MANGAMAN

MANGAMAN, by Barry Lyga, ill. by Colleen Doran (Houghton Mifflin 2011)(ages 12+).  Teen-ager Ryoko Kiyama has entered our world through a mysterious rift and it seems that he's trapped here.  But the redoubtable Dr. Capeletti is working on a Machine to return Ryoko to his world.  In the meantime, it's decided that rather than cooling his heels in a government compound, he should get out and experience life as a normal high-school student.  The problem?  He's from a Manga universe...

MANGAMAN offers a fun story and a clever and sophisticated "meta" treatment of both American and Japanese-style comics.  Both Manga insiders and those unfamiliar with its tropes will enjoy it tremendously.