Shugo Chara! 1

WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE?

Everybody at Seiyo Elementary thinks that stylish and super cool Amu has it all: But nobody knows the real Amu, a shy girl who wishes she had the courage to truly be herself. Changing Amu’s life is going to take more than wishes and dreams–it’s going to take a little magic! One morning, Amu finds a surprise in her bed: three strange little eggs. Each egg contains a Guardian Character, an angel-like being who can give her the power to be someone new. With the help of her Guardian Characters, Amu is about to discover that her true self is even more amazing than she ever dreamed.

Grade 5-8–In this sugary sweet shojo treat, readers are introduced to a cute and stylish, yet aloof, fourth grader. Due to her shyness, the other kids think that Amu is cool and secretive. She has a crush on the most popular boy in her class. One night, she makes a heartfelt wish that her personality will change and voilà–when she wakes up the next morning, she discovers three eggs next to her bed. When they hatch, little figures emerge who try to help her be you–the way you want to be. Soon, Amu's secret is out, and she is pulled into the mystery of the eggs and the power they truly wield. While a fairly typical magic girl shojo, Shugo Chara employs a formula that works. Readers should revel in the lightly romantic and comedic plot and delight in the adorably stylized characters, from brooding mysterious cat-eared boys to small, sweet doll-like girls. Fans of CLAMP's Cardcaptor Sakura (Tokyopop) will enjoy these adventures of another plucky fourth grader uncovering magical secrets and learning of her wondrous fantasy world. Sheer bubblegum fun.–Jennifer Feigelman, Goshen Public Library and Historical Society, NY
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Popular writing/illustrating duo Peach-Pit (DearS, Rozen Maiden) begins an inscrutable new series for young girls. Amu Hinamori is a fourth-grader in a new school. She's seen as detached and cool by the rest of the kids, but she just wants to find her place and fit in. One night she wishes she could be somebody else—and when she wakes up finds three eggs in her bed. As the eggs hatch, each one bears a guardian angel for Anu, and each gives her confidence to tackle a new task. The fact that she has three guardian eggs brings Anu to the attention of the school Guardians, a panel of four students that have secret meetings and hold some sort of power over the school. Anu learns from them that most people only have one egg, and in fact there is a prophecy that tells of the coming of one with three eggs. Most of the story is spent setting up the odd cosmology and character roster, with only a few hints at upcoming action (involving an organization called Easter) at the very end. Peach-Pit's visual style is manic, with loads of embellishments and kitsch, but this should have solid appeal for their large fan base. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The artwork and cultural symbols in manga are often watered down by the time a book makes it to the U.S. That's not the case withthis story, which is about tough, ultracool Amu Hinamori, who becomes embroiled in her school's mysterious Guardians and begins a quest for powerful character eggs and a wish-granting embryo. Despite rather hectic pacing and a somewhat confusing mode of sequential storytelling, this will draw some readers, especially those who thrive on Pokemon. Not the best for a startup manga collection, but this will make a lively addition to larger collections. Karp, Jesse