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Yotsuba&!by Kiyohiko Azuma Yotsuba is one of those kids who is always in her own little world. In fact, I’m not sure she’s ever not been in her own little world. I mean, she’s never seen a doorbell before. The thinks it’s some amazing button that makes people appear. She’s never seen an air conditioner before, but as soon as she sees one, she hates it. The story starts with Yotsuba and her dad moving to a new city. When one of her neighbors asks where they moved from, Yotsuba says “Left!” She’s a strange little kid. Not a lot actually happens in the story. At least, not in the first volume. I haven’t had a chance to read the others. Yotsuba wanders around her neighborhood, meets some of the people there, catches cicadas, and goes shopping at a department store. What makes this worth reading is that it’s like Yotsuba has never done any of this stuff before, so it’s all new and strange to her. Also, she has no filter between her brain and her mouth, so if she says everything that goes through her head. Everything. Her facial expressions and the odd things she says and the really bizarre ways she misunderstands daily life are all just hilarious. In case you are wondering, the title is pronounced “Yotsuba to!” which means “Yotsuba and!” Most of the chapter titles are like “Yotsuba & Shopping” or “Yotsuba & Rain” or “Yotsuba & something else that totally confuses her.” Where to Find ItYou can get it from the public library.
You might want to read the rules for borrowing books before you request anything. If you want to check
on the book or cancel your order, go here. Essex County Volume 1: Tales from the Farmby Jeff Lemire Lester is a 10-year-old boy whose mother has just died of cancer. His father is out of the picture, so he goes to live with his uncle Ken, who lives on a farm. Lester loves comic books – he is writing his own, and he sort of lives in his own little comic book world. He wears a mask and cape all the time, and pretends to be a superhero defending humanity. Ken isn’t really sure what to do about this, but he’s pretty sure that letting Lester hang out with Jimmy, who runs the local gas station, is a bad idea. Jimmy is also a comic book fan, and he plays along with Lester’s ideas. Together, they continue Lester’s comic book and build a fort to defend against aliens. Despite Ken’s concerns, Jimmy is able to make a connection with Lester and eventually help him return to the real world. There are two other volumes in this series, but they aren’t about Lester, Jimmy, and Ken. Where to Find ItYou can get it from the school library.
You can get it from the public library.
This list was last updated August 14, 2010 at 7:45 am UTC. Click here to see newer information. June 29th, 2009
 Tags: alex award winner, artists, family, friendship, superheroes, writers |  Category: Comics, Graphic Novels, Slice of Life
|  Write a comment | Japan AiThis is kind of a travel sketchbook, by a professional artist (she works on Futurama and other things you’ve seen) who’s really into Japanese stuff–costumes, anime, manga, kimono, dolls–and decides to go to Japan with two of her friends. She’s six feet tall and white, so she really stands out! Fortunately for her, and for the reader, she has a really good sense of humor. You can follow along with her as she and her friends experience Japanese trains, food, and hot springs; dress up like geisha; get lost; generally have a lot of fun. She uses her own style of drawing, which is heavily influenced by manga but still unique. The drawings are supplemented with lots of handwritten explanations about what’s happening, and you’ll learn a lot of interesting stuff about modern Japanese pop culture, because she generally knows what she’s talking about. This is really a one-of-a-kind book, giving you the feel of a trip to Japan with three fun, kind of geeky (in a good way!) girls the way a travel guide never could. Go here for a preview, or click on “OMAKE” for 60 pages of bonus sketches and photos that weren’t included in the published book! (One page has a tiny amount of back nudity of a seated person.) By the way, if you decide to look for this in a bookstore, it might be in the manga section, even though it’s not manga. It was published by Go!Comi, a manga publisher, so Borders puts it in manga, but a used bookstore might not. You may have to ask. Where to Find ItYou can get it from the public library.
This list was last updated September 3, 2010 at 8:41 am UTC. Click here to see newer information. June 18th, 2009
Tags: artists, fashion, funny, japan, japanese culture, pop culture, real people | Category: Illustrated Book, Nonfiction, Slice of Life, Travel
| Write a comment | Love Songby Keiko Nishi An anthology of four short stories by amazing artist/writer Nishi: a story about abusive love, an Edgar Alan Poe-like horror piece, a portrait of a far-future Chinese dumpling maker who dreams of Earth, and a bullied boy who develops astonishing healing powers, becomes a celebrity, and must deal with the consequences. Touching, shocking, and memorable. Where to Find ItYou can get it from the public library.
Since Contra Costa libraries only have a few copies of Love Song, you might want to request it through Link+. You get the book through your local library, so you will need to have a library card.
You might want to read the rules for borrowing books before you request anything. If you want to check
on the book or cancel your order, go here. June 10th, 2009
Tags: abuse, bullying, celebrity, collections | Category: Contemporary Fantasy, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Horror, Manga, Science Fiction, Slice of Life
| Write a comment | Paradise Kissby Ai Yazawa By the same author as Nana, this series features an abnormally tall but otherwise unremarkable high-school girl, Yukari. Yukari accidentally becomes the inspiration and main model for a wildly creative fashion-design group consisting of an elegant transvestite, a pierced punk guy with a soft heart, a young woman who wears “sweet lolita” fashion (she looks like a Victorian porcelain doll), and the charismatic, brilliant, bisexual head designer George, who pushes Yukari to become an independent woman. The art is really gorgeous and the story is very entertaining (the characters regularly make remarks about the manga itself, and complain about how much “screen time” they’re getting). Unlike Nana, this series is fairly light, and doesn’t get overly melodramatic. Where to Find ItYou can get it from the public library.
This list was last updated August 15, 2010 at 6:07 am UTC. Click here to see newer information. June 10th, 2009
Tags: artists, books with movies, fashion, school | Category: Graphic Novels, Manga, Slice of Life
| Write a comment | Nanaby Yazawa Ai Two young women with the same name (one ordinary, slightly ditzy country girl and one rebellious aspiring rock star) encounter love, sex, and heartbreak in Tokyo. It’s been a huge hit in Japan, already resulting an animated TV series, two live-action films, video games, and a tribute album with major Japanese pop stars. This series has striking, stylized art. Where to Find ItContra Costa libraries don't have volume 1 of Nana, although they do have later volumes. You might want to request it through Link+. You get the book through your local library, so you will need to have a library card.
You might want to read the rules for borrowing books before you request anything. If you want to check
on the book or cancel your order, go here. June 10th, 2009
Tags: books with movies, friendship, melodrama, music, Romance, strong female characters, tokyo | Category: Comics, Graphic Novels, Manga, Slice of Life
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