Last weekend, I finally took five minutes to tour the newest Borders that just opened near me on the south side of Austin. And, as always, I check out the graphic novel area first that’s grown bigger than ever before (at 3-4 shelves), just not anywhere close to the MANGA! section (2 facing aisles). I do it merely to get over being disappointed that much faster.
Lately, however, I’ve been pleasantly surprised about the books I’ve seen, among them Jonathan Santlofer’s engrossing hybrid, Anatomy of Fear and Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Found another one that might be worth look at: Stuck in the Middle: 17 Comics from an Unpleasant Age, short stories by some of the newer and not so new talents, edited by Ariel Schrag and published by Viking Juvenile.
And, yes, the title is quite indicative of the selections about the “joys” of attending middle school. If you haven’t been scared away just yet, you’ll enjoy reading this short excerpt from my very kind and very talented pal and Eisner award winner, Aaron Renier, nee of Top Shelf’s Spiral-Bound, in New York magazine. And, the New York Times featured a broader range of excerpts from Stuck in the Middle in their Sunday edition.
May 16th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
The stories in this book cover a nice range of the pitfalls and perils of middle school. Renier’s story was one of the most positive, in that the boy (himself?) finds a truly happy solution. Problem is the use of language in many of the other stories that will keep this book out of almost every middle school in this country (never mind that kids do talk like that – schools and parents try to deny it). Too bad. Oh well, just hope that public libraries pick this up so preteens and young teens suffering through middle school can find it! BTW, I’m the parent of a middle-schooler, one who is learning that humor done right is a good thing (he keeps making up puns).
May 21st, 2007 at 8:20 pm
Hello Wayne,
How might one get in touch with you? I see you are not listed in the contirbutors.
Thanks.