SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Manga
  • All Ages
  • Young Adult
  • Interviews
  • News

December 21, 2010 by Brigid Alverson

The Reading Pile – December 20

December 21, 2010 by Brigid Alverson   1 comments

‘Tis the season to … relax and read a graphic novel? We all need a bit of time off from the holiday hustle, so here’s what we are reading in our spare time. Grab a glass of eggnog and read along—and tell us what you have been reading lately in the comments section.

Robin Brenner: I’ve been doing a lot of running around (as I think has everyone) but I was able to sit down and get about half-way through the second volume of Linda Medley’s Castle Waiting. I was so very happy to see the next installment out in hardcover, meaning I could buy it for my library and for myself. The best part of this original fairy tale series, for me, has always been the characters and the gentle pace. We think of fairy tales as being magical, occasionally frightening, and often full of destinies on a grand scale. However, the great charm of Castle Waiting is that while it can be magical (and even has its darker moments of character), the main point is following the inhabitants of the title castle through their everyday joys and woes. It’s about family, friendship, and finding refuge. As the story continues, the character development is rich and filled with fascinating clues about their histories. Glimpses of everyone’s backstories are deftly layered in with the jokes and easy interactions that define a family made of misfits who find belonging in each others’ company. The only sad note is that one, this volume doesn’t conclude with any major resolutions to the plot lines launched, and apparently Medley is taking a break from Castle Waiting now. Thus there will be no new volume any time soon.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Esther Keller: Reading has been a bit slow for me these days, but while feeding the baby, I got in the December issue of Life With Archie. I’m still not sure about the “kid” appeal (maybe these have more teen appeal or a “20 something appeal”), but I think that the Archie married to Betty vs. Veronica has a real “soapy” (as in soap opera) feel. There are a number of simultaneous story lines going on in each version and it’s been fun to see how the gang has entered into adulthood in each version. 

I also got to read bits and pieces of the Archie Americana Series: Best of the Eighties Book 2.  Reading this really brought back to my elementary school days, when reading Archie Comics was a staple of my reading diet. For all I know, I read some of these stories back in the day. This is a great look back at how Archie was for adult readers like me, but I already have some of the series in my library and I know it holds plenty of appeal to young readers today. They appreciate the look back at how things were—and comparing how Archie lives on today. A great all around read.

Brigid Alverson: We have been having a lot of family events lately, so I’m seeing a lot of my nieces, ages 5 and 8, and my nephew, age 11. They love coming to my house because I always have new comics for them (and junk food!), and their favorites are solidly traditional: Archie and superheroes, especially Spider-Man. But lately the one comic they have been asking for most often is Scott Christian Sava’s My Grandparents Are Secret Agents—the older two actually fight over it. It is a lively, funny book that takes elements of ordinary life and makes them more interesting, so I can see why they are tickled by it. This would be a great stocking stuffer for any kid in that age group.

Filed under: Uncategorized

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Brigid Alverson

Brigid Alverson, the editor of the Good Comics for Kids blog, has been reading comics since she was 4. She has an MFA in printmaking and has worked as a book editor and a newspaper reporter; now she is assistant to the mayor of Melrose, Massachusetts. In addition to editing GC4K, she writes about comics and graphic novels at MangaBlog, SLJTeen, Publishers Weekly Comics World, Comic Book Resources, MTV Geek, and Good E-Reader.com. Brigid is married to a physicist and has two daughters in college, which is why she writes so much. She was a judge for the 2012 Eisner Awards.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

June 2022

Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #331 | Preview

by Brigid Alverson

June 2022

Comics News from Star Wars Celebration Anaheim | Incoming

by Brigid Alverson

April 2022

Preview: World of Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #14

by Brigid Alverson

September 2017

Wonder 2017: Exploding the Canon

by Brigid Alverson

September 2017

Wondercon 2017: Boom! Studios: Discover Yours

by Brigid Alverson

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Notes on June 2022

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Review of the Day: Listen to the Language of the Trees by Tera Kelley, ill. Marie Hermansson

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Banana Fox and The Gummy Monster Mess | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

Mock Newbery Update – Our List of First Half Suggestions

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

by

The Classroom Bookshelf

by

The Yarn

Shark Week, Vanilla Ice Cream, and the Honda CRV: Bob Shea and Brian Won Team Up for ADURABLE

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

A Woman’s Place Is in a Graphic Novel: Outstanding Works for Young Readers Center Women in History

10 YA Graphic Novels About the LGBTQIA+ experience | Stellar Panels

Top 10 Manga of 2021

10 Manga Titles for Teens Who Watch Anime

10 Graphic Biographies Bring Notable Figures to Life | Stellar Panels

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Scott Christian Sava says

    December 21, 2010 at 9:25 pm

    🙂
    Thanks Brigid!
    So glad your nieces like the book.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2022


COPYRIGHT © 2022