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable. American Born Chinese is an amazing ride, all the way up to the astonishing climax. American Born Chinese is the winner of the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award, a 2006 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature, the winner of the 2007 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New, an Eisner Award nominee for Best Coloring, a 2007 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, and a New York Times bestseller.

Three Strands, One Story

A modern fable braids school life, Chinese folklore, and sharp-edged stereotype into a layered graphic novel.

Come here for

  • The contrast between everyday school life and a classic Chinese fable
  • A graphic novel that brings three apparently unrelated stories together

Expect

  • A lively, layered read with an unexpected convergence
  • Humor and action alongside questions of identity and stereotype

Where it sits

YA Graphic Novels63%
YA Coming-of-Age Comics60%
Asian American YA51%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • YA Coming-of-Age Comics
  • Asian American YA
Authors
Gene Luen Yang
Publisher
First Second
Published
October 30, 2007
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Chinese-American identity · Cultural stereotyping · Interconnected stories
Reading lane
YA Coming-of-Age Comics