from VIZ Media:
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, is proud to announce that ten of its manga (graphic novel) titles have been selected by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) as among 2011’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens. The annual list highlights titles that exemplify the quality and range of graphic novels appropriate for teen audiences. The books, recommended by the association for those aged 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens.
Among these, Saturn Apartments, which is published by VIZ Media’s Signature imprint, was ranked among YALSA’s 2011 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens. For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the U.S. leader in selecting books, videos and audio books for teens.
VIZ Media titles featured on the 2011 YALSA Graphic Novel list include:
Afterschool Charisma Vol. 1 by Kumiko Sukane
Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
At St. Kleio Academy, all of the students are clones of famous historical figures. Are the clones doomed to repeat the fate of their genetic progenitors, or can they create their own destinies?
Biomega Vol. 1 by Tsutomu Nihei
Rated ‘M’ for Mature
In a nightmare vision of the future, the N5S virus has swept across the earth, turning most of the population into zombie-like drones! Zoichi Kanoe is humanity’s last hope, and he’s not even human!
Bokurano: Ours Vol. 1 by Mohiro Kitoh
Rated ‘M’ for Mature
Saving the world is hard. Saving yourself is even harder.
Cross Game Vol. 1 by Mitsuru Adachi
Rated ‘T’ for Teens
A poignant coming-of-age centered around a boy named Ko, the family of four sisters who live down the street, and the game of baseball!
House of Five Leaves Vol. 1 by Natsume Ono
Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
An out-of-work samurai finds himself drawn into a mysterious gang known as the Five Leaves.
Library Wars: Love & War Vol. 1
Original concept by Hiro Arikawa; manga story and art by Kiiro Yumi
Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
In the near future, the federal government creates a committee to rid society of books it deems unsuitable. The libraries vow to protect their collections, and form a military group to defend themselves — the Library Forces!
Maou: Juvenile Remix Vol. 1
Original story by Kotara Isaka; manga story and art by Megumi Osuga
Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
What do you do when the city’s savior is actually a devil in disguise…?
Natsume’s Book of Friends Vol. 1 by Yuki Midorikawa
Rated ‘T’ for Teens
Natsume can see the spirits and demons that hide from the rest of humanity. Moving to the small town where his grandmother grew up, he discovers that he has inherited more than just the Sight from the mysterious Rieko.
not simple by Natsume Ono
Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens
A young man with a fractured family history travels from Australia to England to America in the hope of realizing his dreams and reuniting with his beloved sister.
Saturn Apartments Vol. 1 by Hisae Iwaoka
Rated ‘T’ for Teens
A Top 10 Selection
A touching, character-rich vision of an intriguing new world. Mitsu takes on his late father’s dangerous job as a window washer on the Ring circling the earth where all humans have been relocated…
The complete list of YALSA 2011 selections is available at: ala.org/yalsa/booklists.
“YALSA is the leader in recommending high-quality literature, including books and media, and we are very gratified to have so many of our titles featured on the organization’s latest list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens,” says Brian Piech, Senior Director, Marketing, VIZ Media. “Millions of teens read manga from their local school and public libraries each week, and we hope these selections give librarians and their patrons a trusted resource for some of the best and latest from the exciting world of manga.”
For more information on these and other VIZ Media manga titles, please visit: viz.com.