Hot wasabi, sushi rolls and seaweed sesame sticks aren’t exactly what you think of when you envision your local library, but for a group of Avon Lake kids, it’s become tradition.

Manga, which are Japanese comic books, has brought together local teens who meet at the Avon Lake Public Library on the third Tuesday of each month to discuss the complex plots, involved characters and overall storylines of these books.

The group, which is composed of youths from local middle and high schools, has been meeting monthly since before Christmas and has become a big hit in the library system. The library’s director of Young Adult Services, Karen Scott, said that the group has really taken off in the past few months.

“It’s an informal group of some great kids,” she said. “They discuss what they are currently reading, what they plan to read, and analyze the plots of the stories, which are really in-depth. Many of the kids actually draw the characters — we have some really good artists.”

Scott said the group plans to introduce some authentic Japanese cuisine into its meetings in the near future.

Justin Moore, 12, of Elyria, is an avid reader of Japanese comics.

“We don’t have anything like this in our library system,” said Moore, a sixth-grader. “I think it’s a great idea. I like being able to talk with other kids about the same things that I like.”

Manga comics feature rich plots that become very involved throughout each series, and require quite a bit of dedication from the reader.

The books are translated from Japanese to English during production in Japan, then shipped to the United States. The words are read in the opposite direction from traditional English words — from right to left instead of left to right. The books also start on what most of us would recognize as the last page rather than the first.

“What’s cool about it is that it’s just different than other comics,” Justin said. “It’s just not your typical comic book.”

Scott said the books are a stepping stone to other types of literature for readers.

“Many of the group’s members read fiction as well as the comics,” Scott said. “The comics really bring out a love of reading among the children.”

Scott said the children have taught her a lot about Manga — something she wasn’t exactly an expert on before the group began.

 “I really appreciate their enthusiasm for reading,” she said. “It’s nice to see them become enriched in cultures other than their own.”

Contact Lee Ann Mullen at 329-7155 or metro@chroniclet.com.

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