When I was a kid I loved reading picture books, the beautiful illustrations added so much to the story and I missed them when I moved on to chapter books and novels. I love seeing the author’s vision for their characters and setting come to life. I was in college before I discovered graphic novels and manga, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that manga and graphic novels have much more story than the newspaper comics I read as a kid.  

Lucky for you, the library has a wide selection of graphic novels and manga so you can enjoy your stories with pictures once again. You might have heard that graphic novels are not “real reading” but, ignore that attitude. There are words on the page and information to be gained by studying the pictures, which is “Real Reading.” From a parent standpoint, graphic novels, which use the pictures to tell the story as well as the words, are the perfect step between picture books and chapter books.  

Not only do we have some beautiful graphic novels, but we have a large collection of Manga and graphic novels written and created in Japan. Reading these books gives you a glimpse into a different culture, broadening your world view. Graphic novels tend to have full color illustrations, but Manga makes use of shading and are black and white. If you watch anime, you will find some of your favorites on the Manga shelf. Even better, the anime series are typically made before the Manga series is finished. In some cases, the story ends far differently than it did in the anime.  

We have Manga for everyone. If you love the classics or just find them too intimidating, try reading our Manga Classics. Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice and more have been turned into delightful manga with beautiful pictures. Bonus, this is a great way to get familiar with the stories and themes before you take those AP exams. If horror is more your thing you might like Attack on Titan or Black Butler. Do you love a love story? Try reading My Love Story or Waiting for Spring. Maybe you like a quirky story; Fruits Basket, Maid Sama, or A Man and His Cat might be for you.  

No matter what your taste, I’m sure you can find something great. Manga and graphic novels for teens is located on the first floor of the library in our Young Adult section. It’s a great place to hang out and read.

– Ms. Jenn