Manga: Racy Fluff –or–Reading Aid?

What are kids reading these days? Many are reading manga, the Japanese graphic novels that can offer extreme sexist stereotypes and gratuitous situations, atypical if what you’re used to is the American version of comic book heroes and villains.

At Deering High School in Portland ME, the manga collection is so popular that it needs to be kept under lock and key to prevent theft. This story from the Portland Press Herald tells how many middle and high school students find the novels both fascinating and off-putting; parents, librarians and comic-book store owners weigh as well on this popular genre.