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What are the 11 to 16 year olds reading?

Ian Jones

22:59 / 21.12.05

I've not been here for a long while, so a little "hullo everybody" might not be too twee...

Moving on..

Working in childrens library services, I am struck by the mismatch of 'graphic novel' stock with target audience, usually seen as 11 to 16 year olds, being offered mostly old school Marvel or DC Characters. Comics actually do go out quite well but not to these readers. I'm trying already talking to this group more directly, but thought it worth asking here, for a different opinion.

Anyone help me before the next buy...(the last buy included much recenyt Claremont X-men, so there is room for improvement)

Thanks

The Falcon
(prev. Bots'wana Beast)

02:00 / 22.12.05

It's all manga, I hear. Certainly, given my newsagent whilst not stocking comics, does stock an anime/manga rag called - uhm - Neo, I think. Which is a reasonable marker for me, given they stocked Comic World in another newsagent (this time the one of my youth) during the 90's explosion.

So, manga. Ghost in the Shell's on the cover of Neo (?) this month, and that's an absolutely brilliant manga (I've only read like three.)

Ian Jones

10:34 / 22.12.05

Thanks Duncan.
I'v got a colleague who's good on Manga. Obviously I need to read some more...

Our Lady Won't Do That Again

18:58 / 22.12.05

What's there in the case of where I work. The manga doesn't seem to be read in the library but is going out (possibly because we haven't done anything to draw people's attention, like telling them), but the silly suit American comics are being read and torn apart in situ. Non-tights stuff, like Bone, doesn't seem to interest our teens at all. Some of them take the older stuff like Lucifer and 100 Bullets from the adult shelves to the teen area to read but again that's more going out than being read in the library.

Our Lady Won't Do That Again

18:59 / 22.12.05

Whereabouts in the UK are you based? What are your options in terms of sourcing? A decent comic store like Gosh! in London is always best, but from looking at the Jubilee Library in Brighton they seem to have great success using Bertrams, who I thought were shit for graphic novels, but then they are probably sourcing 16+ material from them rather than your age range.

Ian Jones

22:18 / 22.12.05

Thanks our Lady.

I've been to Bertrams in Leeds, but only on a buy for pre school. (potential thread "what comics are the under fours reading?"?)

I haven't yet got the responsibility for buying, but I'm angling for it, and my manager (head of children's services knows I know my stuff..so I'm looking for some proposals.

Previously we have sourced from local (Leicester) comic shops and Page 45 in Nottingham, which is excellent for adult stuff. Shops however tend to try and set up mixed bundles of the obvious, and stuff that isn't selling. e need to be more accurate in prescription and know our own readership.... hence this call to Barelith which is generally both wise and informed.

Thanks. where do you work?

btw why do they call it perfect binding...

One of my problems is that many colleagues do not recognize comics as suitable for anything but children. I often have to rescue quite adult stuff from Kinderboxes.

grant

19:48 / 23.12.05

Jones! Hi!

I live with an 11-year-old who likes Chobits. I imagine most things tied in with a movie would also do well.

c0nflict

00:01 / 24.12.05

'The Books of magic' would probably go over well, magical but not too twee. The protagonist is around that age as well, which always goes over well (or did with me anyway).

Paul

sleazenation

16:36 / 24.12.05

Well, according to an annecdote in today's Guardian these days kids might not even know what comics are, much less read them...

Cowboy Scientist

00:34 / 26.12.05

'Uncle Alan, what's a comic?'
...sad.

FinderWolf

17:23 / 28.12.05

Saw a kid who looked about 11 reading manga on the subway this morning - Shonen Jump or Yu-Gi-Oh or something like that. He seemed pretty into it.

Ian Jones

18:56 / 31.12.05

Thanks everybody. I've tracked down some Chobits, and will be looking closely at Manga, perhaps set up some display materials.

more input always welcome!

Illihit

08:41 / 03.01.06

I happen to be 16. And yes, manga is very popular with my friends and I. Some of the comics that we're interested in, in no particular order:

Bleach
Yotsuba&!
Genshiken
Great Teacher Onizuka
Sandman
The Invisibles
The League of Extraordinary Gentlement
Naruto
One Piece
Ghost in the Shell
Lucifer
Hellblazer

Ian Jones

17:18 / 03.01.06

Thats a good list thanks. (many of my own faves on it, so we can buy those, without bias) + good guide to things I haven't read but will,,,

bless be.

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