The ambassador program was established in 2008, by the Children’s Book Council, Every Child a Reader, and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, to highlight the importance of young people’s literature in developing a literate, tolerant, informed citizenry. Yang will serve a two-year term, traveling the nation to champion diversity in all forms—and formats—with his platform, “Reading Without Walls.”
About Gene Luen YangGene Luen Yang began drawing comic books in the fifth grade; he began making comics professionally over fifteen years ago. In 2006, his graphic novel American Born Chinese (Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/First Second Books) became the first graphic novel to be a finalist 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. In 2013, Boxers & Saints (Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/First Second Books), his two-volume graphic novel about the Boxer Rebellion, was a National Book Award finalist and won the L.A. Times Book Prize. Gene has also won an Eisner for The Eternal Smile, a collaboration with Derek Kirk Kim. He is the author of the Secret Coders series (with artist Mike Holmes) and has written for the hit comics Avatar: The Last Airbender andSuperman. Yang lives in the San Francisco Bay area. Learn more at geneyang.com.
My daughter and I had the pleasure of meeting him a Teen Lit Con in Minnesota last year. He was fantastic! My daughter went to his session, and she really liked him. Also - Avatar the Last Airbender is HUGE at my house, so we've loved his work for a long time!
I'm excited because I "have" to read his book American Born Chinese for a class I'm taking this spring. (life's rough I know!)
To read about Gene and the National Ambassador check out the links below.
Official Announcement on the Children's Book Council Website
Article at Publishers Weekly
No comments:
Post a Comment