SLIS 5420 American Born Chinese

Week Three: Printz Award Winner – American Born Chinese

Book Summary: 

            American Born Chinese tells the tales of three very different characters whose stories intertwine by the end of the book.  It starts with the story of the Monkey King, a traditional Asian character who became imprisoned under rocks for hundreds of years after becoming too arrogant.  He is shown his faults by a young monk on a journey, and realizes he must change.

            Next is Jin Wang, a boy who aspires to become a Transformer when he grows up.  As one of only two Asian students in his grade, he is constantly teased at school.  This becomes a larger problem when Wei-Chen Sun, a new boy from Taiwan, decides they should be friends.  As they get older, Jin and Wei-Chen continue to stay friends until Jin crosses a boundary that ruins their friendship and completely changes his life.

            Blonde haired, blue-eyed Danny is seemingly misplaced within American Born Chinese, but his sitcom life is anything but perfect due to yearly visits from his Chinese cousin Chin-Kee.  Chin-Kee, a walking stereotype of generic Asian people, wrecks havoc on Danny’s life, but the end of the story reveals reasons for his actions.  By the end, Danny, Jin Wang, and the Monkey King come to realizations that they must stay true to themselves versus changing to be like others.

APA Reference:  

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

My Impressions:  

            American Born Chinese was a great choice for the Printz Award in 2007.  It speaks to a teenage demographic of anyone who doesn’t fit in, especially those of Asian decent (or any other nationality for that matter).  I really enjoyed this book, especially how the three stories intertwine so seamlessly at the end.  I did feel that the book ended fairly abruptly once the stories merged with each other though, and one more chapter as a wrap up would have been nice. 

            The graphics are clean and crisp, making it very palatable for both fans of graphic novels and those who are new to the genre.  Sometimes graphic novels can take me longer to read than traditional narrative books, but the simple illustrations of American Born Chinese made for a quick and impactful read. 

Professional Reviews: 

            A National Book Award finalist and ALA's Printz Award winner, this fable stars the mythological Monkey King, realistic youngster Jin Wang of Taiwanese parentage, and TV sitcom teen Danny. All three are dogged by an unwanted identity and humiliated by others' prejudice. The Monkey King trains to be a god but is unceremoniously bounced out of heaven and urged by "he who is" (the great god) to be what he is: a monkey. Jin tries to be accepted and romance a fellow student but gets picked on by classmates. Danny does well with friends until Chinese cousin Chin-Kee, a bitingly funny bundle of racist stereotypes, makes his annual visit and behaves so offensively that Danny must change schools. Finally, the three stories suddenly merge, to center on Jin coming to terms with his minority experience and moving beyond his own fear and hostility. Coalescence comes almost too quickly, but the trivision approach and treatment are unique and moving. The art is simple, colorful, and both attractive and effective. Some potty humor; recommended for teen and adult collections.

Cornog, M. (2007). American born Chinese. [Review of the book American Born Chinese by G. L. Yang] Library Journal,  
          132(5), 54. Retrieved from http://lj.libraryjournal.com/

            It's tough to talk about today's most serious issues (such as racial prejudice, self-acceptance, and spirituality) without appearing sanctimonious or sappy. But graphic artist Gene Yang deftly sidesteps that quicksand in this zippy, heartfelt tale of what it means to grow up Asian American.

American born Chinese. (2006). [Review of the book American Born Chinese by G. L. Yang] School Library Journal,  
          5266.Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

           

Library Uses: 

            This book could be used in many ways within a library setting.  American Born Chinese could be used in displays ranging from Printz Award winners to graphic novels or diversity.  It also could be used to teach students to tell their own story in a graphic manner.  Online comic aids could be used as well as allowing students to hand draw their story.