1.31.2011

The Adventures of Nanny Piggins: Review Haiku


If Mary Poppins
were a pig. And shorter.
And completely insane.


The Adventures of Nanny Piggins by R. A. Spratt. Little Brown, 2010, 239 pages.

1.28.2011

The Fabled [Fourth/Fifth] Graders of Aesop Elementary: Review Haiku


Punny collection
of life lessons without a
trace of "good-for-you."

The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary by Candace Fleming. Schwartz + Wade, 2007, 186 pages.

The Fabled Fifth Graders of Aesop Elementary by Candace Fleming. Schwartz + Wade, 2010, 170 pages.


1.26.2011

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: Review Haiku


Not so much "funny ha-ha"
as "funny WTF?"
Nerdy goodness.


Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris. Little Brown, 2010, 176 pages.

1.24.2011

Matchless: Review Haiku


The saddest fairy
tale in the whole wide world
gets a new life. Lovely.


Matchless by Gregory Maguire. Morrow, 2009, 112 pages.
Note: Yes, I KNOW it's not Christmas anymore. Shut UP.

1.21.2011

Invisible Inkling: Review Haiku


Bullies come in all
shapes, sizes, and levels of
visibility.


Invisible Inkling by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Harry Bliss. Balzer + Bray, 2011, 144 pages.

1.19.2011

Bless This Mouse: Review Haiku


A mousey Moses
leads her people out of danger
and into grace.


Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry. HMH, 2011, 192 pages.


(Note: Now comes that post-convention time when I braggadociously review ARCs I picked up and read that aren't even out yet. Sorry.)

1.17.2011

How Did You Get This Number: Review Haiku


Billed as a female
Sedaris; essays are fine
but just smile-worthy.


How Did You Get This Number by Sloane Crosley. Riverhead, 2010, 274 pages.

1.14.2011

We the Children: Review Haiku


Premise has promise,
but pretty weak opener:
way too unfinished.


We the Children (Keepers of the School #1) by Andrew Clements. Atheneum, 2010, 160 pages.

1.12.2011

1.10.2011

Watch This Space . . .

. . . for ALA awards news, live(ish) from San Diego. Or follow me on Twitter: @emilyreads.

1.07.2011

Lulu and the Brontosaurus: Review Haiku


Picture-book royalty
give us a Veruca Salt
for our times. Sweet.


Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Lane Smith. Atheneum, 2010, 128 pages.

1.05.2011

Blast from the Past: Review Haiku


Even on old-timey-
village field trips, mean girls
are total bitches.


Blast from the Past (Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls #6) by Meg Cabot. Scholastic, 2010, 240 pages.

1.03.2011

Bad Science: Review Haiku


Everything you know
is wrong. But don't fret -- everything
you know is wrong.

Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks by Ben Goldacre. Faber & Faber, 2010, 304 pages.