About this title: A tour-de-force by rising indie comics star Yang, "American Born Chinese" tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters whose lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Square Fish
Date Published: 2008-12-23
ISBN-13:9780312384487ISBN:0312384483
Description: Very Good. Very Good Condition! Very lightly circulated ex-library copy with normal library markings. Glossy cover with tight binding and clean pages! Clear plastic jacket surrounds cover, keeping it looking great! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Square Fish
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780312384487ISBN:0312384483
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Square Fish
Date Published: 2008-12-23
ISBN-13:9780312384487ISBN:0312384483
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780312384487. read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Acceptable. Former Library book. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. 159643208X Good overall condition, no markings, ex library book with standard stamp and pocket. ** Satisfaction Guaranteed ** Orders ship same or next business day. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: First Second
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9781596431522ISBN:1596431520
Description: New. Trade paperback (US). Sewn binding. 233 p. Contains: Illustrations. Intended for a juvenile audience. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: First Second
Date Published: 2006-09-05
ISBN-13:9781596431522ISBN:1596431520
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9781596431522. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: First Second
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9781596431522ISBN:1596431520
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: First Second
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9781596433731ISBN:1596433736
Description: Pien, Lark. New. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 233 p. Contains: Illustrations. Intended for a young adult/teenage audience. read more
Binding: Hardcover: Graphic Novel
Publisher: First Second
Date Published: 2007-10-30
ISBN-13:9781596433731ISBN:1596433736
Description: NEW. Hardcover: Graphic Novel. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9781596433731. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: First Second
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9781596433731ISBN:1596433736
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: First Second
Date Published: 2006-09-05
ISBN-13:9781596432086ISBN:159643208X
Description: NEW. Hardcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9781596432086. read more
"Such an interesting way to have three plot lines connect into one. At first I was a little confused about why there were the three stories... Loved the illustrations and all the different characters. It made for a quick, but not boring read."
"Veronica and Archie is about as graphic as I used to get when I was a kid. I just wasn't into comics, and the graphic novel genre has fallen into the comic category for me. One of the biggest problems I have with cartoons and graphic novels is that the text is not linear and my eyes don't know where to go next. Do you read the bubble at the top and then the one connected to it at the bottom, or do you read the supposed reply and then go back to the bottom of the bubble? Some pages have lots of different places the eye can go, and this really overwhelms me. When I got my hands on American Born Chinese, it was with trepidation and....okay, I admit it -- fear -- that I was going to have to read this and be able make sense of it. The first chapter did absolutely nothing to squash my dislike for graphic novels. The Monkey King was creepy and too weird for me, and the story didn't make sense to me. It took me only a couple of pages, however, to figure out that all the small boxes were in a big box and everything read from right to left and then up and down. By the time I finished the first chapter about the freaky little Monkey King, I was, surprisingly, into the rhythm of the book. For me, the real story was the one about Jin Wang and all his frailties. I was immediately taken with Jin as a little boy, and he continued to endear himself to me as the book went on. His attempts at friendship with various kids who were less than decent made me feel as if I was back in grade school, trying desperately to find my way through the maze of social traps. When Jin finally meets Wei-Chen Sun and he dishes out meanness as it had been dished to him, I realized I was totally invested in the story because I quietly moaned, "Oh no....." to myself. As Jin turns into Danny, and he makes attempts at being white and assimilate into American culture, he is visited by a cousin who reminds him every minute of every day where he comes from. Danny's cousin proves to be more than embarrassing but also reveals his true self and Danny scrambles to keep up with the lesson of being true to oneself. This coming-of-age story is fun to read -- and, yes, easy to read. The characters are developed extremely well, and the reader is able to feel the gamut of emotions that accompany adolescence, no matter how far away it is from us. The facial expressions on all the characters -- including the Monkey King -- convey so much about how they feel, that the reader can't help but get caught up. As I read American Born Chinese and got into the story, I laughed out loud in numerous places in the book, and found it to be hilariously funny at certain points (foaming soap). This was my first graphic novel, and I loved it. I was able to figure out the text, and even noticed things that I'm sure seasoned graphic novel readers just instinctively know, like the parenthesis around the text when the characters are talking -- I think -- in their native language. I also noticed that the bubble around the dialogue is staggered like this _ _ _ _, and I think it indicates a whisper. At least that's what I think those marks mean. I have a feeling there's a whole new language for me to figure out. American Born Chinese won the Michael L. Prinz Award in 2007. The Prinz Award is based on literary merit, which is very interesting since literary to me means the writing, text and words. Given that American Born Chinese is primarily pictures supported by the text. The text is wonderful and flows, but it wouldn't stand alone with the pictures, so I find it curious that this book won an award based solely on the merits of its literary value. Nonetheless, I am grateful to Gene Luen Yang for making this an easy book to read because he has given me the nerve to pick up Rapunzel's Revenge and take a bash at that!"
"Three interweaved stories culminate into a surprising and thought provoking climax in Gene Luen Yang's "American Born Chinese." This colorful graphic novel blends the tales of a Monkey King (an old Chinese fable), Jin Wang (a young Chinese American boy fighting a negative stereotype) and Chin-Kee (the literal stereotype Jin is trying to admonish). Yang cleverly explores the socially sensitive issues of self acceptance through their tales. The alternating accounts of transformation are animated in style and text, while still honoring cultural tradition.
Readers of all ages can enjoy the colorful images and humorous details that capture the mystery of these characters culminating connection. The engaging storylines keep you absorbed right to the thought provoking end. At the climax, I literally had to take pause and reflect on the relational journey of the characters. "American Born Chinese" cleverly relates the identifiable tough issues of self discovery, acceptance and transformation that plague young people today.
I think "American Born Chinese" is a great example to those that naysay the educational value of graphic novels. There are a multitude of touched on topics that could be used for critical thinking and discussion in the classroom. Yang has not only entwined plot lines, but complex contemporary themes in a rich and visually pleasing format."
"Yang, Gene Luen. American Born Chinese, First Second, 233 pages. Graphic Novel.
Description: This book tells three concurrent stories. In one, the Monkey King is punished for acting as though he is better than the gods and mortals around him. In the other two stories, Chinese American boys try to adjust to live in a mostly white high school.
Review: American Born Chinese, does a wonderful job of exploring the depths of what people can lose when they try too hard to assimilate. When Jin Wang is rebuked by the white girl he has been dating, he takes it out on his loyal friend Wei-Chen and refuses his own culture in an extreme way. The three story threads that make up American Born Chinese become intricately woven together. The traditional Monkey King story is given a new relevance, as it both mirrors and interacts with the story of Jin Wang. This book is a great read for all older kids because of what it can teach about the colliding of cultures.
Professional Reviews: Fu, Binbin. MELUS, Fall 2007. Fu observes that this book does a lot to counter the Asian stereotypes of 19th and 20th century comic books. I agree that the characters in this book are fully realized and complex.
Cornog, Martha. Library Journal, March 2007. Cornog comments on the illustrations, calling them simple, colorful, simple and attractive. I agree with this statement. Yang conveys a lot of expression and emotion in his sparely drawn characters."
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