Recommendations based on American Born Chineseby Gene Luen Yang

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

    by Sherman Alexie
    A young Native American boy's struggles to survive in a difficult world.

    The book follows a fourteen-year-old boy living with his family on the Spokane Indian Reservation near Wellpinit, Washington for a school year. It is told in episodic diary style, moving from the ... (Wikipedia)

  2. Boxers

    by Gene Luen Yang
    A young Chinese boy's quest to save his village from foreign invaders during the Boxer Rebellion.

    China, 1898. Bands of foreign missionaries and soldiers roam the countryside, bullying and robbing Chinese peasants. Little Bao has had enough. Harnessing the powers of ancient Chinese gods, he ... (Goodreads)

  3. Saints

    by Gene Luen Yang
    A Chinese-American teenager navigates two cultures, blending in while still standing out.

    China, 1898. An unwanted and unwelcome fourth daughter, Four-Girl isn't even given a proper name by her family when she's born. She finds friendship—and a name, Vibiana—in the most unlikely of ... (Goodreads)

  4. The Arrival

    by Shaun Tan
    A thought-provoking story of a man's journey to an unknown land in search of a new home.

    In a heartbreaking parting, a man gives his wife and daughter a last kiss and boards a steamship to cross the ocean. He's embarking on the most painful yet important journey of his life—he's leaving ... (Goodreads)

  5. Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life

    by Bryan Lee O'Malley
    A young man's misadventures in love, learning lessons of responsibility and maturity.

    Scott Pilgrim's life is totally sweet. He's 23 years old, he's in a rock band, he's "between jobs," and he's dating a cute high school girl. Nothing could possibly go wrong, unless a seriously ... (Barnes & Noble)

  6. Blankets

    by Craig Thompson
    A young man's journey of faith, love, and growing up in a rural Wisconsin town.

    Wrapped in the landscape of a blustery Wisconsin winter, Blankets explores the sibling rivalry of two brothers growing up in the isolated country, and the budding romance of two coming-of-age lovers. ... (Goodreads)

  7. Bone: The Complete Edition

    by Jeff Smith
    A sweeping fantasy epic featuring a charming cast of characters on a journey of exploration and adventure.

    BONE – The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume, Winner of 41 National and International Awards including 10 Eisner Awards and 11 Harvey Awards! Meet the Bone cousins, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and ... (Barnes & Noble)

  8. Unmanned

    by Brian K. Vaughan
    A drone operator is forced to confront the consequences of his actions when a malfunctioning drone targets an American citizen.

    On July 17, 2002, all living mammals with a Y chromosome —including embryos and sperm —simultaneously die, with the exception of a young amateur escape artist named Yorick Brown and his Capuchin ... (Wikipedia)

  9. Marcelo in the Real World

    by Francisco X. Stork
    A young man with Asperger's Syndrome navigates the challenges of the real world.

    Marcelo Sandoval, is a seventeen-year-old who hears music in his head as a result of mild autism , described as a " cognitive disorder " by his father. , He attends a school that caters to the needs ... (Wikipedia)

  10. Flotsam

    by David Wiesner
    A boy discovers a camera with mysterious photographs, inspiring a journey of exploration.

    The book has no words , but is told through pictures. A boy is at the beach and finds an old camera. He takes the film to get it developed, and sees photos of fantastical undersea cities and ... (Wikipedia)

  11. Out of the Dust

    by Karen Hesse
    A poetic story of a young girl's endurance through a time of great hardship.

    When Billie Jo is just fourteen she must endure heart-wrenching ordeals that no child should have to face. The quiet strength she displays while dealing with unspeakable loss is as surprising as it ... (Goodreads)

  12. Monster

    by Walter Dean Myers
    A young man's journey through the criminal justice system, and his struggle to find redemption.

    The novel begins with 16-year-old Steve Harmon writing in his diary awaiting for his trial for murder . Musing on his short time in prison so far, he decides to record this upcoming experience in the ... (Wikipedia)

  13. Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal

    by G. Willow Wilson
    A teenage girl discovers her superpowers and struggles to balance her heroic and personal lives.

    Marvel Comics presents the new Ms. Marvel, the groundbreaking heroine that has become an international sensation! Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Graveyard Book

    by Neil Gaiman
    A young boy's journey through a graveyard, learning the secrets of the dead.

    The story begins as the man Jack murders most of the members of a family (later revealed to be the Dorian family) except for the toddler upstairs. Unknown to him, the toddler has climbed out of his ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Because of Winn-Dixie

    by Kate DiCamillo
    A girl's journey of self-discovery and healing, as she finds friendship in an unlikely companion.

    Kate DiCamillo's beloved, best-selling debut novel is now available in a paperback digest edition. Kate DiCamillo's first published novel, like Winn-Dixie himself, immediately proved to be a keeper—a ... (Goodreads)

  16. The First Part Last

    by Angela Johnson
    A teenage girl's journey of self-discovery, coming to terms with teen pregnancy.

    Bobby's a classic urban teenager. He's restless. He's impulsive. But the thing that makes him different is this: He's going to be a father. His girlfriend, Nia, is pregnant, and their lives are about ... (Goodreads)

  17. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

    by Junot Díaz
    An exploration of love, identity, and the power of fate in a family's struggles and triumphs.

    Oscar de León (nicknamed Oscar Wao, a bastardization of Oscar Wilde ) is an overweight Dominican growing up in Paterson, New Jersey. Oscar desperately wants to be successful with women but, from a ... (Wikipedia)

  18. Scott Pilgrim, Volume 2: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

    by Bryan Lee O'Malley
    A young man's fight against his love interest's seven evil exes, with a dose of magical realism.

    Scott Pilgrim, a 23-year-old slacker, lives in Toronto with his roommate Wallace Wells. He is the bass player for Sex Bob-omb, an unsuccessful band consisting of himself, guitarist Stephen Stills, ... (Wikipedia)

  19. V for Vendetta

    by Alan Moore
    A dystopian future, where a mysterious vigilante fights for freedom and justice.

    On Guy Fawkes Night in London in 1997, a young girl goes to see her boss after curfew when she is sexually attacked by three men who are actually members of the state secret police , called "The ... (Wikipedia)

  20. Unwind

    by Neal Shusterman
    A dystopian future world where teenagers are subjected to a “harvesting” process that splits them apart.

    Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives. The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age ... (Goodreads)

  21. The Higher Power of Lucky

    by Susan Patron
    A young girl's journey of self-discovery, learning the power of resilience and hope.

    The novel features Lucky, a 10-year-old girl who lives in a small town called Hard Pan (population 43) in the California desert with her two friends Lincoln, who is an avid knot tyer and expected by ... (Wikipedia)

  22. A Light in the Attic

    by Shel Silverstein
    A whimsical collection of poems, stories and drawings exploring life, love and the power of imagination.

    Last night while I lay thinking here, Some Whatifs crawled inside my ear, And pranced and partied all night long, And sang their same old Whatif song:, Whatif I flunk that test?,Whatif green hair ... (Goodreads)

  23. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

    by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
    Two teenage boys explore friendship, identity, and family, with unexpected results.

    The book is divided into six sections. In each part we see the two main characters, Aristotle and Dante, discovering more about themselves, more Aristotle than Dante. 15-year-old Aristotle "Ari" ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Days Gone Bye

    by Robert Kirkman
    Small-town sheriff's journey to survive a zombie-filled apocalyptic world.

    The world we knew is gone. The world of commerce and frivolous necessity has been replaced by a world of survival and responsibility. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  25. Americanah

    by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
    An exploration of race, identity, and belonging as two Nigerian immigrants experience life in America and beyond.

    Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to ... (Goodreads)

  26. The Namesake

    by Jhumpa Lahiri
    A young Indian-American's journey of reconciling two different cultures and his own identity.

    The story begins as Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli, a young Bengali couple, leave Calcutta , India, and settle in Central Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts . Ashoke is an engineering student at the ... (Wikipedia)

  27. Invisible Man

    by Ralph Ellison
    A black man's journey towards self-actualization in a world of racial oppression.

    The narrator, an unnamed black man, begins by describing his living conditions: an underground room wired with hundreds of electric lights, operated by power stolen from the city's electric grid. He ... (Wikipedia)

  28. Scott Pilgrim, Volume 3: Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness

    by Bryan Lee O'Malley
    A comedic exploration of love, relationships, and modern life through the lens of a young man.

    Scott Pilgrim, a 23-year-old slacker, lives in Toronto with his roommate Wallace Wells. He is the bass player for Sex Bob-omb, an unsuccessful band consisting of himself, guitarist Stephen Stills, ... (Wikipedia)

  29. Feed

    by M.T. Anderson
    In a future where everyone is connected to the internet through their brains, a group of teenagers rebel against the system.

    The novel portrays a near-future in which the feednet , a huge computer network (apparently an advanced form of the Internet), is directly connected to the brains of about 73% of American citizens by ... (Wikipedia)

  30. Ghost World

    by Daniel Clowes
    Two teenage girls navigate the awkward transition to adulthood, grappling with identity, relationships, and the mundanity of suburban life.

    Ghost World has become a cultural and generational touchstone, and continues to enthrall and inspire readers over a decade after its original release as a graphic novel. Originally serialized in the ... (Goodreads)