American Born Chinese (2006)

Shortlisted: National Book Award for Young People's Literature, 2006. Won: Michael L. Printz Award, 2007. Gene Luen Yang's book was the first graphic novel to reach a National Book Award shortlist, and then the first to win the Printz, the American Library Association's top prize for young adult literature. Three stories braid together: the Monkey King of Chinese legend, a boy who is the only Chinese American kid at his school, and a sitcom-style cousin built from every ugly stereotype. The braid pays off in a twist that makes the uncomfortable parts land. It is short, funny and an easy first graphic novel for a teenager or an adult.