By Gene Luen Yang
A funny, poignant, true-to-life-mixed-with-some-fantasy graphic novel about a Chinese American teenage boy coming to terms with who he is. Along the way he encounters racism, friendship, first crushes, and an annoying "cousin" who embodies every negative Chinese stereotype anyone has ever heard of.
After Jin Wang's family moves from San Francisco's Chinatown to a more suburban neighborhood, he is the only Chinese American in the school. There is one Japanese American girl in his class, however, with whom everyone thinks Jin has an arranged marriage...Eventually a new boy arrives "off the boat" from China, and after some initial avoidance, Jin decides to be friends with the newcomer. Good thing, because Wei-Chen tells Jin's crush, Amelia, how great Jin is and Amelia agrees to go on a (hilarious) movie date with Jin.
Meanwhile, a Chinese fable is interspersed with Jin's American high school drama; in the fable a Monkey King is struggling with his own identity and power, wanting to be a god instead of a king. The Monkey King becomes aware of and begins to dislike his own monkey-ness. He suddenly insists all monkeys wear shoes, among other changes in his kingdom.
The stories of Jin, his friend Wei-Chen, and the Monkey King are woven together in a clever way at the end of the novel. Acceptance of oneself is a clear but complicated theme in Yang's graphic novel, which specifically highlights how cruel kids can be to each other in school. Though his story focuses on a Chinese American teen trying to fit in, this is a story any middle school student can probably relate to.
(ISBN: 978-1-415-68878-6)
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