ANN Manga and Novel Summer Reading List 2026

Young Readers (Ages 5-7)

Books for younger readers sometimes get a bad rap—an upsetting number of people assume that because they're for kids, they're not well written or are generally stupid. And sure, some of them are—but children's literature is a large and varied field, and the manga, manhwa, and light novel sides of things are no exception! Below are five books to help your little ones get reading this summer, from science-based mysteries to farting zombies and a few things in between.

Mystery Science Detectives series

A team of elementary school kids forms a detective club to tackle any mystery their classmates bring to them, using science to solve mysteries like fingers in the woods or a monster at an amusement park. The series is a fun blend of fact and fiction, teaching kids about a variety of sciences in a way that never feels preachy. The first is my favorite, but the whole series is good.

The Evil Secret Society of Cats

Everyone knows that cats rule the world – Pandania's four-panel series shows what's really going on behind the scenes! No one writes cat manga like Pandania, and The Evil Secret Society of Cats is among their most accessible works. It plays with cat memes, cat rumors, and all the ways cats let us know that they're the ones in charge.

Zo Zo Zombie

Zombie Boy and his human friend Isamu get into scrapes and mishaps as they show that friendships and fart humor transcend the boundaries of life and death. If your reader likes goofy fiction like The Bad Guys or Prince Not-So-Charming, this combination of gross-out humor and zaniness is sure to be a winner.

Ballet Hero Fantasy

Ballet student Dan teams up with real-life ballerino Steven McRae to cross worlds and save people with the power of classical ballet. Even better, it'sit'sarely aimed at ballet dancers of all genders and abilities; Dan and Steven enter the worlds of multiple classical ballets to help put them to rights, and the plot is a combination of dance information, ballet storylines, and pure adventure. It's a must-read for young dancers and ballet fans.

Japanese Children's Favorite Stories

A beautifully illustrated collection of Japanese folk and fairy tales, including “Momotaro,” “The Toothpick Warriors,” and “Why the Jellyfish Has No Bones.” This is an excellent read-aloud for younger kids or a good choice for a reluctant reader who's starting to feel comfortable reading on their own.