Princess Knight Part 1

From Dragon Ball and Inu Yasha to Bleach and Bakuman, manga has been popular in the United States for decades.  Manga has always had a very distinctive style, starting with where it all started in the eary 1950s.  One of the earliest manga artists was Osamu Tezuka.  Nicknamed "The Godfather of Manga," Tezuka was heavily influenced by the work of Walt Disney and is credited with the first ever shojo manga, Princess Knight.

Princess Knight is the story of Princess Sapphire, whose parents needed a male heir to inherit the throne or an evil duke's son becomes king.  When Sapphire was born her parents decided to claim that she is a boy and raise her as a Prince.  Only a handful of people know that the "Prince" is really a girl.  Years later a teenage Sapphire meets a foreign prince and falls in love, but revealing her identity to the prince would mean forfeiting the kingdom to the duke.  Full of witches, pirates, and sword fighting, Princess Knight was one of the first manga with a strong female main character who could outfight any man.  The art style of the manga is very different from what we know today.  It is easy to see the Disney influence but many of the current manga traits are visible, such as large eyes and sweat drops and sparkles when characters feel strong emotions.   For readers who are interested in the history of manga this is a classic and a must read. 

TEEN TECH WEEK at THE URBANA FREE LIBRARY!

What is teen tech week? It's a chance for the library to let you know all the exciting things that you can do with technology in our community. Have you ever heard of a Fab Lab? How about a Maker Space? These are both do-it-yourself communities that show you how you can make cool stuff, be creative, and learn about what technology can do for you. Check out this video to learn more.

Want to see more on 3D printing? The Fab Lab has one just like the ones described here!

Want to make silkscreened t-shirts? See why the Fab Lab is the place to go

You can also come see how to make throwies! Check out more throwies right here

Check out the teen tech week schedule

See you there!

Black, White, Other: In Search of Nina Armstrong

Fifteen-year-old Nina Armstrong is caught in the middle in so many ways. Her mom and dad recently split up, and her formerly-stable family feels suddenly unreliable. Nina is biracial, but that’s never been an issue for her before. Now, her dad is getting in touch with his African-American roots and starting to express anger with white people, and her white best friend, Jessica, has found a new friend who is doesn't hide her feelings about the “ghetto” black kids in their high school. Even worse, her brother is being stalked by a bully from her high school. She can’t seem to tell her parents anything: they don’t get that race is just black and white to the kids she knows, and that whatever she is doesn’t fit in with either and that means everyday is harder and harder for her. Nina finds solace in a story her dad is writing, adapted from the journal and letters of her great-great grandmother Sarah, a slave who, despite all obstacles, escaped slavery through the Underground Railroad. As Nina reads Sarah’s story she becomes inspired to run away, too, from all her troubles at home and school. In the end, though, Nina realizes that her problems are nothing like Sarah’s but, like Sarah, she has it within her to change things for the better. Author Joan Steinau Lester tells two tales of two strong young women, Nina and Sarah, that all strong young women will enjoy.

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Local Author Alert!

Do you know Julie Cross?

She has her own blog. She's been interviewed by Entertainment Weekly and WCIA. So what's the buzz on Julie Cross all about?

She's the author of Tempest, a new novel that might be turned into a movie by Summit Entertainment. And, she's from Champaign, Illinois.

Tempest is a supernatural tale involving a nineteen-year-old college student named Jackson, who's your average guy... except for the fact that he can time travel. After a violent fight with some bad guys that resulted in his girlfriend, Holly, getting fatally shot, Jackson travels two years into the past, and gets stuck in 2007. While Jackson's stuck in the past, he falls in love with Holly all over again, tries to better understand his time-traveling abilities, finds out his dad is a spy, and gets chased by the bad guys who turn out to be "Enemies of Time." Jackson must decide how far he'll go to save Holly, and possibly even the world.

Curious about how the story ends? Place your request for this book today!

Review: Mangaman by Barry Lyga

East meets West in Mangaman by Barry Lyga, a graphic novel about a teenage boy named Ryoko from a manga comic who falls through a rift and ends up in the "real" world of a Western comic. With his long hair, girlish good looks, and manga style, Ryoko stands out in his new high school. Marissa Montaigne, however, thinks Ryoko is fascinating. But Ryoko doesn't belong in the "real" world, and as tensions between Ryoko and the other Western characters rise, he has to choose between his love for Marissa and the possibility of returning to his own world.

This story is probably not the best story for readers who have never read manga before. Manga fans, however, will love the way the Western characters react to Ryoko's sweat-drops of nervousness, heart-shaped eyes, motion lines, and kung fu battles. There are also tons of jokes about the art of comics themselves. Ryoko sometimes gets confused and walks through panels from right to left, the direction manga is read in Japan. The characters also realize they're in a comic and start jumping around and through panels.

The story packs a lot of plot into just one short volume, so it might feel rushed to readers who prefer a more leisurely pace. But if you're looking for a commentary on the differences between Eastern and Western comics, this story is for you!

Your Opinion Counts!

Is the Teen Space meeting your needs? What do you want out of your library? What do you use the library for? Come and give us the answers to these and other questions and we'll give you free pizza!

We will be meeting Thursday, February 2, 2012, in the Satterthwaite Conference Room on the Ground Floor of The Urbana Free Library from 4:00-5:00p.m. We hope to see you there!

Can't make it but still want to share your opinion? Email Amber at acastens@tufl.info for a PDF copy of the survey that you can fill out and turn back in to The Urbana Free Library. Please return the survey by February 4th!

The Fault in Our Stars

If you are a fan of John Green's previous books (Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, and Will Grayson, Will Grayson), or if you are just a fan of bittersweet love stories, you should check out his new novel The Fault in Our Stars. Hazel is a smart and sarcastic 16 year-old who is suffering from terminal cancer. A new drug has bought her some time, and she is spending it taking community college courses, hanging out with her parents, and attending her "Cancer Kid Support Group". This is all working out fine for Hazel until adventure walks into her life in the form of Augustus Waters, a witty (and gorgeous) new arrival at her support group. Suddenly the world opens up for Hazel in ways she didn't think were possible. She's falling in love, making friends, and tracking down the elusive author of her favorite novel in a quest for closure. Join Hazel for her adventures and check out this sweet, funny, and heart-wrenching story of love in the face of terminal illness.