Jacqueline Pearce. Manga Touch  
Orca Books  $9.95  ISBN 978-1-55143-746-0  105 pg.
Reviewed by Kaelyn, Age 12

Mr. and Mrs. Seto exchange words in Japanese, and a new voice joins in. I look up and meet the dark brown eyes of a shaggy-haired teenaged boy. He doesn’t smile.

Fumiko introduces her brother, Kenji.

“I am happy to meet you,” he says stiffly, like he’s reciting from an English textbook.

A look passes between Fumiko and her mother, and there is an awkward silence. Then Fumiko touches my arm again.

“Come, please,” she says. “I’ll show you our house.”

Dana, a manga-loving student from Vancouver, goes to Japan on a class exchange. Sadly she also has to go on this exchange with former friend Melissa and the extremely annoying DJ. You see, Dana is kind of a loner, so on this trip she will either fit in or stick out like a sore thumb as usual?

I loved this book because I could relate to the character so much! It amazed me how much alike we are. For manga lovers out there this would be a good book for you, although it isn’t so much about manga as it is about someone who draws it. However, I still think that all manga artists will relate to Dana on some point.

Manga Touch deserves three shining stars. I loved this book and it will definitely appeal to both the younger reader with its not too challenging vocabulary or those older readers who prefer the short, quick reads. It would also make an excellent library book that I am sure kids would love.