From Far Away (Viz Media) and Translucent (Dark Horse) are good shojo reading for young girls

So you want to know some manga titles for young readers? This isn't as easy as it sounds. Manga publishers do not share a standard rating system so that makes it very difficult to find books rated for middle school-aged readers. But here goes. Two of my favorite shojo (girl's) manga series for this age group are From Far Away, by Kyoko Hikawa, and Translucent, by Kazuhiro Okamoto.

Some shonen reading for young boys: Hikaru no Go and Kekkaishi, both by VIZ.

Okay now for some manga for younger readers. Since most of the "all ages" titles that have been released in the U.S. are really meant for elementary school-age readers, I'm focusing on titles that are great for middle schoolers, an age group that has gotten lost in the manga being released in America. In my last post, I recommended a few shojo (girl's) titles that are wonderful for the 10+ age range. It seems strange, but it's not as easy to find shonen (boy's) manga aimed at this age group.

Popular crossover manga includes Bleach, Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist (Viz Media)

Shojo -- or, the style of manga for young girls -- may be dominating the market, but don't discount the influence boys have on the manga market. Just because manga focus more on character development doesn't mean they don't have any action at all. You just have to look at the success of series like Naruto, Bleach, or Fullmetal Alchemist to see that isn't true.

All three of these series have the fighting, weaponry, and snappy banter readers find in American comics. The difference is that both boys and girls are reading Naruto, Bleach, and Fullmetal Alchemist, and it's that crossover appeal that makes the difference. Most girls -- at least in my library -- aren't picking up Spider-Man, Batman, or the Fantastic Four. But they are reading Fruits Basket, Hikaru no Go, Her Majesty's Dog, Land of the Blindfolded, Sugar Sugar Rune, Death Note, Kingdom Hearts, Yotsuba&!, and on, and on. They're also reading Bone, Oddly Normal, Kat and Mouse, Runaways, Sidescrollers, and other American comics that have a clear beginning, strong characters, and complex storytelling -- all things they've come to expect from comics by reading manga.

NOTE: Bleach creator Tite Kubo will be at the Con Saturday at 1:15 pm in Room 7AB, and then Viz Media will host a Shojo Beat Panel at 3:30 pm in Room 10.

Shojo Beat Magazine is aimed at female readers. (Viz Media)

Years ago, I attended a workshop taught by Gene Yang in which he explained that American comics tend to be all about action, European comics are all about the art, and Japanese comics are all about character development. The how's and why's of this generalization are explained in Scott McCloud's book, Understanding Comics, which I'm sure, by now, you've all read. (No? What are you waiting for?)

Tite Kubo makes his first appearance at this year's Comic-Con. (Viz Media)

Tite Kubo is the creator of the hugely popular mangas Bleach (which has also been made into an anime series) and Zombie Powder. Bleach is about a teenage boy who gains the powers of a soul reaper and is forced to kill creatures called hollows (which are corrupted souls). Zombie Powder is about four main characters that are hunting for the twelve rings of death that are the source of power for "zombie powder," a substance that can raise the dead or give the bearer eternal life.

Eva Volin and fellow judge on this year's Eisner panel. (Beth Accomando)

When I tell people I was asked to serve as an Eisner judge, the most common response has been a bewildered, "Why'd they ask you?" Although I want to respond with a hearty, "Because I'm awesome," I actually understand the confusion. The Eisners are considered the Oscars of the comics industry, and libraries aren't the first place that comes to mind for old school comic book fans looking to find their favorite series. But here's the thing: libraries are the first place NEW comic book fans think of.

Comikaze in Kearny Mesa (Beth Accomando)

The San Diego Comic-Con is in full swing and Friday at 10am there's a panel called Retail Relevance, all about comic book stores. I spoke with a couple of local comic book store owners and a comics writer about the challenges of working in today's comic industry for a KPBS radio feature (you can listen if you don't feel like reading).

As you enter Comickaze, you're engulfed by comics and graphic novels stuffed onto shelves, spread across wire racks, and piled high in boxes. Owner Robert Scott has been running the store for almost 16 years and he's seen some changes over the years.