School Library Journal (SLJ) has launched a new column on all things manga: “Mondo Manga.” Brigid Alverson, editor of the “Good Comics for Kids” blog, will write the bimonthly series set to cover the many manga genres, what’s popular and why, and recommended titles for tweens and teens.

In the first installment, “Manga, An All-Ages Starter List,” Alverson offers an introduction to manga and related terminology, along with selections appropriate for younger readers.

Future “Mondo Manga” posts will cover:

• The rise of light novels
• Sports manga
• Folklore, yokai manga
•  Shonen romance
• Isekai (characters transported to another world)
• Cooking manga
• Representation of American and European culture, from manga about witches and vampires to Christmas and Sherlock Holmes
• The growing digital scene, with digital-only or digital-first releases

“Stellar Panels,” SLJ’s graphic novels column, also written by Alverson, launched earlier this year. The monthly piece, which appears online and in SLJ’s monthly print magazine, covers graphic novel news, curricular use of the format, and recommended titles.

Brigid Alverson can be reached at wordballoons@gmail.com.

See also:

Manga, An All-Ages Starter List | Mondo Manga | School Library Journal