Boys Run the Riot, Volume 1
Boys Run the Riot, Volume 1 is the first title in a four volume manga series from trans mangaka (manga creator) Keito Gaku. Like the street fashion which threads through the volumes, this series is bursting with color, identity and expression.
This series centers on high school student Ryo who knows he’s trans, but is keeping his conflicts with his identity inside. Watching Ryo struggle with his crush on his best friend and with a mother who asks why he’s always dressed like a boy illuminate the limitations Ryo has on expressing who he is. His powerful outlet lies in fashion, specifically street fashion. This allows him to physically communicate his true gender and creativity.
When new transfer student Jin enters his class, Ryo is afraid he’ll be another bully due to his older, “tough” appearance. Instead, they discover a shared interest in street fashion and Ryo has not only met an ally in Jin who he discloses his gender dysmorphia to, but has found a friend and (eventual) creative business partner.
Through Gaku’s expressive prose and illustrations, we’re privileged to share in Ryo’s journey as he develops confidence in both his fashion designs and himself as a young, trans man. Is this book vitally important? Yes. Is it also an engaging story that is universal for any reader who struggles with expressing who they are? Absolutely.
Give publisher Kodansha kudos for ensuring that the localization team of English translators were also trans, led by Leo McDonagh.
Boys Run the Riot by Keito Gaku
Written and illustrated by Keito Gaku
Translated from Japanese by Leo McDonagh
2021, Kodansha Comics
ISBN: 9781646512485
Reviews: Manga Librarian
Awards: SLJ Top 10 Manga of 2021, YALSA Top 10 Great Graphic Novels for Teens of 2022, Bank Street Best Books of the Year LIst for 2022, Nominated for a Harvey Award in the Best Manga category in 2021
Julie Stivers (she/her) is the librarian at Mount Vernon Middle School in Raleigh and the Author/Editor of Include (ALA, 2022). Her research and practical interests center inclusive library spaces, culturally sustaining pedagogy, reimagining school book fairs, and exploring the power of manga and anime with her students. She reviews manga for middle school libraries at Manga in the Middle.
This month’s curator for #IntlYALitMonth is Julia E. Torres. JULIA E. TORRES is a nationally recognized veteran language arts teacher, librarian, and teen programs administrator in Denver, Colorado. Julia facilitates teacher development workshops rooted in the areas of anti-racist education, equity and access in literacy and librarianship, and education as a practice of liberation. Julia’s work has been featured on NPR, AlJazeera’s The Stream, PBS Education, KQED’s MindShift, Rethinking Schools, Learning for Justice Magazine, School Library Journal, American Libraries Magazine, and many more. She is a Book Love Foundation board member, Educolor Working Group member, a Book Ambassador for The Educator Collaborative, and a co-founder of #DisruptTexts. Her co-authored title, Liven Up Your Library: Design Engaging and Inclusive Programs for Teens and Tweens, is just the first of many forthcoming publications for librarians and educators. Connect with Julia at juliaetorres.com or on social media @juliaerin80
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 
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