American Born Chinese
Yang, G.L.
2006
New York: First Second
Age Range: 12+
Genre: Award Winning Fiction
Format: Graphic Novel
Rating: 4.5/5



In this impressive telling of three interrelated stories, Yang truly captures the experience of being an outsider. The life of Jin Wang, the only Chinese-American student at his new school, mixes inexplicably with the ancient Chinese fable of the Monkey King through the tale of Chin-kee, THE Chinese stereotype who ruins his cousin Danny's reputation at his American high school.

Exciting, well-drawn, action-filled, telling, emotional, uncomfortable and just plain good, American Born Chinese says the things that people aren't supposed to say, and says them so that you really see the horror that language can create. The reader's comfort level goes out the window with the introduction of Chin-kee, and as we see the stereotypes meld and the realizations form, we are as transformed as Jin Wang by his personal revelations.

A recommended read!