Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Food and family

Rainbow Shopping by Qing Zhuang

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The publisher’s description of Rainbow Shopping by Qing Zhuang says “Shopping for and preparing a delicious meal helps a young Chinese American girl feel connected to her family.” But it is more than that. It is a way of her having a connection with her past and the present. And it shows a piece of her old home and her new home. We are able to see that while she cannot find everything she and her mother wanted for their special dinners (the whole family […]

Stay afloat.

The Wave by Tyler Charlton

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I have been debating whether I should start the next Cannonball (no way I can finish it) or leave my current count at an “odd” number? (I like “boxed numbers” ending in zero or 5. Otherwise it looks “odd” to me). But The Wave answered that for me. I knew I had to tell you about this book right now. Tyler Charlton (author and illustrator) of this picture book (available, but I read via an online reader copy) made something that is very emotional, strong, […]

Soylent Green is people!

Ultra-Processed People by Chris Van Tulleken

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I like the idea of eating and living in a healthy way, so I’ve read a number of nutrition/food books. However, this topic is so complicated, and there are so many opinions that it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. It seems that everyone has an agenda and can cherry pick data to support their cause. Perhaps that’s why I thought Michael Pollen’s advice from In Defense of Food was the most helpful: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” You could say that Chris Van Tulleken […]

2024 is going to be a busy year

Our Nipa Hut: A Story in the Philippines by Rachell Abalos

I Am Both : A Vietnamese Refugee Story  by Kerisa Greene

Two Homes, One Heart  by Jessica Young

All About Color by Elizabeth Rusch

Of Words and Water: The Story of Wilma Dykeman—Writer, Historian, Environmentalist  by Shannon Hitchcock

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It is a picture book reviewing round up time! My theme is that of cultures. Of course we know the concept of “country and culture” but sometimes a culture can be something you do not immediately think of.  Yelena and Papa take care of their nipa hut and it takes care of them in Rachell Abalos’s picture book, Our Nipa Hut: A Story in the Philippines. Due in February 2024, I was lucky enough to have my book dealer send me a finished copy, as this is a book that needs […]

“There are no stupid questions, nor any forbidden ones, but there are some questions that have no answer.”

Questions I Am Asked About The Holocaust : Young Reader’s Edition by Hedi Fried

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Four main things stand out for me from reading Questions I Am Asked About The Holocaust : Young Reader’s Edition. The first, it took the author, Hedi Fried, a lifetime to heal and process her experiences; the second, history has repeated itself, and third, while I knew what genocide meant (there is also a glossary that gives a technical definition) it was broken down by etymology: genos: people and cide: murder, or People Murder. But perhaps the big takeaway from this translation by Alice E. Olsson […]

Becoming a teenager are confusing but this is a nice start to help sorting things out

Cross My Heart and Never Lie  by Nora Dasnes 

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Ages ago I asked for a reader copy of Cross My Heart and Never Lie and was lucky enough to receive a copy.  However, in the crazy that is my life, I finally found time to read it, but like any book this was the right time. It turned into an interesting book that is in a diary format, which is familiar, as is the theme of growing up, coming of age and the stages we find ourselves in, in comparison to our friends, but it is all done in […]



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