Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

The little journal with a lot of heart and a really long title

It's Your Weirdness That Makes You Wonderful: A Self-Acceptance Prompt Journal (Positive Mental Health Teen Journal) by Kate Allan

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When I post a review, I try to write out my review first. I was making the final tweaks, and slipped, and the entire review of It’s Your Weirdness That Makes You Wonderful: A Self-Acceptance Prompt Journal (Positive Mental Health Teen Journal) disappeared!  However, this makes for a great restart as I really could have used the journal to get some of my frustrations out. Because one could have (I could have) easily gone down a rabbit hole of “I’m no good.” “How could I […]

Raise the curtain

Upstaged by Robin Easter

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I have read a lot of middle reader novels and a lot of graphic novel middle readers. I have read a lot of stories that deal with LGBTQ issues. And of course, most (if not all) have dealt with growing up, coming of age, finding yourself and situations like those. Therefore, it takes a lot for me to really love a book with the above criteria. And while I liked and enjoyed Upstaged by Robin Easter, I did not love it.  However, I did like […]

Describe in two words: FREAKING WOW

Chance: Escape from the Holocaust by Uri Shulevitz

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The book: Chance: Escape from the Holocaust by Uri Shulevitz One word: WOW. Okay two words. FREAKING WOW I cannot tell you how fantastic this book is. Just read. It is not easy, it is sad, heartbreaking, scary, beautiful, hopeful and more. It covers all the emotions. It shows you a piece of World War II that we don’t know about. Again, WOW and go read. For mature readers at least 12-13 and up, but I would recommend older. But if you read with them, […]

Their voices

Poemhood: Our Black Revival: History, Folklore & the Black Experience: A Young Adult Poetry Anthology by Amber McBride, Erica Martin, Taylor Byas and LLC Ashwin Writing

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Poemhood: Our Black Revival: History, Folklore & the Black Experience: A Young Adult Poetry Anthology by Amber McBride, Erica Martin, Taylor Byas and LLC Ashwin Writing (photographer) is getting a lot of press. It will get a lot of awards and a lot more attention before things are said and done. And it deserves all and everything it gets. It is a very lovely collection of poems. We have contemporary poets and classical ones, too. You will know some of the poems and others will […]

Roaming pack of dogs and her own worn out memories to keep her company

Land of Mirrors by María Medem,

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Every so often I find myself reading a book that I think I like but am not sure. Land of Mirrors by María Medem, Aleshia Jensen (translator) and Daniela Ortiz (translator) is one of those books. It is a graphic novel, but does not flow necessarily as a “pure” one. There is something “different” about it. It might be because it is translated or it might be because of the almost abstract minimal illustrations. However, whatever the reason this is the most organized piece of […]

Author Ponweera has you covered for your reading needs

My Best Friend's Bangles by Thushanthi Ponweera

Crossing the Finish Line by Thushanthi Ponweera

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After reading I Am Kavi by Thushanthi Ponweera, I decided to look for other books by them. I did not expect a lot as I Am Kavi had a feeling of being a first novel and maybe the start of a promising new author for me. And it was new 2023 and I was lucky enough to be reading it in 2025, therefore, I felt I had a good chance of finding more titles. I found out that in 2024 My Best Friend’s Bangles (illustrated […]



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