Extra Credit: American Born Chinese

(Image source: http://blogs.america.gov/indepth1/2011/09/19/american-born-chinese-chinese-subtitled/)

Citation:

Yang, G. L. American Born Chinese. New York & London: First Second, 2006. Print.

Annotation:

Jin Wang finds himself trying to fit in at his middle school. It’s made all the harder because of his Chinese heritage. Three stories wrap around Jin Wang as discovers being American is not one size fits all.

Nomination Thoughts:

Three stories come together with bright pictures and lively dialog bubbles in this graphic book. The common theme is how each protagonist deals with expectations of their identity. One story is an ancient Chinese myth about a monkey who longs to be so much more than monkey. Another story is Danny, a white boy, dealing with his obnoxious Chinese cousin. Finally there is Jin Wang. He is lonely in middle school after moving away from China Town where all his old friends are. Things made sense there. His classmates now poke fun of him for being Asian since there are so few Asian children at the school. When he starts to notice a lovely girl, it get even harder to figure out how to present himself as cool.

What comes through in all these stories is how complicated American racial relations are. Since it can be difficult to talk about that topic, this book takes the approach of how one child must deal with stereotypes and racism in all its subtle and harsh realities. The potential for discussions of all kinds (race, history, bullying, dating) is great. The content is all done in a very engaging way that trusts the YA to relate to the common experiences of Jin Wang.

Nominate? Yes! The characters are entertaining and each story has a good plot. The themes of racial identity and place in America makes for compelling reading for YA who are solidifying their identities especially considering how many are multicultural. Being a graphic novel also ups the appeal for many readers who may not view themselves as readers. My one complaint is having to wait so long to see how all three stories fit together. They do but it takes a second read to see the pieces clearly. That point aside, this book is a strong choice for our mock Prints Award.

Genre:

Graphic novel, multicultural, coming of age