Manga FAQ

The most used section of the teen collection at my library is definitely the area where we keep the graphic novels. The biggest draw is manga, from Dragon Ball Z to Ranma 1/2 to Fushigi Yugi. I am familiar with maybe of the popular titles and am often called on to spell them for coworkers (it's Yu Gi Oh, with the spaces!) but am far from an expert. I've been trying to educate myself, and found a really informative FAQ recently. I knew, for example, that Shounen Jump is a popular manga magazine but didn't know that "shounen" means "boy" or "youth", while "shoujo-manga" is "girl" manga, often but not always focused on romance and relationships. The section on history was also fascinating. I always mean to read more manga but haven't found anything I love yet -- I read a couple of volumes of Ranma without getting hooked -- so I will have to find something else to try.

Printz honor winner 'delighted'

From the story: Calvin College professor Gary Schmidt was visiting relatives in Maine one summer when he learned about a shameful incident in a small town's past: the forced eviction of a black community from Malaga Island in 1912. With research and imagination, he turned this bit of history into "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminister Boy," a young adult novel about racism and the abuse of power.

14 books challenged in Kansas

From the story: Parents packed a Blue Valley school board meeting Monday night to push the district to change its reading curriculum. KMBC's Tom Corvin reported that they want 14 books, such as Toni Morrison's "Song of Solomon," removed from the reading list of advanced English classes. Some parents claim the books are too vulgar and suggestive. "We don't want them sexually stimulated by what they're reading in the communication arts classrooms," a woman said.

Librarians hope to change image

From the story: Librarians in Fox River Grove hope to attract more teens by dusting off the library's serious, sedentary image. The library this spring will begin serving up a slate of hip events; last fall it added a teen section. Beginning in March, teens can join a writing group, sing at a karaoke night, sound off at a poetry slam and attend a luau.

Printz Award winner named

From the ALA web site story: Meg Rosoff has won the 2005 Michael L. Printz Award for her uncompromising work, "how i live now," published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. Set during a shocking occupation by terrorist forces, Rosoff’s novel is narrated by 15-year-old Daisy, a wry and alienated young woman who finds true love, mystical connections, and a sense of home with her cousins in England. "Through Daisy’s evolving voice, readers see a teen who moves beyond self-absorption to become a resourceful survivor, understanding the need to care for others," said Award Chair Betty Carter. "Meg Rosoff achieves balance in a story both darkly symbolic and bitingly funny." Rosoff was born in Boston, graduated from Harvard, and now makes her home in London. "how I live now" is her first novel.