Children - Fiction & Literature, Fiction - People, Places & Cultures
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Overview
Dana is excited about her school trip to Japan despite the fact that she is surrounded by the Melly Mob, ""in-crowd"" kids who make fun of her. Dana is certain she will be less of an outsider in Japan, home of manga and anime. But she soon discovers that it's just as difficult to fit in with a foreign culture as it is to fit in at school. And the only other manga fan that she meets refuses to talk to her. As Dana learns to meet people halfway and gains some friends in Japan, Melissa, leader of the Melly Mob, makes every effort to remind her that she's still an outsider.Editorials
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"This is another excellent title in a superb series for older students with low reading skills."Children's Literature -
Red-headed Dana is going on a three-week school trip to Japan. She is excited because she'll have a chance to learn more about the Japanese culture and Manga, a form of animated Japanese art. Dana likes to draw and hopes she can learn more about drawing the action-filled, colorful cartoons. She, like the other kids in her school group, is staying with a host family. She is relieved to find her host family has a girl her age named Fumiko and a boy named Kenji. Dana is glad Fumiko speaks some English and is helpful and friendly. Kenji is quiet and distant, and Dana wonders why. There are many things that Dana does not understand, but she tries hard to learn about the Japanese way of life. During the trip, Dana and a past friend named Melissa have some conflict. In the process, they find out they have wrong ideas about each other. Things are not always what they seem to be. Melissa tells Dana she has been stuck-up and seems to push everyone away. Dana is surprised. She never thought of herself that way. When Fumika tells Dana that Kenji acts unfriendly because he cannot speak English and is embarrassed that he does not, Dana begins to understand that people handle their fears and problems in different ways. By the time Dana's stay in Japan ends, she has learned a lot about herself, Japan, people, and her beloved Manga. Reviewer: Della A. YannuzziVOYA
Despite its shortness, Manga Touch delivers a convincing and moving story. Readers will identify with Dana and the supporting characters, who by the conclusion, are as fleshed out as she. Many readers will also enjoy the skillful way Pearce weaves in facts regarding Japanese culture while still keeping things interesting. Reviewer: Natalie Solski, Teen ReviewerBook Details
Published
June 17, 2026
Publisher
Orca Book Publishers
Pages
112
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9781551437460