Dana is excited about her school trip to Japan despite the fact that she is surrounded by the Melly Mob, "in-crowd" kids who make fun of her. Dana is certain she will be less of an outsider in Japan, home of manga and anime. But she soon discovers that it's just as difficult to fit in with a foreign culture as it is to fit in at school. And the only other manga fan that she meets refuses to talk to her. As Dana learns to meet people halfway and gains some friends in Japan, Melissa, leader of the Melly Mob, makes every effort to remind her that she's still an outsider. During the writing of Manga Touch, Jacqueline Pearce travelled to Japan and experienced many of the same things her character experiences (though not necessarily in the same way). Jaqueline is the author of several books for kids including, Dog House Blues and The Truth About Rats (and Dogs). She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.