Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

While I don’t know it all, I know good poetry, so get on the ball and read y’all!

Whale Day: And Other Poems by Billy Collins

Born in a Second Language by Akosua Afiriyie-Hwedie

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cbr13bingo UnCannon I think we should teach poetry in school but not just the “classics” or what “academics” like, but stuff you WANT to read. Many kids (and adults) hate poetry because it is “girly” (yes, some I was taught was “flowery/girly”) or because is dull (yes, I have fallen asleep more than once while reading some my teacher(s) was forcing on me). And yes, there can be too many rhymes (not that I am complaining mind you, some of my favorites rhymed, but if […]

Lightning Round

Tonguebreaker by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Batman Earth One, Vol. 3 by Geoff Johns

Solomon's Vineyard by Jonathan Latimer

Antartica: Journeys to the South Pole by Walter Dean Myers

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

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A few reviews of shorter books that I read quickly over the weekend and didn’t have extra time to flesh out… Tonguebreaker ***** Coming to terms with a society that doesn’t want you based on your body…and creating your own space instead…has to be a challenging thing. Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha bares her soul to the world in this collection of poems and one-act plays. Her use of language to lecture gripped me and her exploration of what it means to live in this world, to […]

Once upon a school year a girl named Izzy had feelings and more

Izzy Kline Has Butterflies by Beth Ain

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cbr13bingo FREE In late June 2021 I started Izzy Kline Has Butterflies while sitting at a table, outside the local café which was closed, and I was eating a greasy piece of pizza from the shop up the road. But I figured the owners would not mind. I know them well enough, and it was not like I was being disrespectful while enjoying this treat. Besides, it was too nice to sit inside.  Therefore, it was only appropriate that I finish Beth Ain’s book sitting […]

A thoughtful mix of poetry and fairy tales

The Seventh Raven by David Elliott

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The Seven Ravens is a cool fairy tale. It’s very similar to The Six Swans – both are categorized as “brothers who turn into birds” folktales. But I prefer The Seven Ravens. It focuses on a peasant family instead of a princess.  The parents are lovely people – no evil stepmothers or greedy fathers here.  A brave girl saves the day. And ravens are cooler than swans. Sorry, swans. If you don’t know the folktale, it is the story of a peasant couple who have […]

Who is Judith Scott?

Unbound: The Life and Art of Judith Scott by Joyce Scott

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Art is subjective. What I consider art you might think is trash. And what you consider art I might say, “There is a reason art rhymes with a bodily function.” Yet, I think we both can agree that the life of Judith Scott was pretty darn amazing even if we disagree about her work being art. I first became aware of Unbound: The Life and Art of Judith Scott written by her twin, Joyce, was when I was looking at an online catalog/ordering site the […]

Pride Month is going full swing and is slaying.

Pride Puppy! by Robin Stevenson

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Pride Month is going full swing and is slaying. One book that is getting much attention is Pride Puppy! by Robin Stevenson and illustrated by Julie McLaughlin. The cover is “in your face” colors and images. But that is not a bad thing. It just lets you know what to expect inside. And that inside is not only an alphabet book that connects to terms used to express ideas and such within the community, but also has pages of busy images, colors, text, and a […]



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