AMERICAN BORN CHINESE: Gene Luen Yang: First Second: Young Adult: 233 pagesThis book won the Printz Award for 2006. It is a very clever telling of three stories whose themes converge and reinforce one another at the close of the book. The result is interesting story lines and also powerful messages about racial stereotypes and learning to be yourself. This is the first time I’ve really read a graphic novel closely. The art is amazing in moving the story along and portraying action. I liked being able to dispense with descriptions and having the majority of the text be the thoughts and words of the characters.
The layout includes a lot of white space on each page. This seemed to allow me time and space to think about each page – there was plenty of action but the pace was good. I was also surprised by the depth of the themes. I think the story is complex enough that I wouldn’t recommend it for children – plus there are teen crushes and a character who speaks an American Chinese pidgin that might be hard for some readers to understand. This would be a good choice for teen reluctant readers.
SH
1 comment:
As a Prince Award winner and Book Award finalist, but also a graphic novel, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Gene Luen Yang's "American Born Chinese". The book begins with three seemingly separate stories: what I assume was a Chinese myth about a Monkey God unhappy with his lot in life, an American Born Chinese boy with issues relating to his amalgamated identity, and a typical white high school boy with a horrendously obnoxious and stereotypical Chinese cousin. I won't spoil it, but the ending brings up some interesting ideas about identity, race, assimilation, and the "american" experience. I'm not quite convinced it deserved the Prince award, but I still liked it. It felt to me as if the unique format of the book and it's accessibility to teens perhaps trumped the kind of intense plot and or theme you usually find in a Prince Winner- you know, the "newness" of it all. Not to say that it doesn't include thought provoking ideas, and a quickly moving plot...maybe I'm just a bit more of an old school snob than I thought... Great for reluctant readers, and anyone who wants a quick, thought provoking read.
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