Manga Mania, Week 1

Manga is a term used to describe comics and graphic novels created in Japan.  Since the boom of the United States' manga distribution in the mid to late 2000s, many series have found their home on our shelves.  And with so many titles to go through, Manga Mania is a 4-part series where we go through a few titles for different age groups!  This week, we will be covering series available in our juvenile graphic novel collection.

A couple things to consider when looking for the right manga--
1) Most manga titles are published in the original Japanese orientation.  What this means is the story will read right-to-left instead of left-to-right.  The best indicator of this is if the book looks "backwards," or if the cover is printed on what we would consider the back of a book.  Volumes will usually have a reading guide located in the back of the book (what we would consider to be the front) in case a reader needs assistance on where to begin reading.

2) Many publishing companies will include a rating on the back of the book to indicate the minimum age group a series would appeal to and reasons for the rating if needed.  It's like MPAA ratings, but for books.

So without further ado, let's get to the list!

Chi's Sweet Home
Chi is taken in by the Yamada family to live in their apartment complex, where pets aren't allowed.  Despite this, Chi's story focuses on her growing bond with her new family and the outside world she explores.

My Neighbor Seki
In the back of the classroom, Seki creates mini dioramas and contraptions on his desk where the teacher won't see.  Unfortunately, the student sitting next to him is constantly distracted by his newest creations, hurting her grades in the process.

Pokémon Adventures
Based on the super-popular game series, follow Red as he journeys through the Kanto region to achieve the title of Pokemon Master!

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Usagi, a pretty average girl with a pretty average life, has been chosen to be a defender of Earth and fight intergalactic agents of evil.  She must gather the other chosen warriors and do battle in the name of justice and the mysterious Moon Princess.

Are there any titles that interested you?  Are there others that you would want to add to the list?  Let us know in the comments, and join us next week when we begin to cover manga titles for teens.

Thank you for reading!