The magic fish

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The magic fish

Title :

The magic fish / Trung Le Nguyen.

Title:

The magic fish

Author:

Nguyen, Trung Le

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

229 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 21 cm

Edition:

First edition.

ISBN:

9781984851598

9780593125298

9781984851604

Production / Publication Information:

New York : RH Graphic, [2020]

General Note:

Chiefly illustrations.

Summary:

"Real life isn't a fairytale. But Tié̂n still enjoys reading his favorite stories with his parents from the books he borrows from the local library. It's hard enough trying to communicate with your parents as a kid, but for Tié̂n, he doesn't even have the right words because his parents are struggling with their English. Is there a Vietnamese word for what he's going through? Is there a way to tell them he's gay?"--

Target audience note:

Ages 12 and up.

Language:

English

Genre:

Graphic novels.

Subject Term:

Graphic novels.

Coming out (Sexual orientation) -- Fiction -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Identity (Philosophical concept) -- Fiction -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Coming out (Sexual orientation) -- Fiction.

Identity -- Fiction.

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library	TEEN GRAPHIC / NGUYEN	31330008969838	Searching... Unknown
Summer Reading (Andover)	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library	TEEN SUMMER READING 2022	31330009040860	Searching... Unknown
Summer Reading (Andover)	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library	TEEN SUMMER READING 2022	31330009040878	Searching... Unknown
Summer Reading (Andover)	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library	TEEN SUMMER READING 2022	31330009040308	Searching... Unknown
Summer Reading (Andover)	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library	TEEN SUMMER READING 2022	31330009040316	Searching... Unknown
Summer Reading (Andover)	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library	TEEN SUMMER READING 2022	31330009040324	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Amesbury Public Library	YA GRAPHIC NOVEL MAGIC	32114002664762	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Billerica Public Library	YA GRAPHIC/NGUYEN	33934004384351	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Burlington Public Library	YA NGUYEN GRAPHIC	32116003809486	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Chelmsford Public Library	Y/GRAPHIC/MAGIC	31480011412613	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Dracut - Moses Greeley Parker Memorial Library	YA/GRAPHIC/NGUYEN	31482002934548	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Georgetown Peabody Library	YGN NGUYEN	32120001333986	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groton Public Library	YA GF TRUNG	37003701824220	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groveland - Langley-Adams Library	YA COMIX NGUYEN	32121000858429	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Hamilton-Wenham Public Library	Y GRAPHIC NGU	30470001826469	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Haverhill Public Library	YA/COMIX/NGUYEN T	31479007411852	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Ipswich Public Library	YA GN NGUYEN	32122003040403	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lawrence Public Library	FIC NGU YA GRAPHIC NOVEL	31549004813696	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lawrence Public Library	FIC NGU YA GRAPHIC NOVEL	31549004888805	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Littleton - Reuben Hoar Library	YA GN F NGUYEN	39965002494705	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lowell - Pollard Memorial Library	YA GRAPHIC NGUYEN	31481005683524	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library	YA GRAPHIC M	32124002054609	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Merrimac Public Library	YA NGU - GRAPHIC	32125001352381	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Methuen - Nevins Memorial Library	YA GRAPHIC TRU	31548003313088	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Middleton - Flint Public Library	Y GN NGUYEN	32126001870257	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newbury Town Library	YA NGU GN	32127001270928	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newburyport Public Library	YA NGUYEN / GRAPHIC	32128003979607	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... North Reading - Flint Memorial Library	YA GRAPHIC NGUYEN	31550002581285	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Rockport Public Library	YA GRAPHIC TRUNG	32129002423779	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tewksbury Public Library	TEEN GRAPHIC MAGIC	32132003222000	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Topsfield Town Library	YA GN/NGUYEN	32133002532696	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tyngsborough Public Library	YA/GRAPHIC/NGUYE/PB	32137002167395	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... West Newbury - G.A.R. Memorial Library	YA GN-GN NGU	32135001501721	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... West Newbury - G.A.R. Memorial Library	YA GN-GN NGU	32135001524103	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	YA F TRUNG (GRAPHIC)	31990004944752	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	YA F TRUNG (GRAPHIC)	31990005030122	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Wilmington Memorial Library	TEEN GRAPHIC NGUYEN	32136003490376	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by New York Public Library . Kirkus Reviews . Booklist . Publishers Weekly

In this gorgeous debut graphic novel, fairy tales are the only way one boy can communicate with his Vietnamese immigrant parents. But how will he find the words to tell them that he's gay? A powerful read about family, identity and the enduring magic of stories.

"One of the most astounding graphic novels of the year" -Entertainment Weekly

Tien and his mother may come from different cultures-she's an immigrant from Vietnam still struggling with English; he's been raised in America-but through the fairy tales he checks out from the local library, those differences are erased.

But as much as Tien's mother's English continues to improve as he reads her tales of love, loss, and travel across distant shores, there's one conversation that still eludes him-how to come out to her and his father. Is there even a way to explain what he's going through in Vietnamese? And without a way to reveal his hidden self, how will his parents ever accept him?

This beautifully illustrated graphic novel speaks to the complexity of family and how stories can bring us together even when we don't know the words.

"A lyrical masterpiece." -BuzzFeed

Reviews (5)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 7 Up--Le Nguyen folds five stories into his narrative. There's Tien, a young teen who's trying to figure out how to tell his parents he's gay while nursing a crush on one of his best friends. Meanwhile, his mother, Helen, struggles to help a sick parent back in Vietnam. Then there are three gorgeous fairy-tale adaptations from around the world, which Tien and his mother like to read together to learn English. The language gap between the two makes Tien wonder how his parents will react if he comes out, but their love for one another resonates throughout the story. Tien's best friends, Claire and Julian, are also an important support system for him. Though there are moments of stress and doubt, everything comes together, all wrapped up in Le Nguyen's sumptuous illustrations and intricate linework. The couture dresses worn by the characters in the fairy tales contrast with Helen's job as a seamstress and the patchwork coat she makes for Tien. Questions of happy endings and sacrifice--the bread and butter of fairy tales--are explored deftly. Notes from the author provide details on his own experience as the child of immigrants who spoke a hybrid language at home. He also includes in-depth information on the fashion and art, which will appeal to close readers of comics. VERDICT A lovely and original take on fairy tales, identity, and culture.--Gretchen Hardin, Bee Cave P.L., TX

Publisher's Weekly Review

Tiến Phong, 12, who "speak mostly English," and his mother, Hiến, a refugee who "speak mostly Vietnamese," have long read fairy tales together to bolster Hiến's English. Tiến cherishes this bonding activity, as his mother works long hours as a seamstress. Despite her busy schedule, though, she dreams of taking her son to her hometown in Vietnam to meet her mother. Meanwhile, Tiến struggles to discuss his sexuality with his parents ("The librarian and I couldn't find the word for it in Vietnamese") and navigate his feelings for male best friend Julian, even with the encouragement of best friend Claire. Alternating between Tiến and Hiến, the narrative intertwines Western and Vietnamese fairy tales, including "Tấm Cám"--"our 'Cinderella' "--and a nuanced retooling of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." Detailed illustrations rendered in split complementary colors cleverly distinguish each story line. Nguyen's poignant debut captures the perspectives of, and essence of the bond between, a parent and child, proving that language--and love--can transcend words. Back matter includes author's notes that delve into personal inspiration, the interplay between immigration stories and fairy tales, and contextualize the illustrations. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 12--up. Agent: Kate McKean, Howard Morhaim Literary. (Oct.)

Horn Book Review

In this imaginative graphic novel, thirteen-year-old Vietnamese American boy Tin and his Vietnamese-refugee seamstress mother, Hin, have always loved stories, with the two often reading library books aloud while enjoying time together. Nguyen (a comic artist also known as Trungles) delves into the world of Vietnamese fairy tales, including "Cinderella" and "The Little Mermaid" variants. Themes from these works -- parent-child struggles, unrequited love, and the timeless quest to attain one's innermost desires, for example -- are reflected in the versions of the illustrated retellings Tin reads and in his day-to-day life at home and school, including his secret crush on a male classmate. Nguyen's artistry radiates elegance on every page. Pastel shades of red, brown, and purple alternate to signify present, past, and imaginative plot segments. While some panels feature characters in pensive curiosity or profound melancholy, others burst with vibrancy, their exquisite portraits spanning an entire page or across multiple panels. Infused with emotional depth and integrity, this coming-of-age story broadens the range of Vietnamese American creative voices in books for young people. Jerry Dear January/February 2021 p.112(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

While Tiến is fluent in English, his Vietnamese refugee parents are not, leaving them struggling at times for a shared language. Tiến's mom, Hiền, asks him to read aloud the fairy tales he checks out from the library; they both love them, and she can use them to practice English. When Tiến selects "Tattercoats," his seamstress mother tells him that there is a Vietnamese version that her own mother told her, long ago. As he reads the story of love, longing, and travel across a sea, Hiền is reminded of family she left behind in Vietnam while Tiến tries to navigate his own first love, a boy he is friends with. Le Nguyen's gorgeous, flowing, detailed illustrations deftly weave Vietnamese and Western fairy-tale worlds together with Hiền's memory of her past and Tiến's struggle over coming out. The rich color palette highlights both the layers within each panel as well as serving as a road map for readers by indicating whether the panels are set in the present, the past, or within the fairy tale. This clever use of color smooths the way for the sophisticated embedding of stories within a story that highlights the complex dynamics between first-generation and second-generation family members. Warm, loving family and friends are a refreshing alternative to immigrant stories that focus on family problems. Beautifully illustrates how sharing old stories can be the best way to learn how to share new ones. (author's note, notes about the illustrations, bonus artwork) (Fiction. 13-17) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

The magic happens here on every page, the perfection personified by debut author/artist Nguyen's autobiographical homage to the infinite power of storytelling. The opening page ingeniously distinguishes three interwoven narratives with three color palettes: red is the urgent now, about young Tiến and his mother learning to communicate through the language of fairy tales when difficult conversations can't yet be uttered; brown is the older past, of Tiến's mother's cleaving journey from war-torn Vietnam to become a U.S. citizen; blue are the stories we tell to help understand, shape, and even save our very lives. Tiến has a secret he desperately needs to declare, especially to his mother, but she's suddenly called back to Vietnam when her own mother dies. Three parallel stories bind the generations together: mother and son read aloud Alera, a Cinderella-esque story of cross-dressing true love; mother-in-mourning and her elderly aunt recall the fairy godparent-like magic fish; mother-returned and son-in-waiting share a different magic fish, a voiceless mermaid who learns to speak through dance. Such are the stories that will reveal the truth. Even as his panels end, Nguyen's magic continues--as writer, his spare author's note is an articulate reclamation, even reinvention, of the immigrant narrative; as artist, his detailed commentary on illustrative genesis--European, colonial, Asian, American Midwest inspirations--provide both historical and personal revelations.