Manga are Japanese-style comics or graphic novels which have become the rage among young readers around the world. Teaming up with Viz, the second largest English language manga publisher, the Bank has launched a new series of comic books, each highlighting a key development issue. The stories follow the adventures of 15-year-old Rei who discovers that the only way to become a true warrior is to understand the challenges facing the poor and disadvantaged people he befriends along the way. An appendix in each book provides further information, websites, and other resources so readers can explore the themes introduced in the story. Mercenaries kidnap our hero and force him to fight in an illegal army side by side with other children ripped from their homes and families. Struggling just to survive from one day to the next, will Rei be able to escape, let alone lead his fellow child soldiers safely to freedom?

Illustrated by: Leandro Ng