Little White Duck: Review Haiku

Impressive use of
kid-relevant details, but
then it just . . . stops. Huh?

Little White Duck: A Childhood in China by Na Liu. Graphic Universe, 2012, 96 pages.

Marathon: Review Haiku

RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN
BATTLE SWORDS GREEKS BLOOD WHAT THE
HELL IS GOING ON.

Marathon by Boaz Yakin. First Second, 2012, 192 pages.

Because I am insane

I might accidentally be doing this RIGHT NOW.

http://www.rundisney.com/princess-half-marathon/

Big Bad Ironclad: Review Haiku

Lots of action, lots
of characters to keep straight,
lots of fun to boot.

Big Bad Ironclad: A Civil War Steamship Showdown by Nathan Hale. Amulet, 2012, 128 pages.

Ichiro: Review Haiku

Coming of age in
Japan and America --
plus shapeshifting gods.

Ichiro by Ryan Inzana. HMH, 2012, 288 pages.

Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller: Review Haiku

The story you know,
plus parts of it you've never heard.
Sympathetic.

Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller by Joseph Lambert. Hyperion/Center for Cartoon Studies, 2012, 96 pages.

Giants Beware: Review Haiku

Just your everyday,
gender-nonspecific, bad-ass
giant fighter.

Giants Beware by Jorge Aguirre. First Second, 2012, 208 pages.

It's Cybils Day! It's Cybils Day!

Thanks to all who nominated, and to my fellow judges for graphic novels -- what a great crop of books this year! Our winners are GIANTS BEWARE in the middle-grade graphic novel category, and FRIENDS WITH BOYS in the YA graphic novel category.

 Check here for all the winners.

Code Name Verity: Review Haiku

Late to the party,
but hot damn, this is awesome.
FLY THE PLANE, MADDIE.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. Hyperion, 2012, 352 pages.

Purity: Review Haiku

Not preachy, not glib;
just an honest look at love,
sex, and promises.

Purity by Jackson Pearce. Little Brown, 2012, 224 pages.

Splendors and Glooms: Review Haiku

Not a speed read, this,
but a rich tapestry of
love, fear, and magic.

Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz. Candlewick, 2012, 400 pages.

Harriet the Spy: Review Haiku

Oh, Harriet -- you
will give my daughter ideas.
(I'm okay with that.)

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. Delacorte, 1964, 304 pages.

A Midsummer Tight's Dream: Review Haiku

Oh, Tallulah -- I
want to lurve you, but I can't
tell how old you are.

A Midsummer Tight's Dream by Louise Rennison. Harper, 2012, 256 pages.

OH I'M SORRY I CAN'T HEAR YOU I'M IN CANCUN