I'd be interested in that
Do you mean going over the plot/themes etc.?
Yes, that's what I was thinking. Also sort of a compare/contrast with the English MG I've read. I just want to give MG fans an idea of the kinds of stories and characters and themes that are happening in Japanese novels for kids and also introduce some interesting series that folks may never hear about otherwise.
I'd definitely love to see that. Might wanna check with the admins whether a thread would be okay, just in case.
What's popular there at the moment? Do you know if any of it gets translated to English?
Actually I see that there's a thread specifically for talking about MG blogs so I could probably just link it there.
It's hard to say exactly what's popular here, since most kids are just reading manga instead of books. There's still a good amount of kids' books being sold in stores, but I have no idea what sells well or not. I guess the only real way to tell is if a series gets its own manga or anime spinoffs but those happen with about the same frequency as MG movies (not completely 0 but very low compared to the number of series). Based on that rubric, I assume the 'Bokura' series is popular since it's about to get a new anime after already having a movie in the 80s and 90s. The series basically follows the hijinks of a group of middle school rascals, starting with them trying to create their own society, free of teachers and parents, at a construction site in the first book
Bokura no Shichi nichi-kan sensou/Our 7-days War.
And of course there's always Uehashi Naoko, who is most likely the most popular fantasy author in Japan. Though her stuff appeals to folks of all ages I believe it's technically thought of as childrens' fantasy in Japan. Her Moribito series has been translated into English, as has her Beast Player Erin series. Both of which are absolutely amazing and everyone should read them, though I'm not sure how much traction they've gained in the West. Well, the Moribito series at least had a popular anime series that was even dubbed and shown on American cable for a while. Erin had an anime as well but it wasn't quite as popular.
Anyway I'm excited to share some insight into Japanese MG with everyone. I'll make sure to let folks know once the blog is up and readable.