Gene Luen Yang began making comics and graphic novels in the fifth grade. In 2006, American Born Chinese 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 the Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album - New.

In January 2016, the Library of Congress, Every Child A Reader, and the Children’s Book Council appointed Yang the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

For his full biography, check out geneyang.com.