All-American Boys: Review Haiku

Required reading
for future cops. And kids.
And frankly, everyone.

All-American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. Atheneum, 2015, 320 pages.

Highly Illogical Behavior: Review Haiku

I have yet to read
a Whaley I didn't love.
Friendship, out of doors.

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

The Lion of Rora: Review Haiku

Little-known tale of
religious persecution
and war strategy.

The Lion of Rora by Christos Gage and Ruth Fletcher Gage. Oni Press, 2015, 184 pages.

Courtney Crumrin: Review Haiku

Creepy sorcerers
and lots of mustaches make
for one spooky read.

Courtney Crumrin Volume 7: Tales of a Warlock by Ted Naifeh. Oni Press, 2015, 113 pages.

Baba Yaga's Assistant: Review Haiku

Creepy as all hell,
but notable for Masha's
grace under pressure.

Baba Yaga's Assistant by Marika McCoola and Emily Carroll. Candlewick, 2015, 125 pages.

Secret Coders: Review Haiku

I for one welcome
our new computer science
overlords. Good fun.

Secret Coders by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes. Turtleback Books, 2015, 96 pages.

Oyster War: Review Haiku

Oysters and pirates
and selkies, oh my!
Plus epic mustaches, dude.

Oyster War by Ben Towle. Oni Press, 2015, 167 pages.

Terrorist: Review Haiku

Oppressed Serb becomes
pawn in global pissing contest,
unleashes hell.

Terrorist: Gavrilo Princip, the Assassin Who Ignited World War I by Henrik Rehr. Graphic Universe, 2015, 231 pages.

Dragons Beware!: Review Haiku

The further adventures
of everyone's favorite
pint-sized hothead.

Dragons Beware! by Rafael Rosado and Jorge Aguirre. First Second, 2015, 153 pages.

Ms. Marvel: Review Haiku

Not your average
origin story. Not your
average superhero.

Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona. Marvel Comics, 2014, 120 pages.

Nimona: Review Haiku

Why, what does your
stereotypical kicka$$
heroine look like?

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. Harper, 2015, 266 pages.

The Marvels: Review Haiku

Intertwining stories
about family, theatre,
loss. Marvelous.

The Marvels by Brian Selznick. Scholastic, 2015, 665 pages.

Most Dangerous: Review Haiku

As election season
starts, remember how bad
politics can be.

Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin. Roaring Brook, 2015, 370 pages.

Harriet the Invincible: Review Haiku

A rodential twist
on fairy tales, with one
kicka$$ heroine. Sweet.

The Hamster Princess #1: Harriet the Invincible by Ursula Vernon. Dial, 2015, 242 pages.

The Hired Girl: Review Haiku

Farm girl flees to big
city; learns more than she
ever knew possible.

The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz. Candlewick, 2015, 387 pages.

Orbiting Jupiter: Review Haiku

Tough stuff told beautifully
by a master of
the form. Age issues?


Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt. Clarion, 2015, 192 pages.

Honor Girl: Review Haiku

Not your typical
summer-camp love story.
Also, she's a crack shot.

Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash. Candlewick, 2015, 267 pages.

The Seventh Most Important Thing: Review Haiku

Troubled kid finds
redemption helping old man
create beauty from trash.

The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall. Knopf, 2015, 278 pages.

The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate: Review Haiku

Boy-gets-dog story:
his brilliant sister is the
brains behind it, natch.

The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly. Holt, 2015, 320 pages.

Drowned City: Review Haiku

Brutal, clear-eyed look
at a national tragedy
of cruel neglect.

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown. HMH, 2015, 96 pages.