Enlighten Me (A Graphic Novel) by Minh Lê

Illustrated by Chan Chau

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On Sale: Sep 19, 2023
Page Count: 144 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Ink
ISBN-13: 9780759555488

Award-winning author Minh Lê and New York Times bestselling illustrator Chan Chau team up for a fun and enlightening graphic novel about one kid’s journey to finding inner peace and belonging. Perfect for fans of Measuring Up and New Kid.

When Bình fights back against a bully who makes fun of his Vietnamese heritage, he expects to be cheered as the hero. He defeated the bad guy, right?

Instead, it gets him a stern warning from his vice principal and worried parents. Now he’s stuck on a family trip to a silent meditation retreat. That means no talking—and no video games!—for a whole weekend. Could things possibly get any worse?

However, when a nun gathers all the kids to tell them the Jataka tales—the stories of the Buddha’s many past lives—Bình takes a fantastical dive into his imagination and starts to see himself in these stories. Will he retreat further into himself, or will he emerge from the weekend open to change?

With any luck, these next few days will prove more enlightening than he thought.

Genre:

*"By visualizing these stories as games, Bình learns how to rely on his intellect, family, and community to navigate everyday challenges."
Publishers Weekly, starred review
*"Both readers who are unfamiliar with the religion and those who practice it will enjoy this refreshing, modern Buddhist primer."
The Horn Book, starred review
"Informative, imaginative, and quietly impressive, Enlighten Me inspires readers to take a deep breath."
Shelf Awareness
"A thoughtful, humorous, community-centered exploration of identity and Buddhism."
Kirkus Reviews