Books for the anime lover

This post is based on the book talk I did for the teens during All-Day Anime a couple of weeks ago!

We have a big selection of manga graphic novels in the teen section, which are the basis for a large amount of popular anime series, but some people may not know that there are also anime shows based on books! Here are a few good ones that can all be found in the teen section.

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi
This book is the basis of the anime Moribito that ran on Cartoon Network. It's a story about a woman bodyguard named Balsa who has sworn to save lives to atone for lives she has taken in the past. She is an independent woman who does not like to get involved in the affairs of others, but she finds herself saving the life of a young prince while she is passing through a foreign city and ends up becoming his bodyguard. The prince is in trouble because he holds within his spirit an egg that will hatch into a water spirit that will revive the land from the drought it is suffering through. She must protect him from an evil creature that seeks to eat the egg (which would kill the prince as well) as well as the prince's own father.

The book is not set in Japan, but in an imaginary world that shares many traits with feudal Japan and China. Some of the settings might seem familiar to those of you who are fans of Inu-Yasha. There's a lot of action, as there are so many people out to get the prince. If you liked the anime, you should definitely check out the novel for the whole story! Also, it's the first book of a series, and the second one will be coming out in May and continues the adventures of Balsa.


Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe
This book has not only been adapted into an anime movie, but you can also find the manga version over in the graphic novels section. But the original is the best! Wataru is a ten year old who is currently facing some problems at home. His parents' relationship is on rocky grounds, and finally they decide to get a divorce. His mother does not take this well and grows depressed to the point where she tries to commit suicide. Wataru wants to find a way to change events and alter his fate, and he finds it when he unexpectedly stumbles upon a parallel world called Vision.

In Vision, Wataru is a hero, known as a Traveler and respected by the inhabitants of the world, which includes beast people and dragons. His objective is to collect the five gemstones, and he is given a sword and armor in order to succeed. Once he has the gemstones, he can ascend the Tower of Destiny and ask the goddess of fate to change his fate. But he is not the only one who wants to change his fate, and he must face his rival Mitsuru, who has magic powers and will stop at aboslutely nothing to reach the Tower of Destiny first.

Anyone who likes fantasy RPGs should love this book, as the entire world of Vision is supposed to be an RPG made real for Wataru. He even undergoes a test to see if he will be a magic user or a sword user!


The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow by Fuyumi Ono
This book is similar to Brave Story in that the main character, a teenage girl named Youko, finds herself drawn into a different world. In her case, though, it is because she belonged to that world in the first place, having been blown into our world accidentally before she was born. She is carried into the other world by Keiki, a mysterious man who turns out to be a kirin who is searching for the next ruler of the kingdom of Kei (one of the titular Twelve Kingdoms). Unfortunately, when she lands in the world of the Twelve Kingdoms she is lost in the wilderness. Her bright red hair betrays her as an outsider, and she meets hostility from both humans and demons. However, Keiki gave her a sword that gives her fighting skills, and she develops a strong determination to survive until she is reunited with Keiki.

This book is the basis for the Twelve Kingdoms anime that was really popular a few years ago. It is an excellent book, full of action. Youko faces a lot of adversity on her way to becoming the Empress of Kei, not knowing who she can trust and who will betray her as well as being set upon on all sides by demons. She gets into a lot of trouble, but she also gains some close allies and friends, including an anthropomorphic rat named Rakshun. The world of the Twelve Kingdoms shares a lot of similarities with ancient China, though, like the world of Moribito, it is entirely fantasy. This book is also the first in a series, and if you enjoy it I recommend checking out the second, Sea of Wind as well as the third, The Vast Spread of the Seas, which just came out this month.

Important News About Fungible Friday: Second Childhood Edition

Miss Jenny just ordered Mario Kart!!! So if you are lucky enough to be a teen mark your calendars for April 24, 6-8 pm. This is an after-hours event so you must be in the building before 6 pm!

A Bunch of New Chick Lit Series in Teen

I love the Gossip Girls, Clique, Private, It Girl, and A-list series, so I was very excited to find, when i was browsing for new books to order back in December, that a lot more authors are coming out with similar series. I added ALL of them! What I like about these newer series is that they are much more diverse- there are several Christian-themed series and several African American-centered series (and two that are Christian AND African-American and one that is Christian AND Hispanic-American!). Check'em out (literally!)

(All titles listed below can be found in the Teen section of Helen Hall Library (call numer YA-F) alphabetized by author.)

Bard Academy Series by Lockwood, Cara
Vol. 1: Wuthering High
Miranda is shipped off to Bard Academy, a boarding school, to learn how to behave, but when she begins having nightmares and the other students' lives begin to mirror the tragic classics they're reading, Miranda begins to suspect the school is haunted by famous authors who committed suicide.

The Ashleys Series by De La Cruz, Melissa
Vol. 1: The Ashleys
Lauren Page, having changed her style from discount bargain clothes to couture fashions, decides to infiltrate the most popular group of girls at Miss Gamble's Preparatory School for Girls and get revenge for how they have treated her.

The Celebutantes Series by Pagliarulo, Antonio
Vol. 1: On the Avenue
When fabulously wealthy sixteen-year-old triplets Lexington, Park, and Madison Hamilton appear to be involved in the murder of a powerful magazine editor, they decide to do some investigating of their own before the police and paparazzi completely ruin their lives.

The Good Girlz Novels (Christian Fiction) by Billingsley, ReShonda Tate
Vol. 1: Nothing But Drama
Four girls from different backgrounds--one with a police record, one with a frightening secret, one with a tough exterior, and one from high society--meet at a church youth group and learn firsthand the value of honoring their parents.

Drama High Series by Divine, L.
Vol. 1: The Fight
Having broken up with her boyfriend and his player ways, sixteen-year-old Jayd is ready for a fresh start and a new school year at South Bay High, a.k.a. Drama High, but life is not that easy at her Los Angeles high school.

The Clique Summer Collection by Harrison, Lisi
(No particular series order) Sample description from volume: Massie
Back in Orlando for the summer, twelve-year-old Claire has difficulty connecting with her former best friends and decides to prove her loyalty by helping them prepare for the Kissimmee's teen beauty pageant, but when Massie shows up with aims to win the crown, Claire finds herself torn.

The Summer Boys Novels by Abbott, Hailey
Vol. 2: Next Summer
On vacation again together, three cousins share their family's beach house and find a whole new selection of boys-- and the problems that go along with dating them.

The Principles of Love Series by Franklin, Emily
Vol. 1: Love From London
Love Bukowski is living the life of her dreams in London, where she parties with the hottest rock stars, legendary royals, and all-time bad boys while attending the London Academy of Drama and Music with her best friend, Arabella, but when the life of her dreams takes a turn for the worse, Love must decide whether to follow her heart or her head.

Chalet Girls Series by Franklin, Emily
Vol. 1: Balancing Acts
Three teenaged girls try to prevent their secrets from interfering with their love lives and their goals as they work at Les Trois, an exclusive Alpine ski resort, over the winter.

The All About Us Novels (Christian Fiction) by Adina, Shelley
Vol. 1: Be Strong and Curvaceous
Carly, a Mexican American scholarship student at exclusive Spencer Academy in San Francisco, hides her status from her wealthy school friends until her new roommate, a Scottish aristocrat, is threatened by an angry young man and needs Carly's--and God's--help.

The Beta Gamma Pi Novels (Christian Fiction) by Moore, Stephanie Perry
Vol. 1: Work What You Got
Hayden, who starts her sophomore year at college, pledges to Beta Gamma Pi and participates in dangerous hazing events while dealing with challenges to her Christian faith and questioning her relationship with Creed, the campus hunk.

Just in time for Valentine's Day- books about Forbidden Love

Aidinoff, Elsie The garden YA-F AIDINOFF
Bennett, Cherie A heart divided YA-F BENNETT
Black, Holly Tithe YAF-BLACK
Blackman, Marjorie Naughts and Crosses YA-F BLACKMAN
Block, Francesca Lia Wasteland YA-F BLOCK
Clare, Cassandra City of Bones YA-F CLARE
Dole, Mayra Lazare Down to the Bone YA-F DOLE
Draper, Sharon Romiette and Julio YA-F DRAPER
Freyman-Weyr, Garret Stay With Me YA-F FREYMAN-WEYR
Gallagher, Liz Opposite of Invisible YA-F GALLAGHER
Glenn , Mel Foreign Exchange: a Mystery in Poems YA-F GLENN
Gray, Claudia Evernight YA-F GRAY
Green, John Paper Towns YA-F GREEN
Hurley, Tonya Ghostgirl YA-F HURLEY
Jenkins, A.M. Beating Heart YA-F JENKINS
Klause, Annette Curtis Blood and Chocolate YA-F KLAUSE
Koja, Kathe Kissing the Bee YA-F KOJA
Korman, Gordon Son of the Mob YA-F KORMAN
Lyga, Barry Boy Toy YA-F LYGA
McCarthy, Maureen Rose by Any Other Name YA-F MCCARTHY
Mead, Rachel Vampire Academy Series YA-F MEAD
Meyer, Stephenie Twilight series YA-F MEYER
Mori, Kaoru Emma series YAGN MORI
Newman, Leslea Jailbait YA-F NEWMAN
Rosoff, Meg How I Live Now YA-F ROSOFF
Ryan, Amy Kathleen Vibes YA-F RYAN
Shakespeare, William Romeo and Juliet 822.33 U3gi
Shmidt, Gary D. Trouble YA-F SCHMIDT
Strasser, Todd Boot Camp YA-F STRASSER
Vaught, Susan Big Fat Manifesto YA-F VAUGHT
Waite, Judy Forbidden YA-F WAITE
Weyn, Suzanne Reincarnation YA-F WEYN
Whitcomb, Laura A Certain Slant of Light YA-F WHITCOMB
Woodson, Jacqueline Behind You YA-F WOODSON
Woodson, Jacqueline If You Come Softly YA-F WOODSON
Zarr, Sara Sweethearts YA-F ZARR

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

"But I don't WANNA read a series about vampires! I scccared!" That's what I thought over and over each time a teen requested one of the books in the Twilight series...until I went to a workshop entitled "Books for Reluctant Teen Readers." The room was filled with middle-aged librarians, and the speaker held up Twilight. "This book is about a girl who falls in love with a vampire..." One of the librarians interrupted her. "It's a book about a HOT vampire!!" The rest of the room busted out laughing, agreeing wholeheartedly.

I just finished the final book in the series...I never was scared, and the vampire...oh, yes...VERY hot!!