5 Centimeters Per Second/Makoto Shinkai/460 pages

5 Centimeters Per Second was actually first released as a Japanese animated feature film, with the manga novel being released at a later date. There is no science fiction or fantasy element in this novel, instead it gives a realistic view of the struggles many face in their life: time, space, people, and love. The two main characters become close friends in elementary school and then have to move away from each other. They remain close at first, even making a trip to visit each other in middle school, but soon realize that they have begun to drift their separate ways. Unlike other manga series, this story begins and ends with one volume. We read this for manga club and watched the anime as well. Would recommend for teens, even those that don't typically read manga.