Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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About BlackRaven

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I am a Professional Book Pusher. Reading is a passion, as is writing, bragging about nephews, and alligator wrestling. My first year participating was 2018. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: BlackRaven's Quick Questions interview.)

BlackRaven's Reviews:

What stars are made of

The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne: Discovering the Stuff of Stars by Laura Alary

November 19, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

TITLE: The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne: Discovering the Stuff of Stars AUTHOR:  Laura Alary ILLUSTRATOR:  Yas Imamura  PUB DATE: Late January 2026 READ AS: Online reader copy RESULT:  Dang this is good! NEED MORE?: YES OKAY MORE: This is a picture book about Cecila Payne, who was a young girl who did not fit in. She stood out in many ways not just because she was taller than other girls/women, not just because she was a female, but because she really loved nature and […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, History Tagged With: 1900-1979, 20th Century, astronomers, Cecila Payne-Gaposchkin, Cecilia Payne, Laura Alary, science, Women astronomers, Yas Imamura

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:504 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, History · Tags: 1900-1979, 20th Century, astronomers, Cecila Payne-Gaposchkin, Cecilia Payne, Laura Alary, science, Women astronomers, Yas Imamura ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Winter, spring, summer and fall, all ya gotta do is read the poems

Poems for Every Season by Bette Westera and David Colmer

November 14, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

A while back I requested several picture books from an online reader site. One of them was Poems for Every Season by Bette Westera and David Colmer (translator). I was not sure what I would get. I mean I figured poems and seasons (and of course most likely poems about seasons), but I did not have super high expectations. I figured things would be good, but not great. Plus, I just did not want to be disappointed as I had been a lot before (and since) reading […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: Bette Westera, Bette Westera and David Colmer, children's poetry, Concepts, David Colmer, Dutch poetry, flowers, Henriette Boerendans, nature, plants, science, seasons

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:503 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry · Tags: Bette Westera, Bette Westera and David Colmer, children's poetry, Concepts, David Colmer, Dutch poetry, flowers, Henriette Boerendans, nature, plants, science, seasons ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Zora Neale Hurston looking for gold

Small-Girl Zora and the Shower of Stories: A Tall Tale Based on the Life and Work of Zora Neale Hurston by Giselle Anatol and Raissa Figueroa

November 14, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I did not love nor hate Small-Girl Zora and the Shower of Stories: A Tall Tale Based on the Life and Work of Zora Neale Hurston by Giselle Anatol and Raissa Figueroa as the illustrator. It was an experience book where after reading you need to stop and think about it. You need to take your time in the first place and I would even recommend a second read.. It was interesting and different but had a familiar overtone as well. Taking the life experiences […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Fiction, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: African-American, Giselle Anatol, Giselle Anatol and Raissa Figueroa, imagination, Play, Raissa Figueroa, story telling, Zora Neale Hurston

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:502 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Fiction, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry · Tags: African-American, Giselle Anatol, Giselle Anatol and Raissa Figueroa, imagination, Play, Raissa Figueroa, story telling, Zora Neale Hurston ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Helping hands keeping stories alive

The Keeper of Stories by Caroline Kusin Pritchard

November 11, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

The story within the pages of The Keeper of Stories by Caroline Kusin Pritchard and illustrator  Selina Alko is fairly simple. It is about the Jewish Theological Seminar library told in poetic language that tells from the start to the devastating fire in 1966. The publisher description says: When a fire breaks out at the Jewish Theological Seminary library, helping hands from across the community rally together to save the books and preserve the stories within the pages. Includes factual backmatter on the Jewish Theological […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Religion Tagged With: Books, Caroline Kusin Pritchard, fires, Judaism, libaries, Selina Alko, United States - 20th Century

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:501 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Religion · Tags: Books, Caroline Kusin Pritchard, fires, Judaism, libaries, Selina Alko, United States - 20th Century ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Allegory of power

Pigeons!: A Fable For Our Times by Marc Chalvin

November 11, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

If I have one complaint about Pigeons!: A Fable For Our Times by Marc Chalvin (due December 2025, read via an oline reader) is that the people who need to read this book, won’t. This is the commentary about what is happening today. It comes out and tells us how the Dictator will use anything he can to stay in power. It comes out and tells us there are well meaning people, but they are missing a few pieces of the puzzle. And those who […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction Tagged With: Dystopian, elections, Marc Chalvin, Philosophy, politics, Satire

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:500 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction · Tags: Dystopian, elections, Marc Chalvin, Philosophy, politics, Satire ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

To tell their stories

Home Is a Door We Carry by Constantin Satüpo

November 11, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Home Is a Door We Carry is a hard book to read, and not just because of the subject. There was a flowing issue for me. Things are simple and at times almost too simple for my personal tastes. Maybe different art could have enhanced my personal journey, but also I know that this is what author Constantin Satuppo needs to tell his story. Satupo is trying to give you the emotions of refugees (the voices of the children seen in the images) having to […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: community, Constantin Satüpo, Constantin Satuppo, Emigration, Immigration, refugees, Social Themes

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:499 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry · Tags: community, Constantin Satüpo, Constantin Satuppo, Emigration, Immigration, refugees, Social Themes ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
  • Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
  • Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
  • Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
  • Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.
See More Recent Comments »

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