(Sorry, I hit send before I cleaned it up.)
Original Request:
Hello Oh Wise Ones,
I am working on book orders, and would appreciate help in two areas:
1) Titles of Anime/Manga appropriate for middle school?
2) My students keep requesting that I replace the Goosebumps and Ghosts
of Fear Street that have disappeared. When I checked Follett's
Titlewise, Ghosts of Fear Street is out of print. There is a new series,
Goosebumps Horrorland, that will be published next year, but there are
only four titles.
My question is, does anyone have any suggestions of titles that will
please these students?
TIA,
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Responses:
When I was in an elementary school library, the students put me on to the A-Z
Mystery series. I think that would be a good substitute for Goosebumps.
*************************************************
Our 6-8th graders love Stine also. I have recently tried a new
series---American Chillers and Michigan Chillers. The students have
responded well to them, so I will be ordering some more. Thought you might
want to try a couple of those.
******************************************************
I've been building my graphic novel collection (a modest one) for about three years
at our 7/8 middle school. Feel free to look over the list below, they have been
scanned for more mature content, but it's always a safe bet to re-check on your
own. Also, in lieu of Goosebumps, try Cirque du Freak. Once my kids try these, they
never go back;
The case of Madeleine Smith : a true account of the respectable young Glasgow
lady brought to trial for the murder by poison of her secret paramour In
[ Book ] 364.152 GEA Geary, Rick.
Published 2006
Missouri boy
[ Book ] 741 MYR Myrick, Leland.
Published 2006
Naruto. Vol. 9, Turning the tables
[ Book ] 741.5 Kishimoto, Masashi, 1974-
Published 2006
Orphen
[ Book ] 741.5 Aki Akita, Yoshinobu.
Published 2005
Araña [Vol. 1] The heart of the spider
[ Book ] 741.5 Ave Avery, Fiona.
Published 2005
Ultimate Fantastic Four / [Vol. 1] The fantastic.
[ Book ] 741.5 Ben Bendis, Brian Michael.
Published 2004
The Plain Janes
[ Book ] 741.5 CAS Castelluci, Cecil.
Published 2007
Essential X-Men.
[ Book ] 741.5 Cla Claremont, Chris.
Published 2004
Queen bee
[ Book ] 741.5 Clu Clugston-Major, Chynna.
Published 2005
The clouds above
[ Book ] 741.5 CRA Crane, Jordan, 1973-
Published 2005
Akiko Volume two, issues 8-13, part two "The menace of Alia Rellapor"
[ Book ] 741.5 Cri Crilley, Mark.
Published 2002
Spider-girl. [Vol. 2], Like father, like daughter
[ Book ] 741.5 DeF DeFalco, Tom.
Published 2004
Spiderman : Teams up.
[ Book ] 741.5 Dez Dezago, Todd.
Flight. Volume two.
[ Book ] 741.5 FLI
Published 2005
Neon genesis evangelion : angelic days. Vol. 1
[ Book ] 741.5 Hay Hayashi, Fumino.
Published 2006
The adventures of Tintin. Volume 1
[ Book ] 741.5 Her Hergé, 1907-
Published 1994
Sakura taisen. Vol. 1
[ Book ] 741.5 Hib Hiroi, Ohji.
Published 2005
Babymouse : our hero!
[ Book ] 741.5 Hol Holm, Jennifer L.
Published 2005
Sgt. Rock's combat tales.
[ Book ] 741.5 Kan Kanigher, Robert.
Published 2005
Invincible / [1] Family matters.
[ Book ] 741.5 Kir Kirkman, Robert.
Published 2004
Naruto : Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow
[ Book ] 741.5 Kis Masashi Kishimoto.
The call of the wild : the graphic novel
[ Book ] 741.5 KLE Kleid, Neil.
Published 2006
Bleach / 1 Strawberry and the soul reapers.
[ Book ] 741.5 KUB Kubo, Tite.
Published 2004
Essential the amazing Spider-Man. Vol. 2
[ Book ] 741.5 Lee Lee, Stan.
Published 2005
Spider-Man [Vol. 1]
[ Book ] 741.5 Lee Quantz, Daniel.
Published 2004
Zot : The Original.
[ Book ] 741.5 McC McCloud, Scott, 1990.
Published 1990
Fantastic Four [Vol. 1] All for one
[ Book ] 741.5 McK McKeever, Sean.
Published 2003
Kanpai!.
[ Book ] 741.5 Mur
Published 2005
Kanpai! Volume one
[ Book ] 741.5 MUR Murakami, Maki.
Published 2005
Kanpai! Volume two
[ Book ] 741.5 MUR Murakami, Maki.
Published 2005
Skip beat! 1
[ Book ] 741.5 Nak Nakamura, Yoshiki.
Published 2006
The Quitter
[ Book ] 741.5 Pek Pekar, Harvey, 2005.
Published 2005
Shonen Jump
[ Book ] 741.5 Sho Yu-Gi-Oh!
To dance : a memoir In
[ Book ] 741.5 SIE Siegel, Siena Cherson.
Published 2006
Bone / [1] Out from Boneville. Out
[ Book ] 741.5 Smi Smith, Jeff, 1960-
Published 2005
Bone [2] The great cow race Out
[ Book ] 741.5 Smi Smith, Jeff, 1960-
Published 2005
Bone / [3] Eyes of the storm. Out
[ Book ] 741.5 SMI Smith, Jeff, 1960 Feb. 27-
Published 2006
Bone / [4] The dragonslayer. Out
[ Book ] 741.5 SMI Smith, Jeff, 1960 Feb. 27-
Published 2006
Stuck in the middle : seventeen comics from an unpleasant age Out
[ Book ] 741.5 STU edited by Ariel Schrag.
Published 2007
D.N. Angel Volume 8 Out
[ Book ] 741.5 SUG Sugisaki, Yukiru.
Published 2005
Ranma 1/2 Vol. 28 In
[ Book ] 741.5 Tak Takahashi, Rumiko, 1957-
Published 2004
Kare kano : his and her circumstances In
[ Book ] 741.5 Tsu Tsuda, Masami.
Published 2003
Kare Kano Volume ten : his and her circumstances In
[ Book ] 741.5 Tsu Tsuda, Masami.
Published 2004
Kare Kano Volume three : his and her circumstances In
[ Book ] 741.5 Tsu Tsuda, Masami.
Published 2003
Secret of the Swamp Thing. In
[ Book ] 741.5 Wei Wein, Len & Wrightson, Berni.
Published 2005
Someday's dreamers. Volume 1 Out
[ Book ] 741.5 YAM Yamada, Norie.
Published 2006
American born Chinese In
[ Book ] 741.5 YAN Yang, Gene Luen.
Published 2006
Maus : a survivor's tale In
[ Book ] 940.53 SPI Spiegelman, Art.
Published 1986
The 9/11 report : a graphic adaptation Out
[ Book ] 973.931 JAC Jacobson, Sid.
Published 2006
The rivers of Zadaa : Book 6 Out
[ Book ] Fic Mac MacHale, D. J.
Published 2005
Historias de miedo 2 : relatos espeluznantes para no dejarte dormir : recogidas
del folclore norteamericano In
[ Book ] FL ESP 398.2 Sch Schwartz, Alvin, 1927-
Published 2003
********************************************************************
I think the "Goosebumps" kids might like the Westerfeld books: Uglies, Pretties,
Specials and Uglies. I went to Follett and did a collection development search for
the anime/manga books using dewey range 741.5 as the only search criteria.
***********************************************************************
http://noflyingnotights.com/core.html
I've had a lot of luck with this site even though I buy for HS, they do have a good
MS core list.
*********************************************************************************
These are the titles with over 10 circulations in the past year.
1) GN's/comic books
Bone series by Jeff Smith
DN Angel series by
Dragon Ball Z series
More starlight to your heart.
Homicidal psycho jungle cat : a Calvin and Hobbes collection
The Essential Calvin and Hobbs : A Calvin and hobbs Treasury
Orphen series
Garfield tips the scales
Garfield makes it big
Fruits basket series
Spider-Man : doom with a view!
Lights, camera, hairballs! : Garfield at the movies
Desert coral. series
The candidate for goddess series
JLA : secret origins
Your favorite Seuss : A baker's dozen by the one and only Dr. Seuss
A little help from my friends
2) RL Stine:
The Blob that ate everyone
cuckoo clock of doom
Night of the living dummy I, II, and III
The curse of Camp Cold Lake
Be careful what you wish for
Attack of the jack-o'-lanterns
Vampire breath
How to kill a monster
How I learned to fly
deep trouble I and II
Welcome To Dead House
Revenge of the shadow people
Piano lessons can be murder
Phantom of the auditorium
The headless ghost
Say cheese and die (and again)
The horror at Camp Jellyjam
Ghost Beach
The werewolf of Fever Swamp
Fear Street: The surprise party
The sleepwalker
Nightmare in 3-D
Final grade
Who's been sleeping in my grave?
Silent night I, II, and III
**************************************************************************************
Do you have a used book store in your area? We go to ours when we find books that
are out of print that we want to replace. We usually have pretty good luck there!
***************************************************************
Nina, our kids love the Naruto series. They are never on the shelf and are rated
age-appropriate. This is from Follett:
Naruto [set/series] (#S930XXX)
Paperback Set/Series
Complete set of 29 Titles: $167.42
Titles in Set/Series: 29 Titles
Classifications Within Set:
Nonfiction
Interest Level: YA
Subjects:
Graphic Novels
Notes: Uzumaki Naruto is striving to become the stealthiest ninja in the world, but
unknown to him, a terrifying force is hidden within him.
******************************************************************
My students love the following anime series: Fruits Basket, Naruto,
Shaman King, and D.K. Angel.
*************************************************************************
The way I decide what's appropriate is to actually go to a book store such as
Borders, and then look for the age level on the book covers. This is a sampling of
the various series I have purchased for our middle school:
Amano. Kingdom Hearts.
Azuma. Yotsuba.
Hiiragi. Baron the Cat.
Hotta. Hikaru No Go.
Sakura. Dragon Drive.
Sanjo. Beet, the Vandal Buster.
They all fly off the shelves.
almost missed Dragon Ball by Toriyama
******************************************************************************************
I have a suggestion that fits both your requests -- Scholastic is re-issuing
Goosebumps books in Graphic novel format. They package three stories at a
time, illustrated by 3 different artists. The latest, Scary Summer has these
books in it: Revenge of the lawn gnomes / adapted and illustrated by Dean
Haspiel -- Ghost beach / adapted and illustrated by Ted Naifeh -- The horror
at camp jellyjam / adapted and illustrated by Kyle Baker.
There is also Terror Trips and one other that was the first one. I don't
know the name. The series is called Goosebumps Graphix. I hope this helps.
Goosebumps and Fear Street are still popular at my school, too, even though
they are falling apart.
*******************************************************************************************
Shonen Manga (boy-oriented): Rave Master, Kingdom Hearts
Shojo Manga (girl-oriented): Tokyo Mew Mew, Minx
For readers of Goosebumps, try the Cirque Du Freak series by Darren Shan
*************************************************************************************************
Titlewave has a Manga list that allows you to indicate grade level. But I still
would like to see yours.
*************************************************************************************************
The list below is for manga and graphic novels that would be appropriate for
middle school. I have also included age ratings as provided by the publishers. This
age rating is a good general guide, but keep in mind that most publishers have
developed their own standards. One company’s “teen” rating may contain next to
nothing inappropriate, while another may have something in the same category that
will raise your eyebrows. You should also note that not every volume in a series
will necessarily carry the same rating. It is possible for one or more volumes in a
series to rate higher or lower depending on the individual title’s content. This
normally doesn’t impact the graphic novels in the “all age” or youth range, but
it’s something to be aware of.
Please note that I have tried to find series over the years that have high
interest/high quality and are relatively short. Most of us don't have the space to
keep very many 20+ volumes series! There are a number of series that go long, but
these tend to be very popular, so I am willing to make the space for them.
If you need more titles or more info on specific manga titles that come your way,
just send me an e-mail. Because anime and manga are two of my hobbies, I have a
pretty good background in the field and can usually tell you if something is
appropriate for school.
Japanese Manga
Aria by Kozue Amano (Rated All Ages)
- Light fantasy/sci-fi about a girl who visits a Venice-like city on another
planet.
- Short series. Only three volumes long.
Beyblade by Takao Aoki (Rated All Ages)
- Action oriented manga featuring a young boy who competes in “Beyblade”
tournaments. Based on a popular toy/game in Japan and the United States. This is a
pretty safe manga, but it is based on a product that might limit its appeal.
- Fourteen volumes out.
Zodiac P.I. by Natsumi Ando (Rated Youth 7+)
- A teenage girl with astrological powers who solves crimes and finds romance.
- Short series. Concludes in only four volumes.
Cardcaptor Sakura by CLAMP (Rated All Ages)
- Light fantasy story of a young girl who becomes endowed with the power of the
“Clow.” Protagonist must battle against magical creatures in current day Japan and
still keep her grades up. Extremely popular in Japan and the United States.
- Six volumes out now.
Instant Teen: Just add Nuts by Haruka Fukushima (Rated Youth 10+)
- The story of a 5th grader that discovers magical nuts that can temporarily
transform her into a teen. Fairly tame situations and set ups. Funny!
- Short series. Four volumes long.
Yotsuba&! by Azuma Kiyohiko (Rated All Ages)
- Simple but charming series of short vignettes of the life of a little girl, her
family and their friends and neighbors. Funny!
- Five volumes out with more to come.
Prince of Tennis by Takeshi Konomi (Rated All Ages)
- Sports manga. Young teenage boy's trials and travails as he seeks to be the
"Prince of Tennis."
- Continuing manga. 21 volumes out with more to come.
Kodocha: Sana’s Stage by Miho Obana (Rated Youth 7+)
- A young girl’s life and adventures in middle school.
- Ten volumes long. This title is out of print, but copies can still be found at
places like Powell’s.
Ghost Hunt by Fuyumi Ono (Rated Teen 13+)
- High school girl becomes a part of a paranormal investigation team. Ghost busting
and scary tales. Teen rating seems to come from a few particularly scary images in
some volumes.
- Nine volumes out with more to come.
D.N. Angel by Yukiru Sugisaki (Rated Teen 13+)
- A young boy inherits the role of the "master thief" of his family, whether he
wants to or not. Romance and action. More appropriate for 8th grade than 6th grade.
- Continuing series. 11 volumes out now.
Someday's Dreamers by Norie Yamada (Rated Teen 13+)
- Sweet, simple tale of a young teenage girl who tries to use magic to help others.
Rated teen, but could work for Gr 6-8 without any real problems.
- Short series. Only two volumes long. Sequel series (Someday’s Dreamers:
Spellbound) out now.
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: by Hajime Yatate (Rated Teen 13+)
- One of many Gundam manga series. Involves epic sci-fi war/robots/Japanese teen
angst. Teen rating seem to come from the combat sequences. There is nothing
terribly graphic, but people do get wounded and die.
- Short series. Ends in five volumes
Ultra Maniac by Wataru Yoshizumi (Rated All Ages)
- Romance story involving a young teen witch who transfers to a “normal” Japanese
high school. A funny light romance.
- Short series. Five volumes long
American Graphic Novels
"The Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers" series by Scott Lobdell
- Various titles available in this updating of the Hardy Boys franchise to graphic
novel form.
- All new stories with lots of modern references.
- Very simplistic, good for your very low level readers.
Star Wars: Episode 1 by George Lucas and Kia Asamiya
- Graphic novel retelling of the first Star Wars movie. Art by manga artist Kia
Asamiya.
- Two volumes out.
"Nancy Drew: Girl Detective" series by Stefan Petrucha
- Various titles available in this updating of the Nancy Drew franchise to graphic
novel form.
- All new stories with lots of modern references.
- Very simplistic, good for your very low level readers.
Bone by Jeff Smith
- Fantasy/action/humor - originally intended for adult readers, it doesn’t really
contain anything that would be inappropriate for school.
- Currently being reprinted by Scholastic.
- Scholastic has a guide to using graphic novels in the classroom based on this
series
- Five volumes out now with more to be reprinted
Non Fiction - Anime/Manga research materials
The Anime Companion: What's Japanese in Japanese Animation? by Gilles Poitras
- An encyclopedia to common themes, actions, vocabulary and cliches found in anime
and manga.
The Anime Companion 2 by Gilles Poitras
- Additional themes not found in the first volume. Not really necessary but nice to
have.
Anime Essentials: Everything a Fan Needs to Know by Gilles Poitras
- A simple introduction to anime and manga. Also includes tips for starting clubs
and other social activities.
If you are wondering if it makes any difference in circulation if the main
protagonists are male or female, I can tell you that it does not. At least it
doesn’t make any difference in high school. From my experience, the guys and girls
who are interested in manga/graphic novels will read nearly anything so long as the
quality is high.
***********************************************************************
Here are my recommendations and comments regarding your kid requests:
Naruto: Rated Teen - 28 volumes
I have Naruto in my high school Library, but it might be too intense for
middle school. There is a fair amount of ninja blood and gore. It might work for
8th grade, but it would be iffy for lower grades. I guess a lot depends on how
conservative your parent base is. It is a very popular title, but it is also a very
long series. This was a student requested title and I had originally intended to
only get the first five or so, but I wound up getting more due to demand. That is
always a problem with longer series. You might think that you will only get the
first few of a series, but the kids pester you day and night to get more volumes!
Bleach: Rated Teen - 22 volumes
A very popular title at my school, but it suffers from the same problem as
Naruto. There is a fair amount of graphic violence. Again, I wouldn't recommend
this for younger kids.
One Piece: Rated Teen - 17 volumes
One Piece also contains a lot of fighting, but it's more comical in nature.
One Piece focuses on a group of wacky pirates that find themselves in various
quests and adventures. It will probably work for middle school.
Dragon Ball Z: Rated All Ages - 26 volumes
Dragonball Z will work for middle school. Dragonball is all about over the
top martial arts contests, but without any real blood and gore. The only problem is
that it is a very long series.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Rated Teen - 15 volumes
I wouldn't recommend Fullmetal for middle school. It's very popular, but
also pretty gory at times. I have it at my school, but I wouldn't recommend it for
any middle schooler. Personally, I think it should carry an Older Teen rating.
Inuyasha: Rated Older Teen - 32 volumes
Inuyasha is an extremely popular anime and manga series, but it does have a
fair amount of graphic violence and a little nudity depending on the volume. It is
also impossibly long! I have had kids request it here, but I rejected it due to the
length of the series.
Your kids have definitely requested some of the most popular manga titles
out there! Unfortunately, popular usually means long as well. Many of these series
have not even ended their runs yet, so the number of volumes will only increase.
Each of these series also have a cartoon/anime counterpart that have appeared on
various cable networks. Normally, these anime are edited to some extent to make
them acceptable for American TV. The manga are NOT edited, so you really need to
eyeball these requests fairly thoroughly since what a kid sees on TV may not be
reflective of what they will be exposed to in its original manga counterpart.
I would say that it probably will make little difference if you have to say
no to some of these requests. Most kids seem to understand when you say no,
particularly when you point out that a series is well over a dozen volumes. I have
also found that the titles that I gave you are often just as popular as the
Fullmetal Alchemists ...etc... The kids may not immediately recognize a series if
it doesn't have an American TV counterpart, but they will still pick them up and
rapidly discover their quality and read them voraciously. Manga are definitely the
most popular item at my school, with usage four times that of anything else we
have. Just be prepared to never have any on the shelves, because they will always
be checked out!
*****************
Nina Jackson
Teacher Librarian
National Board Certified
Franklin Classical Middle School (6-8 grade)
Long Beach, CA
njackson@lbusd.k12.ca.us
catsandbooks999@hotmail.com
In literature as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others.--Andre
Maurois
Books invite all; they constrain none.--Inscription at the Los Angeles Public
Library
"Wicked people never have time for reading," Dewey said. "It's one of
the reasons for their wickedness."
- Lemony Snicket, The Penultimate Peril (2005)
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