Graphic Novelist Gene Luen Yang, Combatting Bullying

Graphic Novelist Gene Luen Yang (3:15) What is a graphic novel? It’s a form that is becoming popular these days. Today on “Worlds Awaiting,” Gene Luen Yang, a Graphic Novelist, introduces us to this medium and shares his experiences of creating two award-winning novels. Gene visits with Rachel about his journey from reading comic books as a youth, to his current vocation as a cartoonist and graphic novelist. He is the creator of American Born Chinese, the first graphic novel to win the Printz Award, which is the American Library Association’s annual honor for best young adult book. At present, Gene Luen Yang is the 2016 Library of Congress National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Combatting Bullying (14:37) Books and bullying might be seen as an odd word pair. But anyone who remembers encountering a bully in school or in childhood knows from personal experience that a safe environment facilitates better learning. Associate professor, Melissa Heath and Graduate Student, Katie Smith, both in BYU’s School of Psychology, join Rachel today to talk about a significant study they are pursuing. Their concern relates to bullying in the schools and approaches they have developed in combatting it. The idea is to build resilience and teach coping skills to our children. Favorite Book (25:46) Now, comments from a few people who go all warm and fuzzy when recalling favorite books from childhood. Clara Goodwin of the Worlds Awaiting team visits with them.”