Clueless McGee: Review Haiku

Poor man's Wimpy Kid,
but worth it for mac-'n'-cheese
AND a tuba. Fun.

Clueless McGee by Jeff Mack. Philomel, 2012, 256 pages.

Moxie and the Art of Rule Breaking: Review Haiku

Fast-paced what-if mixes
Whitey, lost Gardner art,
and Boston landmarks.

Moxie and the Art of Rule Breaking by Erin Dionne. Dial, 2013, 256 pages.

Glory Be: Review Haiku

The Help for middle
schoolers: injustice as seen
through twelve-year-old eyes.

Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood. Scholastic, 2012, 208 pages.

The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp: Review Haiku

Raccoons, sugar pie,
developers, and Sasquatch
served up Southern-fried.

The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt. Atheneum, 2013, 338 pages.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette: Review Haiku

Don't we all want to
run away from prep-school moms
and our own failures?

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. Little Brown, 2012, 326 pages.

45 Pounds (More or Less): Review Haiku

I wanted to root
for Ann, but I just didn't
like ANYBODY.

45 Pounds (More or Less) by K. A. Barson, Viking, 2013, 256 pages.

The Whole Stupid Way We Are: Review Haiku

Damaged kids feel all
the feelings, rage against
injustice. Heartbreaking.

The Whole Stupid Way We Are by N. Griffin. Atheneum, 2013, 368 pages.

I'm doing something stupid again.

Today and tomorrow, I'll be here.

http://nh.rtbrelay.com/

Pray for my knees.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: Review Haiku

In preparation
for another dumb race, a
classic on running.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami. Vitange, 2009, 192 pages.

The Moon and More: Review Haiku

Sometimes growing up
means breaking away; sometimes
it means staying put.

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen. Viking, 2013, 384 pages.

The Potty Mouth at the Table: Review Haiku

If you can't say
anything nice, come sit next to
Laurie Notaro.

The Potty Mouth at the Table by Laurie Notaro. Gallery Books, 2013, 320 pages.

Lincoln's Grave Robbers: Review Haiku

A convoluted plot
concocted by short-sighted
criminals. Cool.

Lincoln's Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin. Scholastic, 2013, 224 pages.

The Thing About Luck: Review Haiku

A whole subculture
I bet you didn't know about.
Yep, she got me.

The Thing About Luck by Cynthia Kadohata. Atheneum, 2013, 288 pages.

P.S. Ooh, and a great choice for Labor Day!

Platypus Police Squad: Review Haiku

Semi-aquatic
egg-laying mammals of action
are on the case!

Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Walden Pond Press, 2013, 240 pages.

Heads in Beds: Review Haiku

I confess: I've never
tipped. I didn't know how
critical it was.

Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-called Hospitality by Jacob Tomsky. Doubleday, 2012, 256 pages.

Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace: Review Haiku

Bieber-esque kid celeb
chokes up, runs away.
Pancakes solve everything.

Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace by Nan Marino. Roaring Brook, 2013, 272 pages.

The Lucy Variations: Review Haiku

A cautionary tale
for tiger moms; a
love letter to music.

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr. Little Brown, 2013, 320 pages.

Rapture Practice: Review Haiku

Classic tale of P.K.
Gone Bad, with added pressure
of coming out.

Rapture Practice by Aaron Hartzler. Little Brown, 2013, 400 pages.

Golden: Review Haiku

Overcomes "yeah, right"
setup to tackle richer themes
of loss, regret.

Golden by Jessi Kirby. S&S, 2013, 288 pages.

Time Flies: Review Haiku

Just the thing to read
right before my 20th
high school reunion*!

Time Flies by Claire Cook. Touchstone, 2013, 320 pages.

*It's tomorrow night, serious. GO ROCKS!