10.29.2010

What Happened on Fox Street: Review Haiku


Does it make me a
bad person if I liked this
but didn't love it?


What Happened on Fox Street by Tricia Springstrubb. Balzer + Bray, 2010, 224 pages.

10.27.2010

Mockingbird: Review Haiku


How do you make sense
of the senseless? Asperger's
story of grief, hope.


Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. Philomel, 2010, 235 pages.


P.S. Yes. The Eagle Scout thing. But for some reason I spent the first fifty pages thinking it was a dummy chest (like "Annie, Annie, are you okay?" dummy), which seemed like a reasonable project.

10.25.2010

How I Made It to Eighteen: Review Haiku


Harrowing, hopeful
take on breakdown, starkly rendered
in black-and-white.


How I Made It to Eighteen: A Mostly True Story by Tracy White. Roaring Brook, 2010, 151 pages.

10.22.2010

Zilch: Review Haiku


Nuggets of wisdom
snuck in among the auto-
hagiography.


Zilch: The Power of Zero in Business by Nancy Lublin. Portfolio, 2010, 246 pages.

10.20.2010

Big Nate: Review Haiku


Poor man's Wimpy Kid
takes delight in his under-
achievement. Still fun.


Big Nate: In a Class By Himself by Lincoln Peirce. Harper, 2010, 224 pages.

10.18.2010

The Vanishing Violin: Review Haiku


A few wrong notes, but
overall, a great puzzle fest
for smart tween girls.


The Vanishing Violin (Red Blazer Girls #2) by Michael D. Bell. Knopf, 2010, 336 pages.

10.15.2010

Zebrafish: Review Haiku


Gorgeous rich colors
tell of music, friendship, illness.
Great kid power.


Zebrafish by Peter H. Reynolds. Fablevision/Atheneum, 2010, 119 pages.

10.13.2010

As Simple As It Seems: Review Haiku



Unique topic makes
run-of-the-mill coming-of-age
worth checking out.





As Simple As It Seems by Sarah Weeks. Harper, 2010, 192 pages.

P.S. What does this jacket have to do with anything? She skips rocks like, once. The nightgown is good, but otherwise . . . ?

10.11.2010

Fly Away Home: Review Haiku


First adultery
novel where I didn't want
to punch everyone.


Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner. Atria, 2010, 416 pages.

10.08.2010

Brains for Lunch: Review Haiku


Sadly, not nearly
as awesome as the title/
concept would imply.


Brains for Lunch: A Zombie Novel in Haiku by K. A. Holt. Roaring Brook, 2010, 96 pages.

10.06.2010

Bone: Crown of Horns: Review Haiku


OMG I FINISHED
BONE. Now I am sad that
there aren't any more.


Bone #9: Crown of Horns by Jeff Smith. Graphix, 2009, 224 pages.

10.04.2010

Just Let Me Lie Down: Review Haiku


Much of this is old hat,
but it will make you feel
like you're not alone.


Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom by Kristin van Ogtorp. Little Brown, 2010, 259 pages.

10.01.2010

Sophie Simon Solves Them All: Review Haiku


Resident genius
unwillingly helps others,
makes friends. Plus, lemurs.


Sophie Simon Solves Them All by Lisa Graff. FSG, 2010, 112 pages.