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Witch Hat Atelier Manga Ranks in YALSA's Top 10 Graphic Novels for Teens
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The American Library Association's (ALA's) Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) released its 2020 list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens on Thursday. Kamome Shirahama's Witch Hat Atelier manga ranked in the Top Ten graphic novels this year.
The 13 manga on the list of 97 titles include:
Title: Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey GN 1-2
Creator: Akiko Higashimura
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
An autobiographical tale of the author's journey. High schooler Akiko has big plans to become a popular mangaka before she even graduates, but she needs to get much better at drawing if she ever wants to reach her goal.
Title: Ao Haru Ride GN 3-5
Creator: Io Sakisaka
Publisher: Viz Media
Futaba Yoshioka knows that even though her middle school crush and first love, Kou Tanaka, is a different person than the one she knew, she still has feelings for him. But when she realizes one of her new best friends, Yuri, also likes Kou, can she be true to herself and not lose her friendship with Yuri?
Title: Become You GN 1
Creator: Ichigo Takano
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
At the start of his final year in high school, Taiyou suddenly finds himself as the only remaining member of the music club. Though he manages to convince sullen music prodigy, Hikari, to help him on his quest for musical stardom, Hikari refuses to play any music, agreeing only to help Taiyou improve his musical skills. Can Taiyou overcome the trauma of his past and his crippling self-doubt to achieve his musical dreams?
Title: Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection
Creator: Junji Ito
Publisher: Viz Media
The first half of the book is Ito's retelling of the Mary Shelley classic, Frankenstein. After that follows, a series of stories about lonely high schooler Oshikiri, who lives alone in a giant haunted house while attending school. The remaining stories are a mixture of horror and an ode to the author's family dog, Non-non.
Title: I Want to Eat Your Pancreas
Creators: Yoru Sumino, Idumi Kirihara
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
An introverted teenage boy accidentally discovers that one of his outgoing classmates, Yamauchi Sakura, is dying. As they start to spend more time together, they grow closer, and the boy is afraid of Sakura dying.
Title: Kaiju Girl Caramelise GN 1
Creator: Spica Aoki
Publisher: Yen Press
Kuroe Akaishi turns into a Godzilla-like creature when faced with her crush.
Title: Love in Focus GN 1-3
Creator: Yōko Nogiri
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Mako, a talented teenage photographer, moves away from home to go to a new school with a well-reputed photography club. There she moves into Lens Inn, a boarding house for photography students. Among the boarders is Mitsuru, a mysterious withdrawn boy, and Mako's old friend, Kei. With so many teens living together in the same house, romance is in the air, and Mako suddenly finds herself needing to figure out more than just the best ways to take the perfect picture.
Title: Mob Psycho 100 GN 1-3
Creator: ONE
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Mob is your average 8th grader...only he has superpowers. He only uses the powers as part of his job with a Spirit Medium, exorcising spirits. Otherwise, he's a normal kid that wants to do whatever he can to be more attractive to one particular girl.
Title: Our Dreams At Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare GN 1-3
Creator: Yuhki Kamatani
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
Tasuku's terrified he's been outed as gay and just before he does the unthinkable, he meets a mysterious woman who leads him to a drop-in center. There he finds other people dealing with similar problems. With their help, can Tasuku find his place in the world?
Title: Satoko and Nada GN 1-2
Creator: Anashin
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
Satoko is from Japan and Nada is from Saudi Arabia. Satoko and Nada are college students and roommates attending school in America. Told as short one-page vignettes, Satoko and Nada get to know each other's cultures through food, religion, and custom; leading to a great friendship.
Title: Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection
Creator: Junji Ito
Publisher: Viz Media
A collection of thirteen terrifying tales by the Japanese master of horror, Junji Ito. From your average suburb to local schools and rivers no place is safe from Ito! He makes the mundane monstrous. Read with the lights on!
Title: Witch Hat Atelier GN 1-3
Creator: Kamome Shirahama
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Coco dreams of being a magician. In her world, the only way to learn magic is to already be a witch and Coco is not. One day a band of traveling witches comes to town, and Coco meets the enigmatic Qifrey. Her world is turned upside down when she accidentally performs a spell that traps her mother in stone. To rescue her, she must leave with Qifrey and become his magical apprentice in a land far from home.
Title: Wonderland GN 1-3
Creator: Yugo Ishikawa.
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
Yukko wakes up one morning learning that she and her family have shrunk in size. She watches her tiny parents get murdered by her cat, and her dog serves as her vehicle to get her through the apocalypse town. Yukko meets Alice who doesn't speak the same language but is shrouded in mystery and intrigue.
Last year, 19 out of the 95 titles were manga.
Source: ALA.org
