True (. . . Sort of): Review Haiku

Troublemaker Delly
keeps her head and heart intact
and saves the day.

True ( . . . Sort Of) by Katherine Hannigan. Greenwillow, 2011, 368 pages.

Beauty Queens: Review Haiku

Harsh critique of
corporate myths of womanhood in
kick-ass Libba style.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. Scholastic, 2011, 400 pages.

The Trouble with Chickens: Review Haiku

Canine gumshoe doesn't
look for trouble, but nonetheless
finds chickens.

The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin. Balzer + Bray, 2011, 128 pages.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother: Review Haiku

Cautionary tale
or instruction manual?
You be the judge, Mom.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. Penguin, 2011, 240 pages.

Okay for Now: Review Haiku

Hard-luck kid finds art,
love, and redemption in oddly
convenient ways.

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. Clarion, 2011, 368 pages.

Half Baked: Review Haiku

Surprisingly funny
memoir of micropreemie
and her mother.

Half Baked: The Story of My Nerves, My Newborn, and How We Both Learned to Breathe by Alexa Stevenson. Running Press, 2010, 297 pages.

P. S. I don't know why all my posts this week are baby-related. I'm not trying to tell you anything, really.

The Panic Virus: Review Haiku

When fear trumps science,
everybody loses. Now please
jab my kids more.

The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science, and Fear by Seth Mnookin. S&S, 2011, 448 pages.

Good Eggs: Review Haiku

Brutally honest
memoir on love, anxiety,
and (not) babies.

Good Eggs by Phoebe Potts. Harper, 2010, 272 pages.

Stuck in the Middle: Review Haiku

Stories don't really
go anywhere -- but OH,

the humiliation.

Stuck in the Middle: 17 Comics from an Unpleasant Age edited by Ariel Schrag. Viking, 2007, 210 pages.

Withering Tights: Review Haiku

It's utterly ridiculous,
but would you expect
anything less?

Withering Tights by Louise Rennison. Harper, 2011, 288 pages.

Foiled: Review Haiku

Fencing prodigy
meets cute boy-slash-troll, and now
must defend the Queen.

Foiled by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mike Cavallaro. First Second, 2010, 160 pages.

Now give me your money.

ATTENSHUN PLEAZ: As of 5:00pm today, I am the proud owner of one mint-condition MBA.

Now to find the critical path to the bar.

Fever Crumb: Review Haiku

Post-tech dystopia
finds orphan Engineer
searching for meaning.

Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve. Scholastic, 2010, 325 pages.

P.S. Powell's lists a single subject: "sex role." WTF?