SCHOLASTIC BLOG

 

What Is Manga? A Parents' Guide to the Medium

Discover a whole new world of books

through thrilling manga titles. 

Written by: Scholastic Inc    August 8, 2024    Ages: 6-12 

 

 

Unico: Awakening, Scholastic’s very first manga, can help fuel your child’s love of reading in a brand new way. 

Not familiar with manga? We’re here to help! If your child already loves beloved anime series like the Pokémon adventures, Sailor Moon, or Dragon Ball, they’ll enjoy reading and exploring manga books. 

Designed for kids 12 and under, manga books are a great way to introduce your child to this exciting medium. Similar to award-winning graphic novels like The Baby-sitters Club, Dog Man, and Amulet, manga books appeal to readers through visual storytelling. Unico: Awakening, the first manga published by Scholastic Inc, is sure to become a fast new favorite.

But what makes manga such an effective medium for readers? Read on to find out more.

Why Manga Is Great for Kids 

One crucial way that manga differs from graphic novels is its very distinct art styles. While manga doesn’t necessarily adhere to just one style of art, its illustrations often place a heavier emphasis on drama and movement to drive the story along. The artwork in manga deepens a reader’s understanding of the text, providing context clues for unfamiliar words or concepts.

In this way, manga and graphic novels also help readers develop valuable visual literacy skills, which are a key areas of Common Core and media literacy. The medium can also be very valuable helping ESL readers to develop English reading skills due to these factors. Often told through the characters’ first-person narrative, manga plot lines also have a heavier emphasis on dialogue driving the story along in addition to its visuals. 

While manga is available in all kinds of genres — think fiction, adventure, sci fi, short stories, horror, romance, and more — it can also have more mature storylines that deal with complex subject matter that is often filled with nuance and symbolism, perfect for older readers as well.

Get Started Reading Manga With Unico

Readers in grades 3-7 will love Unico: Awakening, slated to hit shelves on August 6. 

The first installment in this revamped series tells the story of Unico, a young unicorn who, after enraging the evil goddess Venus, is banished from the heavens and forgets everything he was. 

Saved by the kindhearted West Wind, Unico continues to help others, before having to escape Venus again and begin a new adventure. 

Your child will find this book hard to put down, but along with being a page-turner, Unico also opens the door to conversations and insights about our complex world.