Castle Waiting by Linda Medley Date of Publication: 2006 ISBN:978-1560977476 Number of pages: 457

REQUIRED READING ABILITY:Intermediate: Average /High
GENRES: Myths and Legends
THEMES: Good versus Evil , Life versus Death, Family , Loyalty , Survival

SUMMARY:The book begins with a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. The rest of the book tells about the lives of the people left behind when Sleeping Beauty runs off with her prince. The haunted castle becomes a friendly refuge for a number of unusual characters: Sleeping Beauty's three ladies-in-waiting (who are now old); Dinah, the cook and her simple son Simon; Lady Jaine, a mysterious runaway noble woman who is pregnant; Rackham Adjutant, a castle steward; Dr. Fell, a creepy doctor; Henry, an angry and depressed blacksmith; Sister Peace, a bearded nun and Sir Chess, a noble knight. The second part of the story is about Lady Jaine's escape, her journey to find the castle, and her acceptance once she arrives. The last part of the story is Sister Peace's life story and involves her stint as a barmaid, a member of the circus, and her resulting initiation into the sisterhood of the Solicitine nuns.

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...
- enjoys humourous stories
- enjoys myths and legends
- enjoys reading about strong female characters

WHAT ELSE? The story uses a lot of flashbacks so the reader must be ready for the challenge. The graphics are in black and white. This book is the winner of the 1998 Eisner Best New Series award. The pregnant character in the book is running away from an abusive husband, which may be deemed too mature a topic for some readers.