American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

1.  Bibliography:

Yang, Gene Luen. American Born Chinese. Ill. Lark Pien. First Second. New York. 2006. ISBN: 9781596432086

2. Plot Summary:

A boy who was born in American finds it difficult to fit in and accept himself. He befriends Wei-Chen and they try and learn to be who they really are. Jin is so unhappy that his alter ego Danny comes forth into this story. Another part of the story is the Monkey King. He must also learn self-acceptance.

3. Characters:

Jin is the antagonist of the story. He is insecure about who he really is, and where he comes from.

Danny is Jin just as his alter ego. He is confident, and accepts himself.

Chin-kee is a stereotype character. He symbolizes all of Jin’s uncertainties about his culture. 

Monkey King started off to be a selfish character but developed into a round character he found his true self. By doing so he fought and saved Wong Lai-Tsao. He is also a symbol of the traditional Chinese culture.

4.Setting:

The setting is in a public school. The author shows Jin’s culture when he is eating dumplings for lunch and the other kids are baffled by what he is eating. Another setting is in the other story it is in a magical heaven world. The monkey is a symbol of martial arts. He is disciplined to learn different levels of Kung Fu. This symbolizes the older tradition of Chinese to be focused, and confident.

The illustrator brings together three stories into one. Each illustration is in the form of a graphic novel. The illustrations have a mix of dark and bold colors. The illustrations do portray some stereotypes among this culture. Wei-Chen is depicted as a not popular, with his cowlick hair standing up, and his types of clothing. The illustrator shows a traditional drawings of animal characters when the proverb is being explained.

6. Theme:

The main theme in this book is self-acceptance. The author show several characters not wanting to be who there are. Jin is one of the main characters that has the most difficult time being true to himself and his culture. It is not until the Monkey King which symbolizes the traditional Chinese culture that is when he learns to embrace himself.

7. Cultural Marker:

The author wrote several stereotypes in the story. The author wrote some very negative stereotypes like Asian people eat dogs. He made several comments coming from Anglo people. All Asian people must know one another.  The book does not have evidence to prove facts. There are no source notes. The bibliographical information explains that they are from this culture and have written other books about this culture. The minority are not shown as equals in the story. This is evident at school with other students. Non-English words in Spanish are used correctly. The ones written in Chinese are harder to translate. This could be independent of its multiculturalism. Most kids toady have some insecurities about where they come from and about themselves.

8. Connections Teacher and Library Corner:

Students will research several Asian cultures. The students can present their projects by PowerPoint, tri-board, real items, or any other form they would like. The research should cover several aspects of the culture; food, clothes, location, language, traditional tales, modern areas, famous people, and any other contributions.

9. You Tube

This is Gene Luen Yang talking about bringing comics into the classroom. 

10. Review Excerpts:

“Kids fighting an uphill battle to convince parents and teachers of the literary merit of graphic novels will do well to share this title.” The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“Each of the characters is flawed but familiar, and, in a clever postmodern twist, all share a deep, unforeseen connection. Yang helps the humor shine by using his art to exaggerate or oppose the words, creating a synthesis that marks an accomplished graphic storyteller. The stories have a simple, engaging sweep to them, but their weighty subjects––shame, racism, and friendship––receive thoughtful, powerful examination.” Booklist

11. Children’s Reviews:

My son read this book. He said,” I really thought is had humor in it. I did not like the way others treated Jin. That bothered me, I do not treat others like that, and I would stand up for this guy. I really like the lesson the Monkey King had to learn. We could all learn something from that proverb.”

12. Awards and Recognitions:

2006 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature

2007 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album

2007 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year

13. Book Suggestions by Gene Luen Yang

Level Up ISBN: 9781250108111

The Shadow Hero ISBN: 9781596436978

Other Books:

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki ISBN: 9781596437746

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei ISBN: 9781603094504

14. Official Website

Check out what Mr.Yang is up to on his official website.

15. Rating:

I give this book four stars. I found the flow a little disconnected. The illustrations are amazing and I enjoyed learning about the proverb.