Gene Luen Yang

Gene Luen Yang discusses how books help him break out of his comfort zone—and warns about the dangers of feeling too comfortable.

Gene Luen Yang discusses his platform.

Gene Luen Yang discusses how books like Richard Wright’s Black Boy capture our common humanity.

Gene Luen Yang shares how reading Outside the Paint by Kathleen Yep helped him become a basketball fan.

Gene Luen Yang discusses how he encourages his children to read outside of their comfort zones.

Gene Luen Yang notes how books with a practical application often appeal to young readers.

Gene Luen Yang recounts smuggling comic books into his childhood home.

Gene Luen Yang describes his awesome bookshelves.

Gene Luen Yang discusses his early love of Dr. Seuss and the superheroes Spider-Man and Superman.

Gene Luen Yang describes his habits as a slow reader.

Gene Luen Yang describes the magic of the printed book while acknowledging the validity of audiobooks.

Gene Luen Yang describes feelings of being “in-between.”

Author and illustrator Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel American Born Chinese has found resonance with so many different communities.

Gene Luen Yang offers his thoughts on writing outside your culture.

Gene Luen Yang explains that the superhero story is the immigrant story.

Gene Luen Yang discusses teaching through comics.

Gene Luen Yang details the labor-intensive process of making comic books and graphic novels.

Gene Luen Yang discusses how graphic novels can engage reluctant readers.

We need diverse books because every kid needs a book that is a window and every kid needs a book that is a mirror.

The interview above was recorded at Jeff Kinney’s bookstore in Plainville, MA — An Unlikely Story. In October 2017, five award-winning authors for young people — Jack Gantos, Jeff Kinney, Jarrett Krosoczka, Jon Scieszka, and Gene Luen Yang — gathered for a funny and insightful panel discussion about how to motivate boys (and any reluctant readers) to read more. Watch the panel discussion: How to Get and Keep Boys Reading.

In the interview above, Gene Yang sits down with Jeffrey Brown from PBS NewsHour to discuss his childhood, his love of coding, and the feeling of being an outsider. View the interview transcript ›

Biography

Gene Luen Yang began drawing comic books in the fifth grade. In 2006, his graphic novel, American Born Chinese — a memoir about growing up as an Asian American — became the first graphic novel to win the American Library Association’s Printz Award. He is the author of the Secret Coders series and has written for the hit comics Avatar: The Last Airbender and Superman. In 2016, Yang was named the Library of Congress National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and selected as a MacArthur Fellow.

To learn more, visit Gene Yang’s official website.

You might also want to watch Gene’s video blog, Reading Without Walls, on Reading Rockets. Gene sits down with authors and illustrators (including some of his favorite graphic novel creators) that he meets as he travels the country in his role as ambassador.

Books by this author

American Born Chinese

Gene Luen Yang

Illustrator:

Lark Pien

Age Level:

9-12

Genre:

Fairytales, Folk Tales, and Tall Tales, Fiction

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise

Gene Luen Yang

Age Level:

9-12

Genre:

Fiction, Fantasy

Hopper’s new school, Stately Academy, is more creepy than scholarly as the 12-year-old girl soon learns. But with her new friends, they discover the school’s secrets and address them through computer coding. The adventures of this multicultural cast of kids continue in Paths and Portals (opens in a new window) as the series goes on.