Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

We can still talk about summer books

Summer Solstice Wish by Kate Allen Fox and Elisa Paganelli

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Recently I found an online reader copy of a title called Summer Solstice Wish by Kate Allen Fox and Elisa Paganelli. They have a prequel or companion Winter Solstice Wish which I remember reading, but was not WOWed by it, but felt that it was enjoyable to read. However, I tried to read Summer, and could not finish it. Perhaps I was in the wrong mood for it. Perhaps I was not the reader for it. Perhaps I was thinking of Halloween and summer was […]

What have we learned in the past 80 years? (from publisher description)

Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen

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Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen and illustrated by Violeta Encarnación was a WOW book. It was not necessarily the story itself (though that is pretty wild) it was the way it was formatted that really made it work for me. It is a fantastic circular story that shows how history can repeat. But not only that, the text is repeated. We start with a young girl who is behind a fence in the 1940s. How she gets there, the thoughts and feelings she […]

Welcome to my Two Books in One Review review 

Thank You, School by Louise Borden

Finding My Wave by Alexandra Katona

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I found two books (hence the title) that were nice, cozy and enjoyable but I did not want to weaken reviewing either solo as I didn’t want to add fluff to them. Therefore, please enjoy these shorter reviews that hopefully do not leave out the good stuff. Thank You, School by Louise Borden and illustrator Paige Keiser  due March 2026 Read via an online reader copy. Through a series of poems, children thank each person (from bus drivers to teachers) who help make their school […]

Dance like your ancestors are watching

I Am a Bon Dancer by Brandi-Ann Uyemura

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Recently I noticed that I have been reading a lot of titles that are similar to each other, be it the theme or the way it is presented. Therefore, I was hoping to find a few new themes or at least new ways of presenting them. In I Am a Bon Dancer, by Brandi-Ann Uyemura and Amy Matsushita-Beal (the lovely illustrations creator) the dance itself is a new way of presenting an old theme, but the idea of family and trying your best has been […]

When I told my nephew the zombies were looking for brains and we were safe, he didn’t get it

Plants vs. Zombies Volume 1: Lawnmageddon by Paul Tobin

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One day I was with my oldest nephew and I thought I’d take him to the library and pick up a few books to read. I was having trouble getting him to engage (he’s special needs and this was way out of his routine, so it was expected). After I started grabbing a couple titles on a whim (covers do make a difference), we wandered to the checkout desk.  It was then I realized that maybe I had missed his interest level (one never knows […]

I’m not sure what was true

Almost True by Clarice Lispector

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I am not the reader for Almost True by Clarice Lispector. It did not “grab me” but I know several people will find this amusing and clever. The illustrations are unusual and have a little fun going on but are also not over the top silly. Yet, they are oddly abstract with a realistic touch, Once I realized that it was translated by Benjamin Moser I figured that it was the translation of things that was not being liked by my reading ear. The text […]



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