Popular Mana-Con event and Teen Read Week coincide this week at Manatee libraries
Mana-Con is almost here! What is Mana-Con, you may ask?
Mana-Con is an awesome comic convention for teens and kids that the Manatee County Public Library System hosts each year. 2015 is the sixth year of the event and it gets better every time!
Attendees will be able to experience Japanese culture, gaming, cosplay, crafting, a real life TARDIS, prize giveaways, and much, much more! For anyone who loves anime, geek culture, and cons in general, there will be something for you. First arrivals will receive a goodie bag, so get there early!
Fans of Japanese history, look into "Ninja: 1000 Years of the Shadow Warrior" by John Man, which separates Ninja myths from reality. "A Geek in Japan" by Hector Garcia (E-Book) is the perfect book for Japanophiles, covering a variety of topics integral to Japanese culture, especially those associated with video games, Pokémon, and manga.
"Japan: Samurai, Geisha & Technology" (DVD) and "Geisha: A
Life" by Mineko Iwasaki will give you great insight into other aspects of Japanese culture.
Anime and manga fans will enjoy "Sailor Moon" by Naoko Takeuchi ,about a group of girls who transform into guardians to protect Earth from evildoers. Also peruse "Library Wars: Love & War" by Kiiro Yumi, which follows the life of Iku Kasahara and the fight against censorship in the year 2019.
"Soulless: The Manga, Vol. "1 by Gail Carriger and "Naruto" by Masashi Kishimoto will get you in the right mood for our big event!.
This year, there will be a special timey-wimey subtheme and we are estimating over 1,000 attendees. Read "Doctor Who: Who-ology" by Cavan Scott to catch up on the theme this year.
If you want to really get into geek culture, check out these new reads: "Geek Knits: Over 30 Projects for Fantasy Fanatics, Science Fiction Fiends, and Knitting Nerds" by Toni Carr and "You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)" by Felicia Day.
Teen Read Week falls the week of Mana-Con, Oct. 18-24. Libraries around the county host events and take this week to appreciate their teen communities while highlighting literacy.
This year's theme is "Get Away @ Your Library," giving teens the chance to escape from their mundane school and life responsibilities by reading. Look for displays on fantasy/sci-fi, beach reads, travel books, and adventure.
Here's a few ideas to get you started on your escape. "Let's Get Lost" by Adi Alsaid follows Leila on a road trip to Alaska to see the Northern Lights. "Heir of Fire" by Sarah J. Maas is the third installment in the "Throne of Glass" series that tells a story about a half fae/half human girl whose destiny is to save a kingdom. "The Young Elites" by Marie Lu and "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Saenz are also great picks.
For more fun during that week, the Rocky Bluff Library will be showing a new release about a dinosaur theme park at 2 p.m. Oct. 24.
Megan Robinson, is the Youth Services librarian at the South Manatee branch library.
This story was originally published October 16, 2015 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Popular Mana-Con event and Teen Read Week coincide this week at Manatee libraries ."