Lives of the Artists: Marc Chagall

Lives of the Artists: Marc Chagall by Antony Mason (World Almanac Library) ISBN: 9780836856491

Plot Summary

Mason traces the long career of Marc Chagall with an eye to providing context for understanding his work.  Each section details some relevant biographical information, but also includes a time line of events, pictures of the artist or his work, pictures of works by other relevant artists or to typify relevant art movements, or pictures of prominent landmarks.  The page below for instance includes a timeline from 1905 to 1911 describing both notable events in the world of art and in Chagall's life and career.  The blurb on top of the left page discusses Chagall's travel to Paris.  There is a blurb about Montparnasse, which had become a hotbed of artistic activity during this period.  A sculpture by Bourdelle is presented to give a sense of the work being done in Montparnasse.  Chagall's painting on the far left is included to show the strains of van Gogh's work in his own (a relevant van Gogh work is seen on the far right).  The right hand page includes blurbs on Fauvism and Cubism -- two movements that inspired Chagall, though he was never formally part of them -- and includes examples of each: a work by Matisse and Picasso respectively.

Critical Evaluation

The work moves very quickly and concisely through the life and times of Chagall.  The pages are as filled with pictures as they are with text.  This turns out to be the work's greatest strength.  Mason has managed to choose work from Chagall and his contemporaries that clearly show the influence of other artist's and world events on his work.  For such a slim volume, the work is remarkably rich.  Mason seems to place developing a context for understanding Chagall's work as his main purpose, and pulls this off masterfully.  We get only as much of Chagall's personal life as is necessary to understand his work.  In many ways this is a good thing.  Often we lose the work in the sordid life of an artist.  Mason's reverence does a service: we can place the work and we can also trace the movement of art across the last century.

Reader’s Annotation

Mason's glossy, picture filled volume on Chagall is the perfect guide to understanding the artist and his many influences.

Information about the author

From the author's webpage: 

Eighty books – seems a bit excessive, really, even to me. But this is the product of more than twenty years of writing. And I have to say that some authors in my field – illustrated non-fiction – have written twice, even three times, as many.  How did I get here? Well, I worked as an editor with a couple of small publishing companies in London for about ten years (1977–87), and then I turned freelance. Whenever any writing tasks were offered to me, I took them, and so gradually I made the conversion from editor to writer – although I still do both.  I think I always wanted to be a writer, penning short stories as a child. I also have an insatiable curiosity. This is how I’ve ended up in non-fiction, where my magpie instincts to investigate virtually any area of knowledge have served me well.  My primary skill – so I’m told – is to research a subject and then convert it into clear, accessible and engaging text for a general readership, or for children.  I also translate books from French, and write website content.  For a couple of years (2008–10) I was a tutor in writing at Goldsmiths, University of London, working as a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund. Latterly I have been closely involved in the Intergenerational Foundation, which aims to remind government and policy-makers of the need to think for the long-term to ensure an honourable and sustainable legacy to future generations. Since 2011 I have also been writing as the ‘Brussels expert’ for the Daily Telegraph and the Telegraph online travel website. (Mason, 2011)

Genre

Biography

Curriculum Ties

The book would be ideal in an art or drama class (Chagall not only worked in a variety of static arts, but developed stage sets and costumes).  Indeed the entire series of Lives of the Artists books have been approved by the California Department of Education as part of their database of Recommended Literature.  The site specifically suggests the books be used in Visual and Performing arts programs.

Booktalking Ideas

1.  Focusing on the artworks included in the book could be an ideal way to spark a reader's interest.

2. Discuss the role of influence and discuss with a classroom of artist's how they could use Chagall as a touchstone in their own work.

Reading Level/Interest Age

8th grade and up.

Challenge Issues

There are a few nudes included among the sculptures and paintings included.
 
I would openly greet any patron who presented a challenge to the work, giving them ample time to detail their complaint.  I would listen attentively.  To respond to these challenges I would have some reviews of the work on hand.   I would be prepared to explain that as a public institution libraries "cannot limit access on the basis of age or other characteristics" (ALA, 1999).  I would have copies of the library's collection policy on hand.  I would be prepared to politely discuss that parents can control what their children are exposed to by coming to the library with them and examining books they check out.  If the Teen Advisory Group had written reviews of the work I'd have them handy.  While it may be of little comfort to certain parents, I would also be prepared to discuss my staunch support of intellectual freedom and abhorrence of censorship.  As a last resort, I would be sure to keep copies or a reconsideration form on hand.

I would also discuss this book's inclusion in the California Department of Education's list of Recommended Literature.

Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?

I'm a big fan of Marc Chagall.  Instead of an engagement ring, my wife and I purchased a print of Birthday to hang in our room.

References

American Library Association. (1999). Strategies and tips for dealing with challenges to library materials. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/copingwithchallenges/strategiestips 


Mason, A. (2011). Antony Mason: About. Retrieved from http://www.antonymason.com/about.htm

Frank Gehry

Frank Gehry: Biography by Caroline Evenson Lazo (Twenty-First Century Books) ISBN: 978082253887

Plot Summary

Evensen Lazo begins by discussing opening night of Gehry's masterwork: the Walt Disney Concert Hall.  After setting the scene, Evensen Lazo briefly discusses Gehry's childhood (emphasizing a particular reference to his grandmother allowing live carp to swim in her bathtub before making gefilte fish -- a memory that would later inspire Gehry to make sculptures in the shape of fish), his college career, and then discusses notable works of his early career including pictures of each: his own home, his Acropolis at Loyola Law School, the Cabrillo Marine Museum, and the Santa Monica Place shopping mall.  Many of these incorporate examples of what Gehry calls cheapskate architecture including prominent use of chain link.  The second half of the book details Gehry's use of computer technology in helping design some of his more remarkable buildings: the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Experience Music Project in Seattle, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Critical Evaluation

Evensen Lazo's style is dry but informative.  She does a commendable job of providing a context for Gehry to show just how outside the mainstream his work is.  But ultimately the prose feels clinical and workmanlike,  discussing another building, and another, and another.  This may be in part because it follows the model set by the A&E Biography series of which the book is part.  Still Evensen Lazo provides us pictures of each major work and occasionally pictures of the buildings that inspired Gehry.  The work focuses rather strictly upon his career, with only occasional mentions of his personal life to add color.

Reader’s Annotation

Frank Gehry has managed to make chain link chic, to design a building that resembles a smashed guitar, and make one of the most revered designs for a concert hall.

Information about the author

Lazo has written a number of biographical works on figures ranging from U.S. Presidents (Van Buren, Pierce, Truman) to authors (Fitzgerald, Alice Walker, Steinem) to athletes like Arthur Ashe to Emperor Qin's Terra Cotta Army.  She is also the author of the children's book Someday When My Cat Can Talk.

Genre

Biography

Curriculum Ties

The book might be useful in an art class or a class studying urban design or 20th century architecture.

Booktalking Ideas

1. The pictures of buildings he's done might spark a reader's interest.
2. Talking about the cheap materials he used early on might be inspiring.

Reading Level/Interest Age

6th grade and up.

Challenge Issues

There are no challenge issues to speak of -- the book is a rather dry account of Gehry's career.  On the off chance that a patron lodged a complaint, I would proceed as follows. I would openly greet any patron who presented a challenge to the work, giving them ample time to detail their complaint.  I would listen attentively.  To respond to these challenges I would have some reviews of the work on hand.   I would be prepared to explain that as a public institution libraries "cannot limit access on the basis of age or other characteristics" (ALA, 1999).  I would have copies of the library's collection policy on hand.  I would be prepared to politely discuss that parents can control what their children are exposed to by coming to the library with them and examining books they check out.  If the Teen Advisory Group had written reviews of the work I'd have them handy.  While it may be of little comfort to certain parents, I would also be prepared to discuss my staunch support of intellectual freedom and abhorrence of censorship.  As a last resort, I would be sure to keep copies or a reconsideration form on hand.

Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?

My wife's aunt and uncle live in the Santa Monica neighborhood where Gehry's original home is located.  The style is odd and inspiring, so I thought the marches-to-the-beat-of-his-own-drum style might appeal to teens.

References

American Library Association. (1999). Strategies and tips for dealing with challenges to library materials. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/copingwithchallenges/strategiestips 


Mason, A. (2011). Antony Mason: About. Retrieved from http://www.antonymason.com/about.htm

Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club dir. by John Hughes (Universal Studios) ASIN: B001AEF6BI

Plot Summary

Five teens show up for Saturday school at Shermer High School.  They are tasked with writing a 1,000 word essay on who they think they are.  In the beginning of the film, each character seems to represent a specific stereotype.  The character Brian categorizes each of them as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal.  The students spend the day talking to and getting to know each other.  They bond over toying with Richard Vernon (the Saturday school supervisor), experimenting with drugs, dancing, and joking with one another.  At the film's end, it appears that each of the characters has been transformed by the experiences of a single day. 

Critical Evaluation

Breakfast Club is probably still the definitive movie about the high school experience. Mean Girls, Easy A, Clueless,  and 10 Things I Hate About You -- some of the best runners-up, each have fantastic elements that ultimately separate them from an actual high school experience: that is, they each have a sense of unreality, a sort of glamor only possible in a filmic world.  Certainly, not every element of Breakfast Club is plausible, but its grittiness -- its use of coarse language, the pain the characters cause each other, and the way that pain is used to catalyze catharsis (instead of as a plot device to complicate burgeoning romances as in every romantic comedy) -- lends it realism.  The movie doesn't speak down to its audience; each character is fully realized and grows as an individual as the movie progresses (even Vernon who seems least changed shows vulnerability in his conversation with Carl, the school's janitor). 

Reader’s Annotation

Five teens from different backgrounds interact during Saturday school and everyone's life is changed.

Information about the author

From an obituary from Variety magazine: 

Born in Michigan, Hughes used his high school town of suburban Northbrook, Ill., as a location for many of his films. He got his start as an advertising copywriter in Chicago and started selling jokes to performers such as Rodney Dangerfield and Joan Rivers. Hired by National Lampoon magazine after submitting his short story “Vacation ’58,” he wrote his first screenplay, “Class Reunion,” while on staff at the magazine, and it became his first produced script in 1982. His next, “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” based on his short story, became his first big hit and spawned several sequels.  

Hughes’ first film as a director was 1984′s “Sixteen Candles,” starring Anthony Michael Hall, John Cusack and Molly Ringwald. The teen romance introduced several of the actors who would make up Hughes’ “stock company” of thesps, several of whom became known as the Brat Pack.  

In 1985, “The Breakfast Club” became the era’s iconic and influential high school film. It starred Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Hall and Judd Nelson as teens who must learn to get along when thrown together during Saturday detention. (Saperstein, 2009).

Genre

Motion Picture

Curriculum Ties

The movie doesn't like tie into any specific subject lessons, but the messages about acceptance and camaraderie could probably be useful in any class.

Booktalking Ideas

1.  Focus on the clique structure that informs the film and creates the stereotypes for each teen.

2. Open the talk with the David Bowie quotation that opens the film: "And these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds; are immune to your consultations, they're quite aware of what they're going through."

Reading Level/Interest Age

9th grade and up.

Challenge Issues

Language; Drugs; Discussion of Sex; Descriptions of abuse and bullying.

I would openly greet any patron who presented a challenge to the work, giving them ample time to detail their complaint.  I would listen attentively.  To respond to these challenges I would have some reviews of the work on hand.   I would be prepared to explain that as a public institution libraries "cannot limit access on the basis of age or other characteristics" (ALA, 1999).  I would have copies of the library's collection policy on hand.  I would be prepared to politely discuss that parents can control what their children are exposed to by coming to the library with them and examining books they check out.  If the Teen Advisory Group had written reviews of the work I'd have them handy.  While it may be of little comfort to certain parents, I would also be prepared to discuss my staunch support of intellectual freedom and abhorrence of censorship.  As a last resort, I would be sure to keep copies or a reconsideration form on hand.

Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?

This is the movie that the Teen Advisory Group wanted to watch at a recent movie event.  I thought it was interesting that they felt a movie from 1985 still spoke to the teenagers of 2013.  (I had fully expected that we would watch Beautiful Creatures that day, and had a place holder set up on the blog for that film).

References

American Library Association. (1999). Strategies and tips for dealing with challenges to library materials. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/copingwithchallenges/strategiestips 


Saperstein, P. (2009).  'Breakfast Club' helmer died of a heart attack. Retrieved from http://variety.com/2009/film/news/director-john-hughes-dies-at-59-1118006975/

Ten Things I Hate About You

10 Things I Hate About You by by Gil Junger (Touchstone Pictures) ASIN: B00000K31Q

Plot Summary

The movie is a retelling of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew set in a Seattle high school (the actual high school used for establishing shots in the film was Stadium high in Tacoma).  Cameron, new to Padua High School falls in love with Bianca, but finds that she isn't allowed to date until her obstreperous (read "free thinking feminist") sister dates first.  Cameron and his friend Michael concoct a scheme to pay outcast Patrick Verona to take Katarina out (after raiding her room to discover her interests, which include feminist rock bands like Bikini Kill and the Raincoats), and he agrees.  During their time together Verona falls for Kat.  Cameron comes to find that Bianca is shallow and not interested in him.  Things change when Cameron gives Bianca a ride home from a party and Kat discovers that Verona has been paid to date her.

Critical Evaluation

Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, and Joseph Gordon Levitt turn in wonderful performances as Kat, Verona, and Cameron respectively.  Stiles' performance makes it clear that Kat only appears aggressive to characters who are fools because she will not suffer them, for the audience she is imminently likeable.  Ledger's Verona is immediately charming despite being brusque and somewhat imposing, and his performance of "Can't Take My Eyes of You" is a classic and memorable film moment.  Though the material is slight, Ledger is able to show the range of his talent that would later be used to full effect in films like Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight Rises.

Reader’s Annotation

Bianca can't date Cameron (or anyone else) until her sister starts dating.  But there's an easy solution: just pay the school's biggest outcast to take her out.

Information about the author

From the Internet Movie Database: 

Gil Junger began his career in Hollywood by attending the University of Texas at Austin's Radio, TV, and Film School. After graduating, he became a gofer. He moved into directing television, and has worked on such series as "Dharma & Greg" (1997) and "The Golden Girls" (1985). He was nominated for an Emmy and a Director's Guild Award for directing the episode of "Ellen" (1994), in which the lead character reveals that she is a lesbian. He broke into feature film directing with 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). He is an avid photographer, golfer, and musician, and is in a band called "Mid-Life Crisis". (Dicker, 2013)

Genre

Motion Picture

Curriculum Ties

The movie is a reworking of Taming of the Shrew and could be useful when paired with that play, especially in considerations of how Katarina ought to be perceived.

Booktalking Ideas

1.  Focus on the relationship between Verona and Katarina.

2. Screen the Heath Ledger song and dance scene discussed above.

Reading Level/Interest Age

9th grade and up.

Challenge Issues

Language; Drinking and tobacco use; Discussion of Sex. 

I would openly greet any patron who presented a challenge to the work, giving them ample time to detail their complaint.  I would listen attentively.  To respond to these challenges I would have some reviews of the work on hand.   I would be prepared to explain that as a public institution libraries "cannot limit access on the basis of age or other characteristics" (ALA, 1999).  I would have copies of the library's collection policy on hand.  I would be prepared to politely discuss that parents can control what their children are exposed to by coming to the library with them and examining books they check out.  If the Teen Advisory Group had written reviews of the work I'd have them handy.  While it may be of little comfort to certain parents, I would also be prepared to discuss my staunch support of intellectual freedom and abhorrence of censorship.  As a last resort, I would be sure to keep copies or a reconsideration form on hand.

Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?

Franky, it's one of my favorite teen movies.  I've seen it half a dozen times or more.  It's also recently been adapted into a television show.

References

American Library Association. (1999). Strategies and tips for dealing with challenges to library materials. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/copingwithchallenges/strategiestips 


Dicker, M. (2013) Mini-biography: Gil Junger. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0432627/bio

Easy A

Easy A directed by Will Gluck (Sony Pictures) ASIN: B0036TGSIK

Plot Summary

Olive lies to her best friend Rhiannon about losing her virginity.  Before she can explain that she was joking.  Marianne -- a born again Christian -- spreads the rumor that Olive had sex with a college guy.  Her gay friend Brandon asks her to fake having sex with him too, so that the other students at school will stop hazing him.  Soon after, a number of guys at the school begin paying Olive to pretend to have sex with them too.  Soon she is ostracized at school.  She's willing to play the part for a time, until she is accused of giving Marianne's boyfriend chlamydia, and another classmate takes her on a date expecting sex.  These two incidents inspire her to come clean about being a virgin.
 

Critical Evaluation

While it may not seem it from the plot summary, the film is charming.  In most areas of her life Olive is intelligent and confident.  She has a strong relationship with her parents and brother.  The movie also reveals how seriously sex is taken in high school; even the pretense that Olive is having sex causes her a slut-shaming.  The film is able to broach this double standards (the girls who do it are sluts; the guys who do it are studs) and talk about STDs without every feeling preachy or pedantic.  It helps that we are in the know the whole time and have the film focalized through Olive's precocious eyes.

Reader’s Annotation

Olive lied about doing; then pretended to do it.  Now everyone is treating her like someone who overdoes it. 

Information about the author

Will Gluck has directed Fired Up!, Friends With Benefits, and Easy A.  He is working on a film adaptation of Annie for 2014.

Genre

Moving Picture

Curriculum Ties

The movie is a treatment of the Scarlet Letter, but it doesn't follow the plot of Hawthorne's work; it uses as a jumping off point of inspiration.  Still, the film may raise some compelling points for discussion if a class reads that book.  The film may also be a useful tool for starting a conversation about sex and sexuality (perhaps coupled with sex education and Doing It Right).

Booktalking Ideas

1. Focus on the humor and the frank discussion of sex and sexuality.

2.  Screen the montage where Olive gets a card from her grandmother.  It's charming and helps develop her character.  This (listening to a musical card over and over) is what she was really doing the weekend she claims (sarcastically) to have lost her virginity.

Reading Level/Interest Age

9th grade and up.

Challenge Issues

Sex (discussion of it; and making fake sex noises), alcohol, and language.

I would openly greet any patron who presented a challenge to the work, giving them ample time to detail their complaint.  I would listen attentively.  To respond to these challenges I would have some reviews of the work on hand.   I would be prepared to explain that as a public institution libraries "cannot limit access on the basis of age or other characteristics" (ALA, 1999).  I would have copies of the library's collection policy on hand.  I would be prepared to politely discuss that parents can control what their children are exposed to by coming to the library with them and examining books they check out.  If the Teen Advisory Group had written reviews of the work I'd have them handy.  While it may be of little comfort to certain parents, I would also be prepared to discuss my staunch support of intellectual freedom and abhorrence of censorship.  As a last resort, I would be sure to keep copies or a reconsideration form on hand.

Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?

Emma Stone is a currently popular actress.  I find this film to be smart and funny.

References

American Library Association. (1999). Strategies and tips for dealing with challenges to library materials. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/copingwithchallenges/strategiestips 

Pardes, B. (2007). Doing it right. New York: Simon Pulse.

Pardes, B. (2013). About me. Retrieved from http://bronwenpardes.com/?page_id=14

Punk Rock Ettiquette

Punk Rock Etiquette: The Ultimate How-to Guide for DIY, punk, indie, and underground bands by Travis Nichols (Roaring Brook Pres) ISBN: 978-1-59643-415-5

Plot Summary

Punk Rock Etiquette is ostensibly a how-to guide.  While there are some useful tips for bands about screen printing, and getting cheap sustenance for the road, the book reads more like an Amy Sedaris hospitality book: Jokes seem more important than information in Punk Rock Etiquette.  Early on Nichols talks about getting a rock band together.  He creates a series of stereotypes and says all of your band members will fall into one of them, then proceeds to list pros and cons.  Of the delinquent, Nichols writes, "Everyone loves a criminal.  Robin Hood and Billy the Kid -- those guys were KICKASS.  But if your band's Delinquent dabbles in anything violent or something that could get YOU in trouble, steer clear.  Pros: Cred, keeps you stocked in guitar picks and snacks.  Cons: Probation officer meetings get in the way of practicing and touring" (2008, p. 9).  And so it goes, every piece of practical advice about booking shows, determining your look, and making "merch" is wrapped in a thick layer or ironic detachment.

Critical Evaluation

Nichols' book advertises it self as the ultimate DIY guide for Punk bands.  But it's really more of a lark than you'd expect: complete with silly illustrations and a fairly lengthy comic strip about life on the road.  If you're expecting a music version of Steal This Book, the Anarchist's Cookbook, or even a solemn, sober account of the practicalities of recording (like liner notes of a Desperate Bicycles single expanded to book length), this isn't the book you're looking for.  It jokes; it's pleased with itself; it's charming; it has instructions for making trail mix and packing your suitcase for the road.  In other words, it is not very punk.  These practicalities are important, but whatever happened to the starving punk artist surviving on the truth and airplane glue?  It's mistitled, almost too cutesy for the audience it'll attract with its austere title, and less practically useful than Girls Rock.

This is probably what the cover image should be.  All the illustrations in the book feature these cute animals.  The book also needs a different title.

Reader’s Annotation

If you want to learn how to get into a gigging band, you like cartoons, and don't mind if half the information is a joke, this is the book for you.

Information about the author

From the author's official biographies are concise (almost to the point of not being informative):

I'm Travis. I'm a Texan in Brooklyn.   I write books. And draw drawings and comics. And paint. And rock and roll.   Please enjoy my internet website. (Nichols, 2013a)

and

I write and illustrate books and comics for kids and post-kids. And I make music sometimes too. This is that music I was talking about earlier. (Nichols, 2013b)

His webpage reveals that he's written and illustrated a number of children's books including The Monster Doodle Book and The Totally Awesome Book of Useless Information.  He's done work for Nickelodeon magazine.  He plays music with a band called the Needies (they have a Ben Folds' sound).

Genre

How To/DIY

Curriculum Ties

There aren't specific curriculum ties.  But it might help inspire some students to pursue playing a musical instrument or starting a band, which could have curricular connections.  Though the book itself is probably not detailed or specific enough to work well in a course on its own merits.

Booktalking Ideas

1. Honestly, I wouldn't likely book talk this.  It's not that great.  Girls Rock is more informative all around (regardless of your gender).  But Nichols fills the book with fun sketches that are eye catching.

2.  Nichols' humor might be very appealing to some people.  It helps deflate the seriousness that might hover around musicians (wait! are musicians known for being overly serious?!).

Reading Level/Interest Age

7th grade and up.

Challenge Issues

Language; Cartoon Violence.  Some parents or patrons may object to punk music.

I would openly greet any patron who presented a challenge to the work, giving them ample time to detail their complaint.  I would listen attentively.  To respond to these challenges I would have some reviews of the work on hand.   I would be prepared to explain that as a public institution libraries "cannot limit access on the basis of age or other characteristics" (ALA, 1999).  I would have copies of the library's collection policy on hand.  I would be prepared to politely discuss that parents can control what their children are exposed to by coming to the library with them and examining books they check out.  If the Teen Advisory Group had written reviews of the work I'd have them handy.  While it may be of little comfort to certain parents, I would also be prepared to discuss my staunch support of intellectual freedom and abhorrence of censorship.  As a last resort, I would be sure to keep copies or a reconsideration form on hand.

Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?

I thought it would make an interesting counterpoint to Girls Rock.  It didn't.

References

American Library Association. (1999). Strategies and tips for dealing with challenges to library materials. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/copingwithchallenges/strategiestips  

Nichols, T. (2008). Punk rock etiquette: The ultimate how-to guide for DIY, punk, indie, and underground bands. New York: Roaring Book Press.

Nichols, T. (2013a). About. Retrieved http://iamtravisnichols.com/#/intro/

Nichols, T. (2013b). [Sidebar biography]. Retrieved http://travisnichols.bandcamp.com/album/the-needies-warning-contents-secular

American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (First Second) ISBN: 978-1-59643-152-2

Plot Summary

The book follows three interweaving narratives.  The first is a story of the monkey king being rebuffed at a dinner party for the gods and his attempt to make himself more than a monkey.  The second is the story of Jin Wang's attempt to fit in at a new school and subsequent friendship with Taiwanese emigre Wei-Chen Sun.  The third story appears to be a television sit-com called "Everyone Ruvs Chin-kee," in which a stereotyped racist caricature of a Chinese youth follows his Caucasian cousin Danny around school performing acts that embarrass Danny (and are themselves stereotyped and racist -- for instance urinating in the soda of an unsuspecting student).  Eventually the plot lines entangle in a startling way, that forces the reader to examine racism and cultural acceptance.

Critical Evaluation

The book is frank about racism and about Jin's attempts to deny his own history and culture in order to fit in at school.  This parallel's nicely with the Monkey King's attempts to distance himself from his monkey heritage by assuming a more human visage and wearing shoes.  Yang suggests that such superficial changes and denials can be traps that we set for ourselves and that acceptance of our unique qualities and cultures can be liberating.  This is a powerful and uplifting message.  Yang also skillfully ties the three disparate strands together in a way that gives the narrative more weight than a simple memoir style graphic novel might otherwise have. 

Reader’s Annotation 

Jin Wang wants to fit in at school, but does he need to change who he is to do it?  And what lessons can he learn from the ancient tale of the Monkey King?

Information about the author 

From author's webpage: 

Hi! I’m Gene Luen Yang. Thanks for visiting my site! I began publishing comic books under the name Humble Comics in 1996. In 1997, I got the Xeric Grant for Gordon Yamamoto and the King of the Geeks. (If you’re interested in creating comics yourself, check out the Xeric Foundation. They’re a great organization!) Since then I’ve written and drawn a number of stories in comics. American Born Chinese, released by First Second Books in 2006, became the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book Award and the first to win the American Library Association’s Printz Award. It also won an Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album – New. The Eternal Smile, a collaborative project I did with Derek Kirk Kim in 2009, won an Eisner as well. Dark Horse Comics is currently publishing a comics continuation of Nickelodeon’s popular Avatar: The Last Airbender, with art by Gurihiru and story by Mike DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and me.  In September of 2013, First Second Books will release my two-volume graphic novel project Boxers & Saints.  

I teach at Hamline University as part of their MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults.  

If you’d like to talk to me about my comics, using comics in education, or anything else, please contact me. (Yang, 2010)

Genre

Graphic Novel

Curriculum Ties

The work is in the California Department of Education's database of Recommended Literature with a suggestion to use the book in History or Social Science classes.  The work could also be used in a literature class, specifically one that was examining world literature like the the tale of the Monkey King's journey to the west.

Booktalking Ideas

1) The book is overtly about experiencing racism as a minority in the United States, so this makes an ideal opening salvo in discussing the work.
2) Examine the relationships between Jin & Wei-Chen and Danny & Chin-kee.  They ultimately parallel.

Reading Level/Interest Age

8th grade and up.

Challenge Issues

The book deals openly with racism and includes racist depictions of Chinese people to make its point about cultural acceptance.

I would openly greet any patron who presented a challenge to the work, giving them ample time to detail their complaint.  I would listen attentively.  To respond to these challenges I would have some reviews of the work on hand.   I would be prepared to explain that as a public institution libraries "cannot limit access on the basis of age or other characteristics" (ALA, 1999).  I would have copies of the library's collection policy on hand.  I would be prepared to politely discuss that parents can control what their children are exposed to by coming to the library with them and examining books they check out.  If the Teen Advisory Group had written reviews of the work I'd have them handy.  While it may be of little comfort to certain parents, I would also be prepared to discuss my staunch support of intellectual freedom and abhorrence of censorship.  As a last resort, I would be sure to keep copies or a reconsideration form on hand.

I would also discuss this work's inclusion in the California Department of Education's database of Recommended Literature.

Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?

The book is a highly regarded work of manga and has been adapted into two highly successful anime series: Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

References

American Library Association. (1999). Strategies and tips for dealing with challenges to library materials. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/copingwithchallenges/strategiestips  

  Yang, G. (2010). About: Gene Luen Yang. Retrieved from geneyang.com/about