This Side of Home: Review Haiku

Twin sisters, once in
sync, face new challenges and
mixed expectations.

This Side of Home by Renee Watson. Bloomsbury, 2015, 336 pages.

Calvin: Review Haiku

Sad, fascinating,
and hopeful, too.
It's a magical world.

Calvin by Martine Leavitt. FSG, 2015, 192 pages.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Review Haiku

Yes, I am the last
person to read this. Lo,
the sins of the fathers . . .

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbonsky. S&S, 1999, 213 pages.

Infinite In Between: Review Haiku

Five teenagers, four
years of high school,
infinite possibilities.

Infinite In Between by Carolyn Mackler. Harper Teen, 2015, 462 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 Undertaking of Lily Chen: Review Haiku

Freaky-deaky tale
of sibling rivalry, love,
and death -- sometimes twice.

The Undertaking of Lily Chen by Danica Novgorodoff. First Second, 2014, 432 pages.

Stuck in the Middle: Review Haiku

Both reassuring
and terrifying for this
middle-school mama.

Stuck in the Middle: 17 Comics from an Unpleasant Age edited by Ariel Schrag. FSG, 2007, 224 pages.

Saint Anything: Review Haiku

How do you atone
for someone else's sins?
And why should you have to?

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen. Viking, 2015, 432 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.

Stonewall: Review Haiku

How far we've come;
how far we haven't come.
Fascinating history.

Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights by Ann Bausum. Viking, 2015, 80 pages.