American Born Chinese

This is a tour-de-force new work by rising indie comics star Gene Yang. "American Born Chinese" maps the adolescent Chinese-American experience through three separate but interwoven stories. One story centres on Jin Wang, a Chinese-American student at an all-white California high school. Jin is plagued by jocks and bullies, so when another Chinese student transfers to the school, Jin wants nothing to do with him. Next is a comic update of the legendary story of the Monkey King, an ancient Chinese morality tale. Finally, there's the gross and surreal stereotype of Chin-Kee, the ultimate negative Chinese cliche, complete with a sitcom-style "laugh track". These three apparently unrelated tales come together in an astonishing climax - all with a mighty blast of humour, surprising poignancy and skilled artistry. 

Prizes: Winner of Michael L. Printz Award (Young Adult) 2007 and Cybils (Graphic Novel/YA) 2006. Commended for Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens (Fourteen and Up) 2007. Short-listed for Quill Awards (Young Adult/Teen) 2007 and Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award 2008 and Grand Canyon Reader Award (Teen) 2009 and Green Mountain Book Award 2008.