ABC is a great book, very well thought out. It made me think for a long time after I read it.

I understand what the author was TRYING to do, I just also understand that the author failed. In an attempt to show how offensive Asian stereotypes can be, the author creates an Asian stereotype that is horrifyingly offensive (even to nonasians, such as myself). This character's name is "Chink-ee".

I don't think much more needs to be said about Chink-ee.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is the first graphic novel I've read. I read it for the Book Awards Challenge II. It won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2007 and was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. It is the first graphic novel recognized by the National Book Foundation. American Born Chinese starts out by telling three stories. The wonderful illustrations were colored by Lark Pien.

* The first is the story of The Monkey King. He wanted to rule, but he didn't want to be a monkey.

* The second story is about Jin Wang, a young boy who was born in America to parents who immigrated from China. Jin Wang never feels like he fits in with the American students he goes to school with.

* The third story is about Danny, an All-American boy who is embarrassed when his Chinese cousin, Chin-Kee comes for his annual visit.

The stories don't tie together until the end of the book. The book is about learning to live with and accept who you are. It was a very quick read. I think this book would really appeal to young males. While this was a fun, fast read, I don't think I'll be picking up another graphic novel anytime soon. I appreciate how much work went into the drawings, but they just weren't enough to justify the price in my mind.

Some people mentioned it is offensive to Christians. Ha, I didn't even catch that because I'm not religious. Some say it's racist. I disagree. The book merely points out some of the things the main character experiences while he is in school which is racism! However, I really expected a lot more from this book. You see the main character suffering from racism, low self-esteem given the racism, and some other things, but those cannot be the only problems an American Born Chinese would face. How about home relationships with parents and relatives? So much emphasis is on his school life, there is nothing about home and relatives. The main message is just be yourself which is nice, but does that really require over 200 pages to say this? This is a quick read given it's a graphic novel and the pages are very small, not your average 8-1/2 x 11. I finished this in like an hour. The artwork is really simple, clean-cut drawings. Nothing spectacular and very mediocre. Writing, well there is not that much writing. So given lack of story, lack of good writing, lack of quality artwork, I really can't recommend this book.

When I first heard mention of this book, I had no idea what it was. I was just intrigued by the title, being an American Born Chinese myself. It was already checked out at the library, so I was on the wait list. When my turn came up at the Library to borrow this book, I saw it was in a graphic novel style, and wasn't quite sure what to make of it (it's not a genre I would typically chose to read).

This book is sheer brilliance. There are three different stories that seem to be completely separate, but are woven together masterfully at the end. Also, you do not need to be Chinese, Asian or any distinct ethnicity to read and appreciate this book (though it may hit closer to home for some of us who actually grew up as American Born Chinese to Immigrant Parents). Ultimate, the moral of the story is timeless and applies to everyone, and that is to accept who you are, THE WAY YOU WERE CREATED. Ultimately, you will be happier being yourself than trying to be someone else. It's an oft-repeated theme in many forms, but the way it was brought together in this book was poignant and ultimately uplifting, but not overbearing or sledgehammer-like as done in some stories.

Also, this is classified as a young-adult literature. Of course young adults will appreciate this, but it's not exclusively for young adults, though the main characters in two of the story threads are High School age, so the young adult readers should relate well to the teenage angst pictured by the characters. This book is appropriate for all ages, and it's a quick read. I enjoyed it enough that I plan to purchase this book for my personal collection, and make sure my children have a chance to read it when they're older!

Gene Luen Yang's book shows multiple strokes of brilliance! This book is well deserving to be a recipient of the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature from The American Library Association as well as a National Book Award Finalist.

Even if you're not normally a reader of graphic novels, Ethnic-centered stories or even young adult literature, I recommend American Born Chinese! It was a great read with a universal message appropriate for all.

I am a reading tutor and had to read this book for a multicultural literature class. What a treat! Not only does this book offer multiple story lines that come together for great classroom discussions, but the illustrations are beautiful. Parents should read this too!

Although this book has some merits, I found it falls short of all the acclaim. I was considering it for a college-level course for English majors, but give it the thumbs down. It's just not that complex; it's much better suited for readers of middle-school age. The illustrations are good but the panel-by-panel cartooning is not very sophisticated, and there are no interesting tensions between word and picture. I also found that the narrative wasn't very compelling--maybe because there are so few words (and the pictures don't complicate things sufficiently where the words leave off.) Lastly, I was bothered by the Christianity. While you aren't hit over the head with it by Yang, it's still quite palpable. In my opinion, the book winds up having a kind of feel-good Christian/ creationist message or subtext. Not all readers will be bothered by this element, but it really soured things for me. "American Born Chinese" has some good moments, but Yang doesn't realize the book's potential. It falls flat, and has a real "so what" ending. I won't teach it, and don't recommend it.

I didn't realize how the separate tales in this graphic novel were interplaying with one another until nearly the end of the book. Together, these tales capture the experience of cultural assimilation in the United States in a... at times disturbing and thought-provoking and at other times a charming and heart-warming way.

I was really looking forward to having a book to sit and read and when I got this I was suprised. I didn't know it was like a comic book. All in all though it was a pretty good book. It send a nice message about being who you really are and not trying to fit in.

This graphic novel moved me because the story hit a nerve about how it feels to be a young immigrant who longs to belong to the new country. The stories are clever, humerous, and emotionally authentic. Highly recommended read. I want to buy copies of this book to hand out to all the Chinese-American kids who are embarrassed about their Chinese part.

This is the first graphic novel I've read (well, I've read many a comic book in my day, but I'm delineating here). Not a bad choice for a first time, as Gene Yang's parable of a Chinese boy in America actually begs for second and third readings. A graphic novel with multiple layers, you ask? In fact, yes.

Separated into sections that will join at the end, AMERICAN BORN CHINESE blends the ancient Chinese fable of the Monkey King with the tale of Jin Wang, the book's protagonist, who happens to be the only Chinese boy trying to fit in to his American school.

A third story, the source of over-the-top humor and under-the-belt stereotypes, chronicles the travails of a popular American high school student named Danny who is beleaguered by his Chinese-born cousin, Chin-Kee. What did Danny ever do to deserve this Eastern nightmare? Why does he have to change schools every year due to the humiliation Chin-Kee rains down on him?

The answers are unexpected but pleasing as parable, fable, and morality tale meet nicely at a place called "The End." Winner of the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, AMERICAN BORN CHINESE is a satisfying read that can also serve as a substantive discussion piece in the classroom (Grades, say, 7 and up).

You don't have to be part of a minority in a dominant culture to enjoy it. We're ALL "outsiders" in one way or another, and Jin Wang's story will thus speak to each and every one of us.

A great story for any child (or anyone) feeling alone in a strange and alien world. We've all been in the same situation at some point in our life. We are all different yet not so different.

This book is a book of three tales about a child (Jin Wang), a Monkey King, and a visiting cousin from Japan. During the first part of the of the book you can see that in a new place, times can be difficult. People chose to be stereotypical and treat Jin Way and his friend Wei-Chin Sun like outcasts. The monkey king learns many disciplines over time, making himself become practically invincible. Danny is a normal boy visited by his cousin who starts to ruin Danny's life. As you can see this book is a thrilling graphic novel that will take through the experiences of stereotypes and problems of people and things from another place.

Written by: Austin, Neil, Pascal, Chandler (High Tech Middle Media Arts students)

American Born Chinese by Gene Yang was the Printz Award winner for 2007. It's been sitting in my pile for a few months now, even though I was told it would take me no more than an hour to read. All the reviews I read about this graphic novel have been very positive, and I must agree it is a masterpiece.

But, as usual, I have a different viewpoint to bring to this discussion. We all have filters we view the world through, and this is also true of the way we approach media, whether it be books, movies, poetry, etc. My Christian faith is a large filter for me, and it impacts the way I view books.

American Born Chinese is a story told in three separate stories that eventually converge. Remember Holes? Louis Sachar did the same thing. The three plotlines came together in surprising ways that add to the enjoyment of the story. It is part of the mystery of the book.

In plotline one, Jin Wang has started a new life in a new home and a new school. He struggles to fit in with his new classmates who only see his differences. His classmates focus only on the negative stereotypes they have heard about the Chinese people. He is mocked and picked on, and the only friend he can find is a bully who threatens to make Jin eat his boogers if he won't share his food. I found myself cringing a little as I remembered a classmate that was in my elementary school. His name was Nguyen Ly, but later on he changed his name to an American name. Now I understand why he wanted to do that. It is hard to be different. One more important aspect to this story is that Jin loves his transformer robot. One day, he wants to be a transformer himself.

In plot two, the King of the Monkeys is angered when he is turned away at a party for being a monkey. No matter how much skill he acquires, he is belittled for being a monkey. In his anger, he beats the tar out of multiple people using his kung fu skills. Finally, he receives a visit from the great Tze-Yo-Tzuh, a god, who encourages the Monkey King to accept his role in life and to take enjoyment in that role. Be proud you are a monkey, he seems to be saying. The Monkey King won't listen and is "punished" for his refusal.

In plot three, a teenage boy named Danny feels humiliated everytime his cousin Chin-Kee comes to visit him. Chin-Kee goes around at Danny's school seemingly encouraging all the negative stereotypes people have towards Asians. He has buck teeth, can't correctly pronounce his l's and r's, and just makes a fool of himself.

First, the technical elements: The artwork is amazing. Each drawing contains amazing colors and good use of frames to create motion and time. Also, the author uses a creative device that shows us when a person is speaking in a language other than English. The text is written in English but the quotation is surrounded by angular parentheses. This way, the reader knows the speaker is not speaking English, but we can still read the conversation.

One thing no one has pointed out is that many of the speeches made by Tze-Yo-Tzuh are taken directly from the Bible. Most of it is from Psalm 139. This is the passage where it talks about God knowing us completely, when we get up and when we lie down. We cannot escape him. I am linking the whole chapter in this for anyone who wants to read it.

What I got out of this story is that God created us each to be something, and he does not make mistakes. We can fight against it, but we usually just hurt ourselves. I am thinking of a very dear friend of mine. He is a wonderful person, but has been fighting God for years.

*Spoiler alert.*

When the monkey was fighting and striving, he was always angry and never got what he wanted. It was only by accepting his role in the world that he found himself. And notice his role was unselfishly giving of himself to help others. And the reason I put punished in quotes above is that I don't really think the god in this book punished the Monkey King out of anger. I believe he did it for his own good to lead him to the truth. Tze-Yo-Tzuh tried everything before he buried him in a mountain of rock.

Please don't think I am immune to the cultural implications of this book. When we see the cruelty with which the world treats Jin and his friends, it is heartbreaking. I hope people will read this work and re-think these stereotypes. But I also know that stereotypes exist, and you can only change yourself. Jin, the Monkey King, and anyone else who is discriminated against cannot wait for the world to change in order to find the happiness we all deserve. We must each act with integrity and take joy in the roles we have been given in this world, whether they are received with praise or hostility.

American Born Chinese by Gene Yang was the Printz Award winner for 2007. It's been sitting in my pile for a few months now, even though I was told it would take me no more than an hour to read. All the reviews I read about this graphic novel have been very positive, and I must agree it is a masterpiece.



But, as usual, I have a different viewpoint to bring to this discussion. We all have filters we view the world through, and this is also true of the way we approach media, whether it be books, movies, poetry, etc. My Christian faith is a large filter for me, and it impacts the way I view books.



American Born Chinese is a story told in three separate stories that eventually converge. Remember Holes? Louis Sachar did the same thing. The three plotlines came together in surprising ways that add to the enjoyment of the story. It is part of the mystery of the book.



In plotline one, Jin Wang has started a new life in a new home and a new school. He struggles to fit in with his new classmates who only see his differences. His classmates focus only on the negative stereotypes they have heard about the Chinese people. He is mocked and picked on, and the only friend he can find is a bully who threatens to make Jin eat his boogers if he won't share his food. I found myself cringing a little as I remembered a classmate that was in my elementary school. His name was Nguyen Ly, but later on he changed his name to an American name. Now I understand why he wanted to do that. It is hard to be different. One more important aspect to this story is that Jin loves his transformer robot. One day, he wants to be a transformer himself.



In plot two, the King of the Monkeys is angered when he is turned away at a party for being a monkey. No matter how much skill he acquires, he is belittled for being a monkey. In his anger, he beats the tar out of multiple people using his kung fu skills. Finally, he receives a visit from the great Tze-Yo-Tzuh, a god, who encourages the Monkey King to accept his role in life and to take enjoyment in that role. Be proud you are a monkey, he seems to be saying. The Monkey King won't listen and is "punished" for his refusal.



In plot three, a teenage boy named Danny feels humiliated everytime his cousin Chin-Kee comes to visit him. Chin-Kee goes around at Danny's school seemingly encouraging all the negative stereotypes people have towards Asians. He has buck teeth, can't correctly pronounce his l's and r's, and just makes a fool of himself.



First, the technical elements: The artwork is amazing. Each drawing contains amazing colors and good use of frames to create motion and time. Also, the author uses a creative device that shows us when a person is speaking in a language other than English. The text is written in English but the quotation is surrounded by angular parentheses. This way, the reader knows the speaker is not speaking English, but we can still read the conversation.



One thing no one has pointed out is that many of the speeches made by Tze-Yo-Tzuh are taken directly from the Bible. Most of it is from Psalm 139. This is the passage where it talks about God knowing us completely, when we get up and when we lie down. We cannot escape him. I am linking the whole chapter in this for anyone who wants to read it.



What I got out of this story is that God created us each to be something, and he does not make mistakes. We can fight against it, but we usually just hurt ourselves. I am thinking of a very dear friend of mine. He is a wonderful person, but has been fighting God for years.



*Spoiler alert.*



When the monkey was fighting and striving, he was always angry and never got what he wanted. It was only by accepting his role in the world that he found himself. And notice his role was unselfishly giving of himself to help others. And the reason I put punished in quotes above is that I don't really think the god in this book punished the Monkey King out of anger. I believe he did it for his own good to lead him to the truth. Tze-Yo-Tzuh tried everything before he buried him in a mountain of rock.



Please don't think I am immune to the cultural implications of this book. When we see the cruelty with which the world treats Jin and his friends, it is heartbreaking. I hope people will read this work and re-think these stereotypes. But I also know that stereotypes exist, and you can only change yourself. Jin, the Monkey King, and anyone else who is discriminated against cannot wait for the world to change in order to find the happiness we all deserve. We must each act with integrity and take joy in the roles we have been given in this world, whether they are received with praise or hostility.

American Born Chinese by Gene Yang was the Printz Award winner for 2007. It's been sitting in my pile for a few months now, even though I was told it would take me no more than an hour to read. All the reviews I read about this graphic novel have been very positive, and I must agree it is a masterpiece.

But, as usual, I have a different viewpoint to bring to this discussion. We all have filters we view the world through, and this is also true of the way we approach media, whether it be books, movies, poetry, etc. My Christian faith is a large filter for me, and it impacts the way I view books.

American Born Chinese is a story told in three separate stories that eventually converge. Remember Holes? Louis Sachar did the same thing. The three plotlines came together in surprising ways that add to the enjoyment of the story. It is part of the mystery of the book.

In plotline one, Jin Wang has started a new life in a new home and a new school. He struggles to fit in with his new classmates who only see his differences. His classmates focus only on the negative stereotypes they have heard about the Chinese people. He is mocked and picked on, and the only friend he can find is a bully who threatens to make Jin eat his boogers if he won't share his food. I found myself cringing a little as I remembered a classmate that was in my elementary school. His name was Nguyen Ly, but later on he changed his name to an American name. Now I understand why he wanted to do that. It is hard to be different. One more important aspect to this story is that Jin loves his transformer robot. One day, he wants to be a transformer himself.

In plot two, the King of the Monkeys is angered when he is turned away at a party for being a monkey. No matter how much skill he acquires, he is belittled for being a monkey. In his anger, he beats the tar out of multiple people using his kung fu skills. Finally, he receives a visit from the great Tze-Yo-Tzuh, a god, who encourages the Monkey King to accept his role in life and to take enjoyment in that role. Be proud you are a monkey, he seems to be saying. The Monkey King won't listen and is "punished" for his refusal.

In plot three, a teenage boy named Danny feels humiliated everytime his cousin Chin-Kee comes to visit him. Chin-Kee goes around at Danny's school seemingly encouraging all the negative stereotypes people have towards Asians. He has buck teeth, can't correctly pronounce his l's and r's, and just makes a fool of himself.

First, the technical elements: The artwork is amazing. Each drawing contains amazing colors and good use of frames to create motion and time. Also, the author uses a creative device that shows us when a person is speaking in a language other than English. The text is written in English but the quotation is surrounded by angular parentheses. This way, the reader knows the speaker is not speaking English, but we can still read the conversation.

One thing no one has pointed out is that many of the speeches made by Tze-Yo-Tzuh are taken directly from the Bible. Most of it is from Psalm 139. This is the passage where it talks about God knowing us completely, when we get up and when we lie down. We cannot escape him. I am linking the whole chapter in this for anyone who wants to read it.

What I got out of this story is that God created us each to be something, and he does not make mistakes. We can fight against it, but we usually just hurt ourselves. I am thinking of a very dear friend of mine. He is a wonderful person, but has been fighting God for years.

*Spoiler alert.*

When the monkey was fighting and striving, he was always angry and never got what he wanted. It was only by accepting his role in the world that he found himself. And notice his role was unselfishly giving of himself to help others. And the reason I put punished in quotes above is that I don't really think the god in this book punished the Monkey King out of anger. I believe he did it for his own good to lead him to the truth. Tze-Yo-Tzuh tried everything before he buried him in a mountain of rock.

Please don't think I am immune to the cultural implications of this book. When we see the cruelty with which the world treats Jin and his friends, it is heartbreaking. I hope people will read this work and re-think these stereotypes. But I also know that stereotypes exist, and you can only change yourself. Jin, the Monkey King, and anyone else who is discriminated against cannot wait for the world to change in order to find the happiness we all deserve. We must each act with integrity and take joy in the roles we have been given in this world, whether they are received with praise or hostility.

Honestly, as I leafed through AMERICAN BORN CHINESE, I thought that the graphics showed talent, but were uninspiring; the page I happened upon was relatively weak in plot and character choice (though I certainly was taking it out of context); and I thought that when I eventually read the whole thing, I probably would not think it was as good as it could be.

Perhaps my impression of graphic novels was shaped by Japanese or American graphic artwork and story, and that's what I was expecting.
Perhaps I wanted this book to be more adult in its tone than a kid's comic book.
Perhaps I wanted grit, style over substance, or a story that starts with a POW! and never let's go.
Perhaps my first look didn't seem impressive because I was expecting something that this book was not.

Regardless what I was expecting or wanting, AMERICAN BORN CHINESE succeeds in a way I didn't think possible, even when I was halfway through it! This healthy book tells three Chinese-based stories in alternating chapters: the first is about the Chinese legend of the Monkey King; the second focuses entirely on a young Chinese-American boy who feels out of place in his American school; the last is a "sitcom" (complete with laugh-track) about Chin-Kee, the ultimate in tasteless Chinese stereotypes.

Funny, simple and beautifully paced, these seemingly separate stories really begin to grow on the reader about halfway in through smart and honest humor; artwork that is limited in scope, but faultless; and a marvelous structure that shows true ability in telling a complete story that merges all three separate tales in the end in an amazingly profound and memorable way.

What at first seemed trite became endearing, which, in turn, was transforming -- transforming my misplaced expectations; transforming my perceptions of graphic storytelling ability; and transforming what is possible when an artist really understands that "transforming" IS a possiblity.

This a great addition to the middle school library by all means, and a revelation to those who think they have seen it all. Gene Luen Yang is a real storyteller.

In American Born Chinese, Yang tells three seemingly disparate stories that all relate to Chinese culture, both in ancient fables and very modern day America. The stories are well told and beautifully illustrated with solid line work and great colors. Yang is able to capture a good deal of emotion in the art without employing an overly cluttered drawing style.

The story itself, this is where I had the problem. Yang says some really interesting and important things about Asians in America and also the struggle of being a teenager...but, the thing is, it's over too quickly. The 230-ish pages are not nearly enough to contain this story. Combine that with the fact that Yang only uses the middle third of every page, leaving white space on the top and bottom of the images, and you get a story that probably could have been told in 110 pages. With this brief of a book, and the fact that Yang has to interlace three stories (all the stories are interesting, by the way, and when they finally meet up the book is painted in an entirely new light)

So, I suppose the only criticism I have of this book is that it was too short. Yang just doesn't get into enough depth for this story to really stick, but the brief story he does tell is beautiful, funny, and poignant.

This is a good introduction to graphic novels as a genre. It is easy to follow the story yet the themes are subtle and intelligent; the illustrations are interesting and dynamic but not over-the-top like some superhero based graphic novels I have read. Yang is adept at portraying great emotion with just a few lines of dialogue. His characters are sympathetic but strong and you get to know them like you do real friends, slowly.

A good read all around. Get it!

BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL EVER. Unbelievable. I won't give away the plot, but it's SO true to life and the plot twist at the end.... WOW. Better than any kung-fu movie. ROCK AND (egg)ROLL!

My husband is half-Chinese and came to America to go to college. He's told me stories of ABC and how they treat the FOB International Students. His experience mirrors that of Jin-Wang in the book.

I highly recommend this book. I was entranced by the storyline to such a degree that I couldn't put it down.

Worth the prizes it received, it's a well written story with great artwork.
The story is exactly about stereotypes, and that's why it uses them.
Instead of running from/avoiding it, the story show stereotypes do exists, but you don't have to care about them, as they mean nothing.
Some people just plain missed the point on the story.
Yes, the protagonists "cousing" is offensive, and is a stereotype... only it was all inside the protagonists mind. He saw himself that way, when he really didn't need to. It was all part of himself.

And imigrants tend to have problems exactly like that, growing up in foreign countries where people will treat him like he was some stereotype.

Read it, and don't think too much. Sometimes people will try to extract/read things the author didn't meant, and that will really ruin the whole experience.

This book is a success on so many levels, it's hard to know where to begin singing its praises. Given its format, maybe I'll point out that Gene Yang's craftmanship and artistic skills are top-notch; he has strong lines and great layouts.

But of course, even the best-drawn comic can still be banal, which is where the congruent plot lines and emotional honesty of AMERICAN BORN CHINESE come into play. Yang tackles racial stereotyping and issues of ethnic identity in a personal way which is much more appealing and thoughtful than the ultra-ironic hipster stance of someone like Sarah Silverman. And while it all leads to the hoary theme of being comfortable in one's own skin, the lead-up (read-up?) to this revelation is well worth your time.

Sidenote: I see that a previous reader is outraged by this book's mixture of Chinese deities with Christianity (the latter sullying the former), and felt ripped off in the process. ("It should have been titled 'American Born Chinese Christian.'") So I will point out that while this book is not pious in any way, Gene Yang does work at a Catholic high school.

This book is a success on so many levels, it's hard to know where to begin singing its praises. Given its format, maybe I'll point out that Gene Yang's craftmanship and artistic skills are top-notch; he has strong lines and great layouts.

But of course, even the best-drawn comic can still be banal, which is where the congruent plot lines and emotional honesty of AMERICAN BORN CHINESE come into play. Yang tackles racial stereotyping and issues of ethnic identity in a personal way which is much more appealing and thoughtful than the ultra-ironic hipster stance of someone like Sarah Silverman Sarah Silverman. And while it all leads to the hoary theme of being comfortable in one's own skin, the lead-up (read-up?) to this revelation is well worth your time.

Sidenote: I see that a previous reader is outraged by this book's mixture of Chinese deities with Christianity (the latter sullying the former), and felt ripped off in the process. ("It should have been titled 'American Born Chinese Christian.'") So I will point out that while this book is not pious in any way, Gene Yang does work at a Catholic high school.

First, the good: the artwork is very good. The art of the storytelling is very good. I liked the fact that he took on a difficult subject, and I applaud Yang for doing a good job in covering the subject.

Second, the neutral: A few people have said that his use of caricature in the character of Chin-Kee, who is the embodiment of Asian stereotypes, is racist. I disagree. I thought that the character helped to expose stereotypes. I honestly don't think the character adds or detracts to the storyline; it's just the way Yang decided to do it, and it really isn't offensive at all, especially given the number of other admirable Asian American characters in the book.

Third, the bad: I can only give this book three stars because I was extremely offended by the Christian religious undertones. Yang blends the story of the Monkey King with a monotheistic God who rescues him from his folly. On page 215, he portrays the Monkey King's Journey to the West as a trip to see Jesus in Bethlehem. How offensive is that? I've seen fundamentalist Christianity destroy Asian American communities with its neo-Confucian emphasis on obedience and submission. How does this help Asian Americans? As Asian Americans, we need liberation from submission, not more submission cloaked in religion.

So in sum: Good artwork, but maybe the title should have been "American Born Chinese Christian." At least I would've known not to buy it.

If you're interested in Asian American comics, though, there's another book coming out soon called Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine. I've read the three comic series, and it's excellent.

Maybe our parents were too busy figuring out a red-black tree algorithm or worrying about getting a job after graduation that they never bothered to figure out who Bob Dylan was.

Although we were born in the US our growing process was rather systematic. We must play the piano, we must take our SATs, we must enter Harvard, we must drive nice cars, we must get a big house, we must... Somewhere in the process it becomes shocking how disconnected we are from the rest of the world. So instead of being confused or angry this book explains why it's OK to be an outcast, a minority, a weirdo, a nerd, and an outsider by combining three different stories together.

I recommend this book to any "weirdos" out there.

By even acknowledging the stereotypes, as the book does, it is perpetuating the stereotypes. You all should go read some post-colonial critics.

The--well I hesitate to call it a book, since it's actually a graphic novel, but for ease of writing I'll call it a book--book has a character that reinforces the stereotypes; and, although it does show the mean spiritedness of people/society, the character, which I'm not going to call by name, so strongly embodies all of those stereotypes that it forces the reader to view similar characters/persons through the same lens. You run in to similar problems with great works of literature as well--yes, I am saying that this is absolutely not a great work--like Heart of Darkness and As I Lay Dying.

This is one of two great autobiography graphic novels to come out in 2006 (the other being Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic). Lang takes a unique approach to telling a personal story through 3 inter-cutting tales that should make the book appealing (and FUN!) for anyone with interests in comics, Asian American life, Asian pop culture, or autobiographical works.

I am married to a CBC (Shanghai) and I thought this was tasteless - how it made the top 50 list for 2006 (which is why I bought it/wasted my $) amazes me - must have been an inside job.

If you're looking for a book with the standard story line, this isn't for you. If you're looking for some candid musing and deep soul searching, you've hit the jackpot.

I find it impressive that the novel does not take much time or space to address several poignant issues. His illustrations really nail the subject matter and serve to enhance the experience. It's just a fabulous combination.

I only wish it was longer. But maybe that would have ruined it.

Aside from Garfield and the occasional Archie & Jughead, I have never read a comic book (much less a graphic novel) in my life. I purchased this book solely based off of the reviews, and would not even have heard of it had it not been on Amazon's Best of 2006 book list.

I was born in Asia and raised in the United States. However, I grew up in a community that had a significant number of Asian-American families, so I never felt like an outcast. I now attend a university that is heavily populated with Asians, so I definitely feel like I belong in the "norm".

Even so, I felt that I could relate to this and can definitely see how younger kids who grew up in communities with small numbers of other Asians could relate to this as well. Each of the three vignettes are equally engrossing, tying in a Chinese kid who wishes he was American, a very stereotypical Chinese teenager named "Chin-Kee", and a Chinese fable of the Monkey King.

I finished this novel in a little less than a half hour, but I did not stop to take a good look at the illustrations while I was reading. When I finished, I reread the book and made sure to pay attention to the illustrations, which really added to the quality of the book and the stories.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will be passing it on to my sisters and even to my mom, who I think would also enjoy it. A novel for all ages, indeed!

Written by Gene Luen Yang, American Born Chinese is a full color graphic novel that uses a simple, vivid style of color illustration to contrast parallel narratives of Jin Wang, a Chinese-American boy who longs to fit in and date his attractive high school classmate; Danny, a boy plagued by yearly visits from his cousin Chin-Kee who embodies every hateful Chinese stereotype imaginable; and the Monkey King, a mythical character from ancient fables whose pride and stubborn defiance against the will of Creator Tze-Yo-Tzuh resulted in his imprisonment under a mountain for five hundred years. Just as the Monkey King was ashamed of being a monkey and sought to hide or overcome it, young Jin Wang is ashamed of his Chinese heritage and longs to hide it. The three stories come together in a surprising climax, in this candidly told, utterly absorbing modern American fable. Highly recommended.

This is simply the best graphic novel I've read in along time. Gene Luen Yang weaves three tales in a character study that illuminates Chinese tradition, racial stereotypes and problems of Asian-Americans in our melting pot society.

The three stories tell about a young boy who moves to a new school where he's subjected to prejudicial bullying, the mythical Monkey King -- a major figure in the Chinese story "Journey to the West", and a teenager embarrassed by visits from his totally stereotypical cousin. By the time I was halfway through, I knew I liked Gene Yang's writing and drawing -- a lot. Not only did the stories grab me and pull me in, not only did he create believable three-dimensional characters, but he gave one of the best and most accessible retellings of the story of the Monkey King that I'd ever encountered. It wasn't until I started writing this review that I found Yang's online tribute to the artistry and influence of Osamu Tezuka. Interestingly, for his day job, he teaches computer science in a Catholic school. This guy's a real talent; I'm going to look into getting his other works for our public library's collection.

American Born Chinese won the 2007 Michael Printz Award for a book that "exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature." Highly recommended.

Gene Yang manages to really flesh out major issues in racial self-discovery for Asian-Americans, especially male Asian-Americans. The book is concise- I read it in less than 1.5 hours. It shamelessly brings out thorny issues with relieving humor. I am Asian American and I concur with many of the issues brought up. Many of the references from the group play with transformers to the projection of superiority onto fobber Asians tap into my history of wrestling with identification. The clean presentation and comic book format would be appealing to a younger audience, especially one that isn't receptive to reading longer books or listening to grown-ups.

Interesting work but don't think I would have bought it knowing it was in comic book form........................
Amazon let me down!

And it just won the Printz Award! (Which is like a Newbery for young adult novels, basically.)

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This book is a truly stellar contribution to the graphic novel genre. Jin Wang's coming-of-age story is pitch-perfect in its attention to visual detail as well as its "feel" for adolescent dialogue. Not content to tell this story "straight," Gene Yang introduces two other narratives -- those of the legendary Monkey King and of the sitcom characters Danny and Chin-Kee -- to add multiple layers of meaning to Jin's struggles to fit in.

It shoud be noted that, even though Yang balances three stories (which ultimately converge) in this book, Jin's story serves as the emotional core of the novel. The Monkey King's and Chin-Kee's stories represent different poles of Jin's identity as a Chinese American -- extreme, identity-negating self-reliance, on the one hand, and extreme, caricatured self-hatred, on the other. The novel does a brilliant job of drawing us into the world of a teenager who engages these extremes as a matter of "growing up Asian American" -- a paradoxical subject of repulsion and desire, exclusion and belonging.

Don't get me wrong, though: while Yang's themes are undeniably powerful, his writing is just really, really funny. The Monkey King is raucously self-involved; Chin-Kee is both sad and strangely self-aware of his own caricaturedness (i.e., his "kung fu" moves are all named after "Chinese" dishes, like "Mooshu Fist"), and one scene involving Jin, bathroom soap, and his love interest Amelia had me in stitches. Which is to say it's nice to see that important themes of identity and cultural belonging can be explored in such a playful manner.

Credit to Yang, then, for not taking himself so seriously, and for giving us a profound meditation on "growing up ethnic" that looks, sounds, and *feels* right.

This book is many things: it is a classic immigrant story, a love/love-lost story, a parable, a personal diary, an adventure, and a lesson for finding yourself. However, it is never overwrought; it remains upbeat and active through 3 intertwining story lines. It is humorous and attractive, and it gives a lot of credibility to the genre of graphic novels. Incredibly, it is easy to read and quite gripping, uplifting and highly enjoyable.

Gene Luen Yang's insightful and incisive look at racism and self-acceptance is fully deserving of the accolades it has received and is a legitimate candidate for best graphic novel of the year.

Yang deftly weaves three seemingly unnconnected stories -- the fabled Monkey King who wants to be a god; Jin Wang, the only Chinese-American student at his school, and his attempts to fit in; and Chin-Kee, the jaw-dropping Asian stereotype (complete with his own laugh track), who shows up every summer to embarass his white American cousin, Danny -- into a powerful, modern parable that's accessible to all ages and cultures.

On the surface, it's an empowering spin on the classic tale of the ugly duckling, with an emphasis on self-acceptance over finding one's place in society. Underneath, though, it's a surprisingly subversive indictment of the concept of cultural assimilation, aka the "melting pot".

The Monkey King's efforts to become a god and Chin-Kee's appalling adventures in humiliation seem, at first, to fit awkwardly in the midst of Jin Wang's more straightforward coming of age tale, as Yang alternates between each one a few times, never tipping his hand as to how they intersect until the very end. His visual presentation holds the three stories together, with clean, crisp and colorful images, while his square layouts -- revealing its webcomic roots -- only take up 2/3rds of a page but never feel compressed. (Or decompressed, for that matter.)

When it does all come together, it has the same effect as when a magician successfully pulls off "the prestige", to the sheer delight of the audience.

My copy of American Born Chinese sports a nice silver "National Book Award Finalist" sticker on its cover, a unique and distinctive honor in the comics field, one Yang should be incredibly proud of receiving, and the rest of the industry should be aspiring to. For First Second, it's nothing less than the crown jewel in a first year of publishing that has been remarkable by any measure.

Magnificent - Gene Luen Yang's AMERICAN BORN CHINESE raises the bar for both graphic novels and for youth literature; as an adult I love the story and the adroit interweaving of three seemingly disparate narrative lines into a greater conclusion, and I feel certain in saying I would have been stunned had this been around when I was in middle school.

The artwork itself is clean and striking, and in the story, Yang balances magnificently between 'comic' and 'serious,' with ethnic identity issues and stereotypes handled with great skill. The finished result has plenty of serious literary merit, offering a contemporary reworking of Hsuan-tsang's rather titanic, transnational Chinese classic JOURNEY TO THE WEST.

Many, many lessons for both young and old leap from Yuen's pages, foremost among them, the value of self-knowledge, the continual vitality of American culture and society (which of course is constructed from global and international influences old and new), just for starters. Quite an impressive accomplishment.

-David Alston

Magnificent - Gene Luen Yang's AMERICAN BORN CHINESE raises the bar for both graphic novels and for youth literature; as an adult I love the story and the adroit interweaving of three seemingly disparate narrative lines into a greater conclusion, and I feel certain in saying I would have been stunned had this been around when I was in middle school.

The artwork itself is clean and striking, and in the story, Yang balances magnificently between 'comic' and 'serious,' with ethnic identity issues and stereotypes handled with great skill. The finished result has plenty of serious literary merit, offering a contemporary reworking of Hsuan-tsang's rather titanic, transnational Chinese classic JOURNEY TO THE WEST.

Many, many lessons for both young and old leap from Yuen's pages, foremost among them, the value of self-knowledge, the continual vitality of American culture and society (constructed from influences old and new from across the globe), just for starters. Quite an impressive accomplishment.

-David Alston

I love it. This finely illustrated book deals with identity crisis, rebellions against limitations and finally coming to terms with who you are. The story lines are clever. The analogy of the monkey king is surprising (deviation from traditional interpretations) but interesting. I found the words of the "wicked" herbalist's wife to be profound: "It is easy to become anything you wish...so long as you're willing to forfeit your soul." And I don't view it as a discouragement because you may have to relinquish a few cherished things and go through some transformations before you find yourself.

Earlier this year I reviewed several other graphic novels (comic books made into a book form), most of high quality in every way, including content. This one is all that and more--it's earning honors already.

The National Book Award is one of the most prestigious awards in literature and American Born Chinese is the first graphic novel to be nominated in any category in its 57-year history--and has just been selected as one of the 20 finalist. The book has also been nominated for Best Book for Young Adults and has received praise from Scholl Library Journal.

This inch-thick, 235-page graphic novel consists of several separate stories that seem disconnected until the very end.

The themes are:

-- Jin Wang is the new kid and the only Chinese-American student
-- The ancient fable of the Monkey King
-- Chin-Kee, the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype

Jin has a new Chinese-American friend, who when Jin gets angry at him, he calls him a FOB (fresh off the boat) because his friend's speech and mannerisms are more Chinese than American. Jin is embarrassed by his friend (the other new kid) because Jin wants to "fit in."

The modern fable is hilarious, poignant and action packed.

The bullying and name calling, the desire to fit in (and what one might do to make that happen), interracial dating and prejudice, parental expectations of old-world ideals--and many can relate to these feelings and situations.

Children and teenagers who are "different" from the others will appreciate the message of having friends, loneliness, becoming accepted, stereotypes, prejudice, parental expectations--what so many deal with.

Armchair Interviews says: Gene Luen Yang is a talent we'll hear more of.

I am a young Asian American (just over twenty) and I thought this story was very intriguing. I was born in America and actually spent high school in Taiwan. I could however relate to racism as a Chinese kid growing up in a predominantly white suburb (palo alto). It's almost amazing what kind of cruelities can come out of kids so young. I'm surprised not more kids snap under such wanton cruelty. It just kind of shows the resilience of children.

Anyways, back to the book. It is nicely executed and I love the integration of the three stories. The writing reminiscint of what it like to be a asian american kid again and the art wonderfully entertaining and clean.

However, the conclusion left something to be wanted. The novel wants to break from stereotypes (i believe) yet one of the characters ends up as a ricer with diamond studs. I don't know, i just felt the ending could have been more than it was. So much could have been said that was left unsaid I think.

A surprising interweaving of Chinese myth and legend, prejudice and self-acceptance, and the coming of age of a first generation American-born boy of Chinese descent, make AMERICAN BORN CHINESE an exceptionally entertaining and thought-provoking graphic novel.

More than halfway though reading the vividly illustrated story, I still had no idea how the three distinct and alternating tales that make up the book were going to eventually come together as promised on the flap copy.

One of the three threads involves the Monkey King, who wants to be a god and literally gets himself buried in trouble. Another is the story of Jin Wang, whose previously blissful childhood, spent in San Francisco's Chinatown, is transformed when his family moves to a very different community and Jin starts attending Mayflower Elementary School. The third thread is about Danny, a popular (and non-Asian) basketball player whose school life is annually disrupted by the arrival of his cousin Chin-Kee, who physical characteristics, dress, and mannerisms epitomize the extremes of Chinese stereotyping.

I cannot imagine a reader not being sucked into this one after the scene in which Jin gets his first hit of Mayflower Elementary. The teacher introduces him as Jing Jang (instead of Jin Wang), tells her students that he moved from China (instead of Chinatown), and then when one of the kids immediately raises his hand to tell the class that 'Momma says Chinese people eat dogs," the teacher responds, "Now be nice, Timmy! I'm sure Jin doesn't do that! In fact, Jin's family probably stopped that sort of thing as soon as they came to the United States."

I've never gotten to do a graphic novel read aloud. Now I can't wait to figure out how to make it happen. I can easily imagine assigning parts to students each day and doing AMERICAN BORN CHINESE as readers theater. (All I need now is a way to scam a class set.)

In any case, this is a graphic novel that belongs in every middle school collection.

This book was just nominated for the National Book Award. It is the first graphic novel EVER to be nominated. This is a testimony to Yang's gifts as an artist and especially as a storyteller.

Using a genre that has been typically reserved for superheroes, Yang deals with sophisticated issues of ethicity, identity, childhood and belonging. The novel balances both humor and real struggle in a masterfully creative format that weaves together Chinese folk tales, American high school experiences, and a television sitcom.