Category: review
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Manga Review: Noragami: Stray God
Title: Noragami: Stray God Mangaka: Adachitoka US Publisher: Kodansha Status: Ongoing (Print & Digital) Currently at 24 Volumes. Age Relevance: Middle School and Up. How Essential Is It?: Nice to Have Curricular Connections?: Best for independent reading. Reader’s Advisory Tags: Supernatural, made into an anime, long running series, comedy, Japanese culture. Anime: Yes, available on Crunchyroll Content Warnings: Mild language, use of…
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Manga Review: Boys Run the Riot
Title: Boys Run the Riot Mangaka: Keito Gaku US Publisher: Kodansha Status: Complete Age Relevance: Middle School & Up How Essential Is It?: Must Have Curricular Connections?: Can be used with GSA clubs, in ELA classrooms dealing with themes of identity, and in college literature courses on gender and sexuality. Reader’s Advisory Tags: LGBTQ+ Issues, Gender Identity, Fashion, Bullying, Identity Anime: None…
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Manga Review: Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon

Title: Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Mangaka: Takashi Shiina, Rumiko Takahashi (Designed by), Katsuyuki Sumisawa (Other adaptation by) US Publisher: VIZ Media Status: Ongoing Age Relevance: Middle, High School How Essential Is It?: Nice to Have Curricular Connections?: N/A Reader’s Advisory Tags: InuYasha, feudal Japan, isekai, sequel series, strong female characters, fantasy, action Anime: Crunchyroll Content Warnings: Very mild horror and violence. Publisher Synopsis:…
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Manga Review: Talk to My Back
Title: Talk to My Back / Shin Kirari Mangaka: Yamada Murasaki US Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly Status: Complete Age Relevance: Adult How Essential Is It?: Must Have for Adult Collections Curricular Connections?: Great for discussions of feminist theory and thought. Could be used in high school ELA as a read-alike for literary works on feminist though. Reader’s Advisory Tags: motherhood, feminism,…
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Series Review: Kitchen Princess
Title: Kitchen Princess キッチンのお姫さま Mangaka: Kobayashi Miyuki 小林深雪 and Andō Natsumi 安藤 なつみ US Publisher: Kodansha USA Status: Complete. Level: Secondary. May also work for some upper elementary students. How Essential Is It?: Nice to Have Curricular Connections?: My school has a culinary program, and students have used the recipes in this manga for projects!…
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Series Review: Flying Witch
Title: Flying Witch (ふらいんぐうぃっち) Mangaka: Chihiro Ishizuka いしずかちひろ US Publisher: Kodansha USA Status: Ongoing. Level: Elementary and up. High school and up. Please see the update to this post. How Essential Is It?: Nice to Have Curricular Connections?: N/A Reader’s Advisory Tags: Slice of Life, Humor, Magic, Fantasy. Anime: Crunchyroll. Content Warnings: None. Last night…
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Series Review: Fruits Basket
Title: Fruits Basket フルーツバスケット Mangaka: Natsuki Takaya 高屋 奈月 US Publisher: Formerly TokyoPop, now Yen Press Status: Complete. Level: Middle School & Up. How Essential Is It?: Must Have Curricular Connections?: SEL. Reader’s Advisory Tags: Grief, abuse. Anime: 2001: Funimation, Hulu. 2019: Funimation, Crunchyroll. Content Warnings: Discussions of mental and physical abuse, light sexual innuendos…