Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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When fear makes you small, friendship makes you tall

Shrinking Violet by Laurel Snyder and LeUyen Pham

November 4, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

The book, Shrinking Violet by Laurel Snyder and illustrated by LeUyen Pham is a fun and sweet story dealing with the common themes of fear and bravery. We also have friendship and how that ties into overcoming the fear to be brave. While the themes are not new, the presentation gives things a fresh and clever take. The colors and details are rich, but not “too much” and allow focus on the story. The only real issue I had (since I read this due late […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Health, Poetry Tagged With: bravery, emotions, Fear, Feelings, friendship, Laurel Snyder, Laurel Snyder and LeUyen Pham, LeUyen Pham, Social Themes

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:491 · Genres: Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Health, Poetry · Tags: bravery, emotions, Fear, Feelings, friendship, Laurel Snyder, Laurel Snyder and LeUyen Pham, LeUyen Pham, Social Themes ·
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Impact of books and other really cool things

The Blue Jays That Grew a Forest by Lynn Street

Little Monk Writes Rain by Hsu-Kung Liu

November 3, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

As you know I enjoy reading picture books. They are not just for the “kid crowd” as I have found (and highly encourage others  to do so, too) many books that give me information about something or someone I was unfamiliar with. I also find poetry, poetic prose, silliness and much more. But sometimes I am unable to write a “full review” so I must combine them to make one larger review. I do try to “theme” them, and I hope I did with the […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, Non-Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: animals, Anne Hunter, Asia, birds, blue birds, Buddhist, foreset, Hsu-Kung Liu, Lynn Street, nature, Rachel Wang Yung-Hsin, science, Social Themes, Trees, values

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:490 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, Non-Fiction, Poetry · Tags: animals, Anne Hunter, Asia, birds, blue birds, Buddhist, foreset, Hsu-Kung Liu, Lynn Street, nature, Rachel Wang Yung-Hsin, science, Social Themes, Trees, values ·
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Marine Life

Meadows of the Sea: The Wonders of Seagrass by Michelle Schaub

November 3, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Overall, Meadows of the Sea: The Wonders of Seagrass by Michelle Schaub is a good story about the ocean with the metaphor of showing how it is like a meadow. This idea makes something that seems unfamiliar and even alien, take on a form that we know and can understand. The poetic nature of the first part (the story) is reminiscent of the ocean flow itself. The fact that the second part (actual factual information) is added on the page allows the book to grow with […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Health, Non-Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: earth science, Environmental Science & Ecosystems, Marine Life, Michelle Schaub, nature, ocean, science, water

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:488 · Genres: Children's Books, Health, Non-Fiction, Poetry · Tags: earth science, Environmental Science & Ecosystems, Marine Life, Michelle Schaub, nature, ocean, science, water ·
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PUUUUNK!

Be Your Own Backing Band by Liz Prince

October 29, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

The author, Liz Prince, has become a reading staple of late. I have read most (if not all) that is  out there (minus a few things she just illustrated). But when I got Be Your Own Backing Band, I felt that Prince might have had one of her best collections yet. But then again, she could probably write a phone book and I would read it. After I finished, I said, “Keep on coming with the cool and goodness!” This is a look at how […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Young Adult Tagged With: coming-of-age, Liz Prince, music, paranormal, Punk rock musicians, siblings, Sisters

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:483 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Young Adult · Tags: coming-of-age, Liz Prince, music, paranormal, Punk rock musicians, siblings, Sisters ·
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Of course, after building up this title, you will need to wait until April 2026 for reading

Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp (A Picture Book) by Minoru Tonai, Jolene Gutiérrez, and Chris Sasaki

October 29, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

When you read as many picture books as I do, once in a while one of two things (or both) can happen. The first is you think you’ve read it before (or at least a sample) or things start to feel similar due to similar subjects. A subject I am interested in are the Japanese-American internment camps from World War II.  This is partly because I have family who is Japanese-American and when I realized this could be them it made it personal (I know […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Non-Fiction Tagged With: activism, American Incarceration Camp, Asian-American, Chris Sasaki, civil rights, family, Japanese-American, Jolene Gutierrez, Minoru Tonai, Minoru Tonai, Jolene Gutiérrez, and Chris Sasaki, Social Justice, Social Themes, United States 20th C, World War II

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:481 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Non-Fiction · Tags: activism, American Incarceration Camp, Asian-American, Chris Sasaki, civil rights, family, Japanese-American, Jolene Gutierrez, Minoru Tonai, Minoru Tonai, Jolene Gutiérrez, and Chris Sasaki, Social Justice, Social Themes, United States 20th C, World War II ·
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What can a potato do?

Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa: Join the Quest with Peru's Famed Scientist and Potato Expert by Sara Andrea Fajardo and Juana Martinez-Neal

October 29, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

As with several books I was not going to read, Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa: Join the Quest with Peru’s Famed Scientist and Potato Expert by Sara Andrea Fajardo and Juana Martinez-Neal (illustrator) was one of them, but it eventually found its way to my TBR pile as it was on a Best of 2025 Picture Book list. This was the final sign that told me I probably should read it. I was still nervous as when a book gets that hyped […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Cooking/Food, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: Agriculture |, Alberto Salas, Caribbean & Latin America, ecosystmes, environamental, Juana Martinez-Neal, nature, peru, Sara Andrea Fajardo, Sara Andrea Fajardo and Juana Martinez-Neal, science, scientist, south america

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:480 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Cooking/Food, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry · Tags: Agriculture |, Alberto Salas, Caribbean & Latin America, ecosystmes, environamental, Juana Martinez-Neal, nature, peru, Sara Andrea Fajardo, Sara Andrea Fajardo and Juana Martinez-Neal, science, scientist, south america ·
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