Real Japan for Anime Fans

Author James Kennedy will host a special Anime & Manga Club meeting. James will be discussing life in Japan, Japanese pop culture and how it relates to your favorite anime and manga. Learn some basic Japanese phrases and how to write your name in Japanese characters too! Our next meeting is on July 6 at 7pm in the meeting room.

And be sure to check out some of our new manga series:

Arisa
Tsubasa thinks that her pretty and popular sister, Arisa, has the perfect life. Everyone at school loves Arisa, unlike the hot-tempered Tsubasa, whose nick-name is "the Demon Princess." But when Arisa attempts suicide, Tsubasa learns that her seemingly perfect sister has been keeping some dark secrets. Now Tsubasa is going undercover at school--disguised as Arisa--in search of the truth.

Genkaku Picasso
Having cheated death, Hikaru Hamura must save himself by using his artistic abilities to help others. Hikari Hamura, nicknamed Picasso because of his natural artistic abilities, survived a horrible accident, but his friend Chiaki wasn't so lucky. Suddenly, Chiaki appears in front of him and tells him in order to keep living he must help the people around him. Can Hikari save people with his sketchbook and a 2B pencil?




Kamisama Kiss
Nanami Momozono is alone and homeless after her dad skips town to evade his gambling debts and the debt collectors kick her out of her apartment. So when a man she's just saved from a dog offers her his home, she jumps at the opportunity. But it turns out that his place is a shrine, and Nanami has unwittingly taken over his job as a local deity! Nanami doesn't want to miss out on the fun
 when a hot teen idol joins the student body. Tomoe reluctantly agrees to let her go, as long as she conceals her divine mark. After all, what could possibly go wrong at high school...

Ouran High School Host Club
One day, Haruhi, a scholarship student at exclusive Ouran High School, breaks an $80,000 vase that belongs to the 'Host Club', a mysterious campus group consisting of six super-rich (and gorgeous) guys. To pay back the damages, she is forced to work for the club, and it's there that she discovers just how wealthy the boys are and how different they are from everybody else.

Saturn Apartments
Far in the future, humankind has evacuated the earth in order to preserve it. Humans now reside in a gigantic structure that forms a ring around the earth. The society of the ring is highly stratified: the higher the floor, the greater the status. Mitsu, the lowly son of a window washer, has just graduated junior high. When his father disappears and is assumed dead, Mitsu must take on his father's occupation. As he struggles with the transition to working life, Mitsu's job treats him to an outsider's view into the living-room dioramas of the Saturn Apartments.

And good news! Sailor Moon is being re-released starting in September!

Kimberly

I, Emma Freke by Elizabeth Atkinson

Even her name is odd. Emma Freke. She is taller than anyone in her class, her mother is a new age weirdo, and she knows nothing about her father. In other words, 12-year-old Emma is different. Her only friend is Penelope, a fourth grader that lives in her neighborhood.

However, she does have an interesting home above her mother’s bead shop, and she does like working there. Sometimes unusual people come in, like the man in the suit that clearly doesn’t want to buy anything.

Everything changes for Emma when a mysterious invitation comes in the mail asking her to attend the Freke Family Picnic. At first Emma is excited, then worried when she accepts. After all, she knows nothing about these people.

But sometimes you have to take a chance…

Take a chance on I, Emma Freke.

Karen

Where The Mountain Meets The Moon by Grace Lin

This is a must read!!!

                In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man of the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.

                This is a wondrous novel with an epic journey and memorable characters in the tradition of The Wizard of Oz. From the beautiful design and the breathtaking full-color illustrations throughout, to the gentle humor and touching prose, this book is truly a gem.

MaryBeth

A Midsummer Knight's Read

Our Summer Reading Club starts today!  In honor of this year's theme, A Midsummer Knight's Read, here are some medieval-themed literature:

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi
After being declared a "wolf's head" by his manor's corrupt steward for a crime he didn't commit (meaning that anyone can kill him like a common animal--and collect a reward), this timid boy has to flee a tiny village that's the only world he's ever known. "Asta's son," as he's always been known, learns from the village priest that his Christian name is Crispin, and that his parents' origins--and fates--might be more perplexing than he ever imagined.

The Book of the Maidservant by Rebecca Barnhouse

Johanna is a servant girl to Dame Margery Kempe, a renowned medieval holy woman. Dame Margery feels the suffering the Virgin Mary felt for her son but cares little for the misery she sees every day. When she announces that Johanna will accompany her on a pilgrimage to Rome, the suffering truly begins. After walking all day, Johanna must fetch water, wash clothes, and cook for the entire party of pilgrims. Then arguing breaks out between Dame Margery and the other travelers, and Johanna is caught in the middle. As the fighting escalates, Dame Margery turns her back on the whole group, including Johanna. Abandoned in a foreign land where she doesn’t even speak the language, the young maidservant must find her own way to Rome.

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

Catherine feels trapped. Her father is determined to marry her off to a rich man--any rich man, no mater how awful.  But by wit, trickery, and luck, Catherine manages to send several would-be husbands packing. Then a shaggy-bearded suitor from the north comes to call--by far the oldest, ugliest, most revolting suitor of them all.
Unfortunately, he is also the richest. Can a sharp-tongued, high-spirited, clever young maiden with a mind of her own actually lose the battle against an ill-mannared, piglike lord and an unimaginative, greedy toad of a father?  Not if Catherine has anything to say about it!  Also by Cushman: Matilda Bone about an apprentice bonesetter


The Legend of Lady Ilena by Patricia Malone
Ilena, daughter of Moren and Grenna, has lived in the Vale of Enfert for all of her 15 years, but it is not her true home. Her parents refused to speak about the place they came from or their lineage. After the deaths of both of her parents, her questions remain unanswered. Her father’s final words to her provide the single clue: “Go to Dun Alyn. Find Ryamen.” Ilena sets out alone on the dangerous trip across Britain, certain only that Dun Alyn is a fortress somewhere in the East. Her skills as a warrior are tested against raiders from the West and Painted Ones from the Far North, but her most formidable challenge awaits her at Dun Alyn. Will she be able to accept her true identity and fulfill her destiny?

The Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris

Growing up an orphan in an isolated cottage in the woods, young Terence never expected much adventure. But upon the arrival of Gawain, his life takes a surprising turn. Gawain is destined to become one of the most famous knights of the Round Table. Terence becomes Gawain's squire and leaves his secluded life for one of adventure in King Arthur's court. In no time Terence is plunged into the exciting world of kings, wizards, knights, wars, magic spells, dwarfs, damsels in distress, and enchanters. As he adjusts to his new life, he proves to be not only an able squire but also a keen observer of the absurdities around him. His duties take him on a quest with Gawain and on a journey of his own, to solve the mystery of his parentage. 

Viking Warrior by Judson Roberts

Despite being the son of a chieftain and a princess, fourteen-year-old Halfdan lives as a slave in Denmark in A.D. 845 but through a tragic bargain he gains his freedom and sets out to claim his birthright. Halfdan must suffer a grave loss in order to grasp what he most desires: to be a great warrior. Bloody, furiously paced, heart-wrenching, and unflinching, this is a story of a land where the destinies of boys and men are forged in the heat of battle. Young Halfdan shall come to know the glories of true brotherhood and the unspeakable horrors of true evil. 

Edge on the Sword by Rebecca Tingle
AEthelflaed is King Alfred's eldest daughter and her royal blood makes her a target and vulnerable to those who would wish to hurt the king. Suddenly betrothed to the king's ally, AEthelflaed finds herself constrained by the presence of Red, a gruff new bodyguard assigned to protect her and deliver her to her new home. Soon she learns that Red has much more than protection to offer her. He begins teaching her how to battle like a man. And when enemies threaten the borderlands, Flaed turns first to her guardian, and at last to her own inner resources and battle skills to save her life and protect the lives of her men. AEthelflaed was an actual noblewoman who seized power in central England a thousand years ago and became the greatest heroine in Old English medieval history.

The Royal Wedding

Excited about Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding?  Here's some royal romantic and historical fiction to set the mood for this weekend.
Prince William, Maximilian Minsky and Me by Holly-Jane Rahlens
Nelly Sue Edelmeister knows exactly who she is: a skinny, nerdy thirteen-year-old Berlin schoolgirl with thick glasses but that's before she develops a hopeless crush on the handsome and newly bereaved Prince William. And it's definitely before she meets the odd but oddly attractive Maximilian Minsky who is klutzy Nelly's last hope for making the school team before it heads off to Eton, England, and virtually into Prince William's arms.

Calypso Chronicles by Tyne O'Connell
When Calypso returns from Los Angeles to her English boarding school for the summer term, she is determined to fit in with the popular crowd. She makes a whole batch of new friends, and even finds herself winning the unwritten contest to woo the prince at the boys' school next door. But when Calypso and Prince Freddy end up in the tabloids, everything seems set to go down the drain. A humorous series about life in an English boarding school and the ups-and-downs of dating a prince.

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
Having recently discovered she is the sole heir to the throne of the tiny European principality of Genovia, Mia Thermopolis tries to live a normal teenaged life and finish high school while coming to terms with her new role and preparing to become a proper princess.  This series follows Mia's misadventures on her way to claim her throne.

Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl
Recently orphaned and destitute, seventeen-year-old Liza Hastings earns a position as a lady's maid to sixteen-year-old Princess Victoria at Kensington Palace in 1836, the year before Victoria becomes Queen of England. Liza steps unwittingly into the gossipy intrigue of the servant's world below-stairs as well as the trickery above. Is it possible that her changing circumstances may offer Liza the chance to determine her own fate, find true love, and secure the throne for her future queen?

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
In this continuation of the Cinderella story,  Ella finds that accepting Prince Charming's proposal ensnares her in royal genealogy lessons, needlepoint, and acting like "a proper lady."  Worst of all, Prince Charming is not the least bit interesting and certainly not charming.  But breaking off a royal engagement is no easy feat.  For Ella to escape, it will take intelligence, determination, and spunk -- and no ladylike behavior allowed.  By the same author: Palace of Mirrors.
     
Carolyn Meyer writes historical fiction focusing on the turbulent lives of young queens and princesses such as Marie Antoinette, Anne Boleyn, and Queen Elizabeth I.

Kimberly

The Water Wars and The Carbon Diaries

In The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher, fifteen year-old Vera and her older brother Will live in the Republic of Illinowa in what used to be the Midwestern United States.  After an environmental catastrophe damages the earth's fresh water supply, drinkable water is distilled from the ocean and water is tightly rationed and very expensive.  Life is difficult for the pair until Vera befriends Kai, who seems to have limitless access to fresh water. Kai is a water-diviner. He can tell where fresh water exists under the earth’s surface. When Kai suddenly disappears, Vera convinces her brother Will that they need to rescue him.  The two embark on a dangerous journey in search of Kai-pursued by pirates, a paramilitary group, and greedy corporations.

The Water Wars illustrates the environmental consequences of wasting water through a fast-paced action-adventure story.  If Earth Day has put you in the mood for other books about environmental issues, check out The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd.  In The Carbon Diaries 2015, global warning has begun to ravage the environment. In response, the United Kingdom becomes the first country to mandate carbon rationing--a well-intentioned plan that goes tragically awry. This story of one girl's attempt to stay grounded in a world where disaster has become the norm is told in short diary entries.  There is even a sequel: The Carbon Diaries 2017.

Kimberly

Three Black Swans by Caroline Cooney

  Three Black Swans is an interesting story about long-lost twins, and what happens when the truth comes out. Missy and Claire are cousins that are very close, mostly due to the fact that they were born just a few weeks apart and only live 20 minutes away from each other. They have similar tastes in clothes, books, games; even boys. They even look a little bit alike! When Missy is given an assignment to pull off a hoax of some kind, she thinks she has the perfect idea. Why not pretend that Claire is her long lost twin? It's just for fun, right? Well...maybe not! Then Missy receives a call from Genevieve, and things really get bizarre.

Karen