Manga High

Founded in 2001 in New York City, the Comic Book Project has grown to encompass 50,000 young people across the country, mostly in high-poverty urban schools and neighborhoods. Students involved in the project plan, write, design, and produce original comic books on socially relevant themes, then publish and distribute their work for other kids to use as learning and motivational tools. Bitz, founder of the Comic Book Project, describes the processes and products of a comic book club at Martin Luther King Jr. High School in New York City, and looks at the role of manga, a genre of Japanese comic book, in the lives of the students at the school. Nine students and their work are profiled, including Keith, a student abandoned by the foster care system; Kischer, a talented artist on the verge of dropping out; and Tenzin, a Tibetan refugee. Teachers and other readers will come away with new ideas about literacy, cultural identity, social development, and the extent to which a teacher can be a life-changing force in a student's life. An appendix gives practical advice on starting a comic book club, with information on designating an instructor, recruiting students, finding a space, materials and supplies, scheduling, and publishing and exhibiting. There is also a list of club members' favorite manga titles. Bitz is the first recipient of the Educational Entrepreneurship Fellowship at the Mind Trust in Indianapolis. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)