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GN's, Comics, and Manga
12:09 AM EST 11/13/05
This is one of my favorite topics, especially when it comes to working with teens. So, what are some of the titles that have worked well in your library? Do you have any personal favorites, if you are a fan yourself?
Let's see, I love shojo manga, and my current fun read is the "Red River" series. My all-time favorites are the "Mars" series and "Case Closed", the latter of which is a great mystery series. For U.S. comics, I really enjoyed "Batgirl: Year One" and the "Runaways" series.
Kids seem to love anything and everything in this format. Any great tales to share from the front lines?
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Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
10:52 AM EST 11/15/05
as a reply to Sarah Evans.
Sarah,
Were you aware that the summer '05 issue of Young Adult Library Services was all about graphic novels, manga and anime? It's free to YALSA members, but nonmembers can order a copy for $12 by contacting subscriptions@ala.org. Also, YALSA has formed a Great Graphic Novels for Teens selection committee, and their nominations are online at www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists. Lastly, Beth Galloway is working on starting up a YALSA Interest Group about Graphic Novels. I can put you in touch with her if you're interested.
-Beth Yoke
byoke@ala.org
1 (800) 545-2433 x4391
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Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
4:29 PM EST 11/15/05
as a reply to Sarah Evans.
As someone whose parents forbid me to read comics (of course I devoured them at my friends' houses), I'm fascinated by the general acceptance of the genre these days. Graphic novels have come a long way!
If there are adults out there who could use a little comprehension as to what the fuss is all about, I highly recommend reading [url http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/top3mset/6c81e2f99a1e9b2ea19afeb4da09e526.html ]Understanding Comics[/url] by Scott McCloud. I love this book! It explains so cogently how image and story are intertwined in GN's and why that is so powerful. The book is, itself, a graphic novel --what could be more appropriate?!
Sarah, do you have a recommendation on where to start with the Red River series?
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Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
2:21 AM EST 11/21/05
as a reply to Betha Gutsche.
Well, I'm a fuss budget and always start at the beginning of a series, particularly with manga. Most of them are a continuing story arc that reads best if you start at the beginning.
The trick for getting into manga for me was finding a series that I could get into from the beginning. Most are printed in the original right to left format, so it takes some time for an adult brain to feel comfortable reading in "reverse". Also, it can take some getting used to the drawing and conversation conventions used. The two series that really hooked me were Forbidden Dance, a sweet 4 volume series about a struggling ballerina who is inspired by male dancer, and Wild Act, a slightly stranger series about a girl who successfully steals objects belonging to a dead actor who once worked with her now ill actress mother.
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Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
2:26 AM EST 11/21/05
as a reply to Beth Yoke.
Beth, thanks for pointing out these resources! The magazine was a great focus issue. And I was so delighted when YALSA started the Graphic Novels for Teens committee. YALSA committees regularly produce lists that are so valuable in our daily work with teens. This committee on graphic novels is a much needed one. I hadn't heard about in interest group.
Another great resource is the GN-LIB listserv. One of the members is also a YALSA member and someone I consider the very best resource about graphic novels, particularly manga, in library: Katherine Kan. When she writes, I pay attention! :-)
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Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
11:56 AM EST 11/29/05
as a reply to Sarah Evans.
I am ordering books for our small rural library and have thought of graphic novels. Any titles or suggestions for a conservative library would be very helpful. I believe our teens would love them however there are some members of the library who think they are "trash reads". So I am looking for more "gentler" graphic novel titles.
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Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
6:47 PM EST 12/15/05
as a reply to Lisa Wright.
Some of first ones we started out with were Persepolis and Persepolis 2. They are excellent stories about a young girl's life in Iran pre-revolution and continuing on after. They were literary enough to hand to some of our adults who were skeptical and it seems to soften them up to graphic novels. Now, of course, we have more and several which I am sure would be "unacceptable" to some of our patrons, but these two might help get you by the skeptics.
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Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
6:21 PM EST 3/15/06
as a reply to Jolene Noyes.
Hello! I am currently studying for my MLIS and am interested in YA issues. I only recently got tuned into this Manga/GN thing and I find it fascinating. I think it's great that this format is really getting YAs to read. However, I read through a Manga last quarter and was surprised by the amount of female nudity. I was wondering if anyone out there has encountered problems with having some of these books available, what responses have been given and what opinions people have out there on these issues. Just curious 
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Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
7:51 PM EST 3/15/06
as a reply to Rebecca Paul.
We have not only Manga books, but books on how to draw Manga. I was skeptical at first. I went to put a couple of these out and yes, there was big-breasted women right on the front of the book. However, these were checked out and so far no one has made any derogatory comments or complaints. We are a small town, small library, but I guess it hasn't bothered anybody enough to complain.
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Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
12:48 PM EST 3/16/06
as a reply to Sarah Evans.
Two of the favorite manga series in our house are: Bleach and Lone Wolf and Cub.
I work with a number of tribal school and community libraries whose librarians are interesting in acquiring comics and graphic novels written and illustrated by Native authors. Last fall I discovered a series of tribal stories available in comic book format from Alaska. The Chickaloon Village/Ya Ne Dah Ah School in Alaska (P.O. Box 1105, Chickaloon, AK 99674) have three titles they distribute, all of which were designed by a local, Native artist and written by a tribal member. The titles are Besiin (the Owl story), Tsaani (the Grizzly Bear story), and C'eyiige' Hwnax (the Magic house). The text is in English.
The titles are approved by the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council.
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Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
10:37 AM EDT 5/20/06
as a reply to Sarah Evans.
I love love love, the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman. I got into them as a teen and still love them now!
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Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
10:28 AM EDT 5/24/06
as a reply to Danielle Fortin.
I'm not a manga reader, but I do like some graphic novels. "Blankets" and "Box Office Poison" are two of my favorites.
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Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
4:18 PM EDT 7/7/06
as a reply to Danielle Fortin.
On muffinator's strong recommendation, I checked out the Sandman: Endless Nights. Wow, was I impressed! I kept thinking, is this what teens are reading? The stories are so abstract, philisophical, and existential --very sophisticated stuff. I definitely want to read more. I just put a hold on The Dream Hunters. I missed my chance to see Neil Gaiman at ALA, but I talked with a YA librarian who was thrilled to have had the opportunity to shake his hand. He has a devoted following for sure. Thanks for the recommendation!
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Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
4:44 PM EDT 5/21/08
as a reply to Sarah Evans.
I've been reading Manga, GN's for quite some time now and I am thrilled that its caught on like it has.
An extremely popular series, I didn't see anyone mention it, is "Naruto". We have (I believe) 13 volumes and there is never more than 5 on our shelf at anyone time. If someone wants a certain volume they have to put in on hold because as soon as they come in someone else grabs them.
A great series, which I, myself, own is MARS. I am planning on donating it to the library. I believe it is 15 volumes with an extra volume as a prequel. "Marmalade" is another sweet one as is "WISH".
My favorite manga happens to be "Yu Yu Hakusho" and my library is working on it.
There are two manga magazines, one called Shonen Jump and the other called Shojo Beat that I highly recommend. Shonen Jump is geared towards boys, with action and Shojo Beat is geared towards girls with mostly high school-ish trials such as romance.
Both magazines have a number of manga titles in them, and they give 2 chapters of each particular manga.
I currently am working at 2 library's one rather large one and one small one and both have Shonen Jump but only the smaller one has Shojo Beat. In both libraries, however, Shonen Jump goes out alot.
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Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
12:18 PM EDT 5/23/08
as a reply to A. L. Maynard.
I don't have much in the way of personal experience to offer this topic, but an online friend of mine does and I'd be remiss not to post his site: http://www.koyagi.com/
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RE: Re: GN's, Comics, and Manga
7:55 PM EST 1/22/09
as a reply to Bob Watson.
Bob Watson: I don't have much in the way of personal experience to offer this topic, but an online friend of mine does and I'd be remiss not to post his site: http://www.koyagi.com/ Dang! I just get here and the most recent post is from last May by Bob talking about my web site. Thanks Bob. OK lets talks manga! The other stuff is fine but I focus on manga and anime so don't have much time for the other works. BTW I'm not a teen or young adult librarian, just envious of them.
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