Level Up

Written by: Gene Luen Yang

Illustrated by: Thien Pham

Ages: Middle School
Theme: Family wishes versus individual goals

Summary:

Dennis Ouyang, a Chinese kid growing up in America, is obsessed with video games. He fights with his father, who wants him to grow up to be a doctor. When Dennis' father dies of stomach cancer, Dennis flunks out of college and unexpectedly receives several signs from his father to study hard. These signs are in the form of a group of angels who appear on his doorstep and announce they are there to help him fulfill his destiny: to be a gastroenterologist. Dennis recognizes the angels as ones from a greeting card his father had given him. The angels are helpful to Dennis. They get him reenrolled in college and push him until he graduates and is admitted into medical school. Once Dennis is in medical school, he begins to realize his destiny is not what he wants from life. He struggles between what is expected of him and what he wants. He finally settles his struggle by becoming a surgeon because it utilizes his video gaming skills.

Pre-Reading Activity:

Have the students write a journal entry answering what is more important....doing what you want to do in life or fulfilling your parents dreams for you?

Post Reading Activity:

Think about your hobby. Write about how this hobby can turn into a career. In this story, Dennis took his gaming skills and utilized them in his surgeon skills. What are your hobbies and how can they be used for your career in the future? Write a 3-5 paragraph essay.

Reflection:

This was my introduction to graphic novels and I really liked how this was a fast read with a lot of pictures. The story was a good one, but became too detailed  in medical information, which could be difficult for middle schoolers to understand. It was a good story of the conflict students can have about their career goals versus what their family wants for them. Also, the debate between what a hobby is and when it becomes an obsession would be a fun activity to do with middle-schoolers.

About the author:

Gene Luen Yang began drawing comic books in the 5th grade. In 1997, he received the Xeric Grant for Gordon Yamamoto and the King of the Geeks, his first comic works as an adult. He has since written and drawn a number of titles. His 2006 book, American Born Chinese was the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book Award and the first to win the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award. Gene currently writes the graphic novel continuation of the popular Nickelodeon cartoon series Avatar: The Last Airbender. 

 From Wikipedia