Magic knight Rayearth

The magical world of Cefiro is in trouble, and three young girls from Tokyo are summoned by an imprisoned Princess Emeraude to become the mythical Magic Knights and save them all. Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu are plucked from their school field trip and given a quest to awaken their magic, find material for their personal weapons, and save Cefiro before they can return home. Along the way, they are met with a colorful cast of supporting characters, including the childlike sorcerer Clef, the graceful weapon maker Presea, and the fluffy Mokona, their guide who never seems to be around when trouble strikes. This beautifully illustrated adventure story has some of CLAMP's most breathtaking splash pages, and their use of inventive panel structure allows for some intense storytelling throughout. As readers progress through the story, the magnitude of the trio's adventure palpably lifts off each page with the amount of detail that has gone into each panel. This twenty-fifth-anniversary edition also provides a wonderful new translation and fidelity to the original sound effects and panel orientation, which is an enhancement to the overall reader experience. This magical girl fantasy would be a great addition to school libraries serving younger readers who like Sailor Moon or Tokyo Mew Mew or where other fantasy stories are popular.