Secondary Book List: Manga
All the books in this list have been read by either Jenn or Amy. They are certified to be appropriate for the elementary age group and have been chosen for their benefit to classrooms and libraries. Some books on the Secondary List are also available on the Elementary and Intermediate Lists. This is because we feel these books have a wide-ranging appeal. All books will be reduced by 25% at time of ordering.
20th Century Boys
Volumes: 10; ongoing
Written and Illustrated by: Naoki Urasawa
Genre: science fiction, manga
Black and white
Softcover, digest-sized; app.210 pages each
SRP: Vol. 1-4 $15.00, 5-10 $16.99
20th Century Boys is a complex story from one of the greatest manga cartoonists of all time. Urasawa is hailed as a Japanese national treasure, and it's easy to see why when reading this series. The story revolves around a group of boys who create a plan for a world-ending robot one summer. Flashing forward to the future, suddenly those same kids realize that their plan is coming to fruition, they believe, at the hands of a new group calling themselves the “Friends”. It seems that someone else got their hands on their plan and is now implementing it. However, no one else believes them. Eventually they take matters into their own hands and go up against the monster on a date which becomes known as Bloody New Year's Eve. However, the reader does not get to know the outcome of this action right away, as the story flashes forward once again, and begins to focus on other characters, existing in a world fully run by the “Friends”, who start asking questions about Bloody New Year's Eve. A number of things make this a stand out series. One is the narrative style and pacing. The reader is drawn along the mystery of who the Friend is and why he's using this childhood plan to take over the world. Urasawa gives just enough information to the reader to think they might be on the verge of figuring things out, and then throws a new hook in that makes the reader realize they can't. Second, Urasawa is a phenomenal cartoonist. His attention to detail in facial expressions and his ability to convey tension really pull the reader in to the story. Reading this work leads to explorations of storytelling techniques, the use of pacing, and methods by which to create suspense.Also by Naoki Urasawa: Pluto
Bleach
Volumes: 31, ongoing
Written and Illustrated by: Tite Kubo
Black-and-white
Softcover, digest-sized
SRP: Vol.1-11 $9.99, 12-14 $10.99, 15-28 $9.99, 29-31 $12.99
Synopsis: Bleach is the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a young man who can see ghosts. One night a young woman crashes through his room with a huge ghost monster, called a Hollow, on her heels. She is Rukia, a Soul Reaper, a spirit charged with the task of sending the destructive twisted Hollows on to their next lives. Rukia and Ichigo form a strange bond when Ichigo inadvertently steals Rukia's Reaper powers and must become a Soul Reaper himself, lest his family and friends be killed by roaming Hollows. The combination of action and occult mythology makes Bleach a highly entertaining series. Its readers are very loyal due to its soap-opera style storytelling, in which each volume leaves the reader on a cliff-hanger. This series also has a successful animated series which follows the manga very closely, although lacking creator Tite Kubo's subtle touch. 
Death Note
Volumes: 12, ongoing
Written by: Tsugumi Ohba
Illustrated by: Takeshi Obata
Genre: Fantasy
Black-and-white
Softcover, digest-sized
SRP: $9.99 each
Synopsis: Light Yamagi is an ace student on track to Japan's elite university. But, he's bored out of his mind, finding nothing to challenge him, until he discovers a Death Note that was dropped by a Shinigami (death god). Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies. Soon, all his time is spent tying to keep the legendary detective L off his trail, as he uses the Death Note to kill criminals that escape proper judgement, to make the world a better place. Light and L soon begin working together to try and find out who is wielding the Death Note. Each one tries to outsmart the other to catch each other in a lie: Light so he can find out L's true name, in order to kill him, and L so he can prove that Light is the one with the Death Note. Deathnote is a well-crafted story, keeping the reader interested with the constant tug of war between Light and L. 
Dramacon
Volumes: 3; complete
Written and Illustrated by: Svetlana Chmakova 
Genre: Manga, Fiction
Black-and-white
Softcover, digest-sized
SRP: $12.50 each
Synopsis: Christie is a shy girl by any definition. She's also a budding manga writer. She attends her first anime convention with her artist and boyfriend, who instantly begins to ignore her in favour of the attentions of female fans, and to hang out with friends. Christie, too new to the anime scene to feel comfortable, finds solace in Matt, who she initially hates, but finds herself ever drawn toward. Matt's dark glasses conceal an eye disfigurement, and a lot of bitterness. As the two grow closer, Christie develops the courage to take her destiny into her own hands, standing up to her boyfriend, and approaching her favourite manga artist. However, her relationship with Matt is not so easy, as although they find a connection in volume one, they both return to the anime con the next year in volume two, Christie with a new artist, and Matt with a new girlfriend. This series will appeal to manga fans, and especially those familiar with anime conventions. Also by Svetlana Chamkova: 
Fruits Basket
Volumes: 22; ongoing
Written and Illustrated by: Natsuki Takaya
Genre: Manga, Fantasy
Black-and-white
Softcover, digest-sized
SRP: $12.50 each
Synopsis: This highly successful series is the story of a teenage girl, named Tohru Honda, whose life gets turned upside down by the death of her mother. The rest of her family will not take her in, and with nowhere left to go she ends up living in a tent in a forested area near her school. Unbeknownst to her, the land is owned by the family of one her classmates, the Sohma clan. Finding her in ailing health and living in a tent, the Sohmas take her in without consulting their current family head, who would surely have disapproved. Tohru quickly finds out why the family is so secretive. They carry a curse. Members of the Sohma clan cannot be embraced by the opposite sex, or else they are transformed into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Although this secret has been closely guarded by the family for generations, the acceptance and grace shown by Tohru when she learns of it makes them question the way their clan has been run for generations. The story is very well-written with a good balance of romance, action and comedy. Conflict after conflict keeps the reader interested, while the loveable Tohru is easy to relate to. Fruits Basket was made into an animated series, but it only follows part of the manga series.
Fullmetal Alchemist
Volumes: 23; ongoing
Written and Illustrated by: Hiromu Arakawa
Genre: Manga, Fantasy
Black-and-white
Softcover, digest-sized
SRP: $11.99 each
Synopsis: While trying to use alchemy to bring their mother back from the dead, the brothers Elric both lost something important. Alphonse, the younger of the two, lost his body, and Edward, his older brother, sacrificed his own arm and leg to transfer Al's soul into an oversized suit of armour. Now both are searching for a way to return themselves to normal. To do so, Edward becomes the youngest member of the alchemy division of the military. This not only increases his abilities but gives them both a means of survival and access to the military's research materials. In a world of magic based on fair trade how would you calculate the cost of your own body? Is it the sum of the elements, or is there more to it than that? The manga series does differ in several ways from the anime series.
Inu Yasha
Volumes: 50; ongoing
Written and Illustrated by: Rumiko Takahashi
Genre: Manga, Fantasy
Black-and-white
Softcover, digest-sized
SRP: $12.50 each
Synopsis: Kagome is an ordinary teenage girl living with her family near the old Higure shrine. However, her life soon becomes something quite other than ordinary when she accidentally travels to feudal Japan and releases the half-demon half-dog Inu Yasha, equally accidentally. Kagome soon discovers she is the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo, and the rightful owner of the Jewel of the Four Souls, which she unfortunately shatters into a thousand pieces. Now she had teamed up with Inu Yasha, a monk named Miroku, a demon hunter named Sango, and a fox-demon named Shippo to collect the fragments of the Jewel before the evil demon Naraku can get his hands on it. The series is very humorous, and highly action-packed. It does deviate from the anime series.
Pluto
8 volumes; complete
Written and Illustrated by Naoki Urasawa
Genre: manga, science fiction
black and white
softcover; app. 200 pages each
SRP: 1-5 $15.00; 6-8 $16.99
Synopsis: Pluto is based on Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy story “The Greatest Robot on Earth”. But, it is far from an Astro Boy story. Urasawa has taken the principles of Tezuka's Astro Boy and expanded the original story into a murder mystery. As an unknown assailant pursues and destroys powerful robots, a mystery develops around the bizarre murders of a series of scientists who took part in a research project whose results led to the devastating Persian war. Gesicht, a highly-developed robot, is the investigator from Interpol assigned to the case. He soon becomes wrapped up in it himself, as Gesicht becomes a target for robot-hate groups, as a mistake from his past is revealed. Gesicht himself has no memory of this mistake, as the government has determined to keep it from him intentionally. Astro Boy is a part of the story, but more as a supporting character, and in fact spends most of the series unconscious. The story instead revolves around Gesicht's discoveries of the case and of himself. One of the excellent parts about Tezuka's work is his social justice commentary, which Urasawa has maintained authentically. The concepts of pacifism are clearly expressed through the doctrines that robots cannot harm humans, the damaging effect of emotions in destroying pacifism, and the parallels to post-9/11 events. Urasawa also preserves Tezuka's mandate that the environment should be protected. Urasawa's amazing cartooning makes the story moving and thought-provoking, with a highly satisfying ending. Also by Naoki Urasawa: 
Tsubasa
Volumes: 24; ongoing
Written and Illustrated by: CLAMP (a collective of female artists and writers)
Genre: Manga, Fantasy
Black-and-white
Softcover, digest-sized
SRP: Vol.1-8 $15.95, Vol.9-26 $13.99
Synopsis: How far would you go to bring back the memory of the one you loved? In Tsubasa (also known as Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle) this is the reality that a young man named Syaoran must face as the memory of his best friend, and possible love, Sakura, is split into hundreds of feathers and tossed through just as many dimensions. With the help of two others from alternate worlds, this motley crew of adventurers must seek out Sakura's memories and steal them back from those who would use them for evil. This series crosses over with XXXHolic, though it is not mandatory to read both titles to understand the story. Also by CLAMP: 
XXXHolic
Volumes: 14; ongoing
Written and Illustrated by: CLAMP (a collective of female artists and writers)
Genre: Manga, Fantasy
Black-and-white
Softcover, digest-sized
SRP: Vol.1-6 $15.95, Vol.7-8 $14.50, Vol.9-15 $13.99
Synopsis: Yuko, a wish granting witch, is at the heart of XXXholic. She runs a business that helps people deal with wishes and occult experiences, but charges the highest price, that which they hold most dear. When a young man named Watanuki Kimihiro finds himself at Yuko's shop as if by magic, he ends up working for her in exchange for her help with his visions of ghosts. Yuko uses this opportunity to make Watanuki's life a living hell, embarrassing him and blackmailing him at every turn. XXXHolic has a very unique art style, and will appeal to all lovers of occult fiction. This series crosses over with Tsubasa, but it is not mandatory to read both to understand the story. Also by CLAMP: 
