Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle by Hayao Miyazaki
Miyazaki, H. (2004). Howl's moving castle. San Francisco: VIZ Media, LLC
ISBN: 1421500906

Plot

Eighteen year old Sophie is placed under a curse by the Witch of Waste that turns her into a 90 year old woman. Howl is a wizard  who lives in a large moving castle. Sophie is ashamed and runs and hides in Howl's moving castle. She makes friends with Calcifer the fire demon who powers the castle. Howl and Calcifer are joined by a mysterious curse. Howl allows Sophie to stay and clean his castle. He is troubled and unhappy. Sophie and Howl become friends. Eventually they must defeat Suliman, the royal sorceress of His Majesty of Kingsbury who secretly runs the kingdom and wants Howl's heart for herself. Sophie travels to the past and discovers that Calcifer was once a falling star who was caught by Howl. To save the star, Howl had given him his heart. This is why Howl can never give his heart to another. Sophie returns to the present. She places an injured and fading Calcifer into Howl's chest and they both are restored to health. Suliman gives up here quest to control Howl's heart. Howl and Sophie admit their love for each other.

Critical Evaluation

This is a story about self love, humility and forgiveness. The curse on Sophie can only be lifted by Sophie when she learns how to love herself and accept love. She forgives the witch who has cursed her. Howl must regain his heart by accepting the help of another. This is a picture book, but it is of interest level to anyone who loves anime. It is based on Diana Wynne Jones' award winning novel of the same name. The illustrations are by Japanese anime master Hayao Miyazaki. This book is not to be missed by anime aficionados.

Readers Annotation

This is an amazing adventure set in a fantasy world illustrated by anima master Hayao Miyazaki. This book is a must read for anime/fanasy aficionados.

About the Author

Diane Wynne Jones was born in London in 1934. She is a British writer of fantasy novels for children and adults. Born in 1941, Hayao Miyazaki an Academy Award winning Japanese animator. Miyazaki's stories often involve the themes of humanity's relationship to nature, the pitfalls of technology and the difficulty of maintaining a nonviolence. He is immensely succesful in Japan and has enjoyed crossover success in the United States with Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away. He was named one of the Time 100 Most Influential people in 2005.

Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction

Curriculum Ties: Language Arts, Art

Booktalk Ideas: Self love, forgiveness

Reading Level: Grade 4+
Interest Level: Grade 4+
Challenge Issues: None

This book is included because it is a beautiful picture book targeting the early tween audience.

Naruto

Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto
Kishimoto, M. (1999). Naruto. San Francisco: VIZ Media, LLC
ISBN: 9781413198812

Plot
Uzumaki Naruto is a troublemaking orphan who is struggling to Graduate form the Ninja Academy in the town of Konohagakure. Konohagakure is home to the greatest Ninja in the world. But, twelve years ago, the life of the village champion, The Fourth Hokage, was taken by a fierce creature -- a nine-tailed fox demon. The Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life to seal the demon within a child. Unknown to Naruto, he is that child. The Third Hokage forbids the villagers to speak of it. But the town-folk treat Naruto as if he were the demon, itself. He is mistreated throughout most of his childhood. Eventually, Naruto unleashes the power of a forbidden scroll to save the life of his teacher. The power of the scroll allows him to create clones of himself. This is how he discovers that he is the container of the demon fox. Naruto is assigned to a 3 person team under the guidance of a sensei called Team 7. The ninja teams are assigned missions by the villagers. The story follows Naruto and his friends personal growth as they accomplish their missions and as Naruto learns to live with the demon inside.

Critical Evaluation
Naruto is a series of books. The story is ongoing. It is also a story told through the magazine Shonen Jump and an animated cartoon, as well. It is an interesting story as Naruto's personality is shaped and twisted by his abuse as a child. He literally has a demon deep inside himself. This series is immensely popular with tweens. Volume 7 won a Quill Award for best Graphic Novel in 2006.

Readers Annotation

Naruto is one of the best and most popular graphic novels being produced today. Fans of manga will not want to miss the compelling story of a young man mistreated and abused from childhood trying to find his way in the world of the ninja while battling a raging demon sealed inside him at birth.

About the Author

Mayashi Kishimoto was born in 1974 in Japan. In 1995 he won the Hop Step Award granted to the most promising manga artist. In 1999 Naruto was serialized in the weekly magazine Shonen Jump. Naruto is still ongoing with 46 volumes published. Naruto has sold over 4 million copies in the U.S. When creating Naruto, Kishimoto drew on other shonen manga for inspiration. He has also designed video game characters.

Genre: Manga, Graphic Novel

Curriculum Ties: Language Arts, Culture

Booktalk Ideas: Overcoming demons.

Reading Level: Grade 4+
Interest Level: Grade 4+
Challenge Issues: Violence. Those seeking to ban manga graphic novels on the basis of violence will have to succeed in banning the genre. The Ninja aspect of many Japanese graphic novels is philosphical as well as violent.

Manga graphic novels are immensely popular with tweens. This story is included because it is one of the most popular and best of the manga graphic novels.

B.B. Explosion

B.B. Explosion by Yasue Imai
Imai, Y. (2004). B.B. explosion. San Francisco: VIZ LLC
ISBN: 1591163846

Plot

Airi wants to be a pop star. But this can't be accomplished in Okinawa where she lives. She desperately wants to appear on the show Boom Boom. Her first step is to enroll in the big city actor's school. There she meets Yu and Yumi, two other girls who share her dream. Competition is spirited and ruthless. But Airi is helped by a guardian angel who is a gargolye-like statue named Cesar. Airi suffers a set back when she learns that her friends have been chosen to compete on Boom Boom instead of her. She redoubles her efforts and wins a gig as a dancer on a hit music video. She becomes a star in Tokyo and is mobbed by fans! She enters a music studio to cut her own cd. Her song is a hit! But this makes the reigning queen of pop jealous and she works against Airi. Airi weathers this storm and takes off for New York looking for international fame and romance.

Critical Evaluation

B.B. Explosion is amusing and energetic. Boom Boom is a show like American Idol. Tween readers (particularly girls) will find Airi's story of pursuing dreams fun and exciting. There are very little mythological influences as in most other manga. This series of 5 books will appeal to any tween girl with big dreams.

Readers Annotation

Anyone can dream big. But it takes a lot of hard work to make dreams come true. Airi is a young girl from Okinawa with a lot of talent bundled up in a small body who has big dreams. She wants to compete on an American Idol-like show called Boom Boom. Join her own her quest to become a big star in the music industry, makes friends and enemies and meets boys.

About the Author

Yasue Imai is an author and illustrator from Tokyo Japan. I was unable to find more information about her.

Genre: Fiction, Manga, Graphic Novel, Romance

Curriculum Ties: Language Arts

Booktalk Ideas: Pursuing dreams.

Reading Level: Grade 4+
Interest Level: Grade 4+
Challenge Issues: None

This is a manga graphic novel series that deserves inclusion because of its contemporary themes and appeal to girls.

Rave Master

Rave Master by Hiro Mashima
Mashima, H. (1999). Rave Master. Los Angeles: Tokyo Pop Inc.
ISBN: 1591820642

Plot

Once there were evil stones that bestowed incredible powers to their owners. They were called the Dark Bring. The Dark Bring were used by the Ravegroove Kingdom  and were opposed by the Symphonia Kingdom using their Holy Bring. The first Rave Master, Shiba, tried to destroy the Dark Bring using a decaforce sword. This had the effect of creating a huge explosion called the "Overdrive" which destroyed one tenth of the world. Shiba was protected from the explosion by Plue, a magical dog. He preserved the Rave needed to power his sword. Plue and the remaining pieces of Rave are scattered throughout the world. Fifty years later, a 16 year old young man named Haru Glory, fishes up Plue by accident. Shiba shows up and wants Plue back. An evil organization known as Demon Card now posses Dark Bring and want to use it to rule the world. When Haru successfully battles one of the members of the Demon Card, Shiba realizes that he is a Rave Master, as well. He gives his decaforce sword, remaining Rave and Plue to Haru. Haru embarks on a worldwide adventure to find the missing bits of Rave and save the world.

Critical Evaluation

This graphic novel series has 35 volumes. It was criticized initially for a lack of interesting characters. But as the story arc continued, the characters developed more depth and the series gained in popularity. It is in the sword and sorcery/action adventure genre. It includes the popular literary device of evil secret societies. Its main appeal is to young male tweens. It is a very popular with this group.

Readers Annotation

In a world where good battles evil, a 16 year old boy from a fishing village, Haru Glory, is thrust into the role of Rave Master. His task: collect the remaining pieces of Rave from around the globe to power his magic sword and battle the evil organization bent on world domination.

About the Author

Japanese manga artist Hiro Mashima was born in 1977. He is best known for Groove Adventure Rave which was published in the United States under the name Rave Master. This series was published Weekly Shonen Magazine from 1999 to 2005. His current series is called Fairy Tale. Mashima states that in his work he wants to make justice prevail, but also make readers understand the motivations of the villains to fight the main characters in order to make them more complex.

Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction, Graphic Novel, Manga

Curriculum Ties: Language Arts

Booktalk Ideas: Courage, Accepting responsibility

Reading Level: Grade 4+
Interest Level: Grade 4+
Challenge Issues: Violence. The violence in this book can be defended as it is mythological in nature and moves the plot.

This series of graphic novels is included because it is popular with young males.

Fruits Basket

Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya
Takaya, N. (1998). Fruits basket. Los Angeles: Tokyopop Inc.
ISBN: 1591826039

Plot

Tohru Honda is an orphan who has lived by herself in the wilderness since the death of her mother in a car accident. She is adopted by the Sohma family who live in a house in the forest. Tohru soon finds out that the family is under a curse. Thirteen members of the family are possessed by the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac and a cat. When touched by a member of the opposite sex, they turn into these animals. The story follows the lives and loves of Tohru and the Sohma family as they struggle to keep their secret and fit into a world that doesn't understand them. Tohru, who is strong and optimistic, vows to help break this curse.

Critical Evaluation

Fruits Basket tends to be more intellectual than most manga series. There is comedy, drama, heartbreak, angst, romance and action. The characters are easy to relate to for tweens. The reader experiences their struggles and triumphs and learns more about each one as the characters are developed throughout the series. Takaya's artwork is particularly good as she uses shade and shadow to convey characters' emotions and inner feelings. This is the perfect manga series for girls. It is one of the most popular series ever produced. The 15th Volume placed number 15 on USA Today's Top 150 Best Selling Books. This is the highest position ever achieved by a manga novel. There are 23 volumes in all.

Readers Annotation

Tohru Honda is an orphaned girl trying to make it on her own. When she meets a family under an ancient curse and dangerous secret, her life and theirs will change forever. Follow the loves and lives of a group of most unusual people in Natsuki Takaya's excellent manga series Fruits Basket.

About the Author

Natsuki Takaya is the pen-name of Japanese manga artist and author Naka Hatake. She was born in 1973 in Shizuoka, Japan, but was raised in Tokyo. She reveals that she wanted to be a manga artist since first grade, but does not like to talk about herself. In 2001 she received the Kodansha Manga Award for Fruits Basket.

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Manga, Graphic Novel

Curriculum Ties: Language Arts

Booktalk Ideas: Friendship and loyalty, Metamorphosis

Reading Level: Grade 4+
Interest Level: Grade 4+
Challenge Issues: None

This series is included because it is by far the best manga series for tweens in a literary and artistic sense. It is also immensely popular with girls.

Spirited Away

Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki
Miyazaki, H. (2002). Spirited away. San Francisco: Viz Communications Inc.
ISBN: 9780329382674

Plot

Ten year old Chihiro and her family are moving to a new town. They stop at an abandoned amusement park where food is waiting for them. Chihiro's parents eat the food, but Chihiro does not. Her parents turn into pigs. Chihiro is helped by a boy named Haku, who warns her to leave. But it is too late. Spirits begin to swirl around the park and she is forced to work for the witch Yubaba, the owner of the park's bathhouse. She is put to work bathing and serving the most difficult spirits in the bathhouse. She is rewarded by a river spirit who has been heavily polluted, with a gift of medicine. She later uses this medicine to treat Haku who has been injured in his dragon form by Zeniba, Yubaba's sister. But Haku is still comatose. Chihiro travels to Zeniba's home to return a talisman belonging to her that haku had stolen in hopes that she will cure him. Zeniba informs Chihiro that her friendship and caring have cured her friend. As they return to the bathhouse, Chihiro realizes that Haku is a river spirit who saved her from drowning years earlier. This realization breaks the curse holding him to Yubaba. For Chihiro to be released from the witch, she must correctly identify which of a herd of pigs are her parents. When she correctly identifies that none are, she is released. Haku escorts her to the edge of the Spirit World and tells her her family is waiting on the other side. She returns to the car with her family, but she will never be the same.

Critical Evaluation

This series of books is based on the movie Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki. The illustrations are by Miyazaki. The story functions on multiple levels. On one level, it is a coming of age story as Chihiro must learn to overcome self-centered childishness and serve and help others. After her journey, she is not the same. She has made the transition to the next phase of her life. On another level, the story functions as social commentary about consumption, materialism and pollution. On yet another level, it is merely a wonderfully engaging story. Miyazaki is a master animator and his illustrations are beautiful.

Readers Annotation

When ten year old Chihiro's parents stop along the road for a bite to eat at a deserted amusement park, they are transformed into pigs and Chihiro is spirited away into a bizarre bathhouse of witches and dragons. She is made to serve the denizens there. She is forced to wash unclean spirits. Her only friend is badly injured and she must undertake a dangerous journey to try and save him.

About the Author
Born in 1941, Hayao Miyazaki an Academy Award winning Japanese animator. Miyazaki's stories often involve the themes of humanity's relationship to nature, the pitfalls of technology and the difficulty of maintaining a nonviolent existence. He is immensely succesful in Japan and has enjoyed crossover success in the United States with Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away. He was named one of the Time 100 Most Influential people in 2005.

Genre: Fanatsy/Science Fiction, Anime, Graphic Novel

Curriculum Ties: Language Arts, Art

Booktalk Ideas: Family, friends, responsibility

Reading Level: Grade 4+
Interest Level: Grade 4+
Challenge Issues: None

This is a brilliant work that functions on many levels. It is a book that challenges tweens to interpret meaning.