Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene don’t stop helping the bees, hunny!

Green Jolene and the Backyard Bees by Wendy Mass

November 25, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Green Jolene and the Backyard Bees is written by an author I have enjoyed reading over the years. This author is Wendy Mass. And while they have had a few different ages and have written a few different genres, their more realistic stories are fun. And when Mass collaborates with illustrator Billy Yong you get an interesting combination of realistic story, art and modern feelings. Yet, there is also a classical, family friendly feeling as well. This mixture works for today’s readers aged at least […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Cooking/Food, Fiction, Health Tagged With: activism, animals, bees, Billy Yong, conservation, Environment, friendship, nature, pollinators, science, Social Themes, Wendy Mass

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:517 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Cooking/Food, Fiction, Health · Tags: activism, animals, bees, Billy Yong, conservation, Environment, friendship, nature, pollinators, science, Social Themes, Wendy Mass ·
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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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Down With The Miss Vicky’s!

Down with Lime Books!: A Story about Book Banning by Jan Zauzmer

October 1, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Miss Vicky might tell us Down with Lime Books! But what she does not realize is that the kids like lime books, and pink and purple, and blue, and yellow and read…. I mean red. Yes they love to read them all. Of course, this humorous look at book banning is silly and a bit tongue in cheek, but Down with Lime Books!: A Story about Book Banning by Jan Zauzmer and Blanca Millán is about a serious subject As mentioned, the character Miss Vicky […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: activism, banning & challenging books, Blanca Millán, book banning, book bans, Books, Current Events, Education, Jan Zauzmer, libraries, school, Social Justice, Social Themes

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:422 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry · Tags: activism, banning & challenging books, Blanca Millán, book banning, book bans, Books, Current Events, Education, Jan Zauzmer, libraries, school, Social Justice, Social Themes ·
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In a distant country, war is affecting Theo in his safe home

Planting Sunshine by Andrée Poulin

August 22, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

From the moment I saw the cover of Planting Sunshine (due Feb 2026, read via an online reader) it had really gotten under my skin. At first, I loved it; then I didn’t; then I felt it and hoped I would like the story beyond it. For sure this image gives one an emotional response. And to say that Andrée Poulin’s text also gives an emotional response, is an understatement. They combine poetry, graphic novel formats and novels, with contemporary events. The “Why” of a […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, Poetry, Young Adult Tagged With: activism, Andrée Poulin, family, friendship, Social Themes, War & Military

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:377 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, Poetry, Young Adult · Tags: activism, Andrée Poulin, family, friendship, Social Themes, War & Military ·
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Two pieces of history around the world

A Place Called Galveston by Andrea Shapiro

Claudia Said Sí!: The Story of Mexico's First Woman President by Deborah Bodin Cohen, Kerry Olitzky and Carlos Vélez Aguilera

July 31, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Recently I mentioned to a friend of mine that there are a lot of political titles happening, even in the children’s genres. And most are slanted seriously and obviously in one direction or the other. Therefore, when I find something that is not political, but could fit current events I try to pay attention.  Two of those books are A Place Called Galveston by Andrea Shapiro and illustrator Valerya Milovanova, as well as Claudia Said Sí!: The Story of Mexico’s First Woman President by Deborah […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction Tagged With: activism, Andrea Shapiro, butterflies, Carlos Vélez Aguilera, Claudia Sheinbaum, Deborah Bodin Cohen, Deborah Bodin Cohen, Kerry Olitzky and Carlos Vélez Aguilera, Emigration, History 20th Century, Immigration, Judaism, Kerry Olitzky, mexico, politics, refugees, Russian, Social Themes, Texas, Transportation, Valerya Milovanova, women history, Women presidents, Women scientists

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:349 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction · Tags: activism, Andrea Shapiro, butterflies, Carlos Vélez Aguilera, Claudia Sheinbaum, Deborah Bodin Cohen, Deborah Bodin Cohen, Kerry Olitzky and Carlos Vélez Aguilera, Emigration, History 20th Century, Immigration, Judaism, Kerry Olitzky, mexico, politics, refugees, Russian, Social Themes, Texas, Transportation, Valerya Milovanova, women history, Women presidents, Women scientists ·
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Young rebels

Little Rebels by Yuyi Morales

July 29, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Cbr17bingo Citizen (as a citizen it is our duty to help the community we are a citizen of and we are a citizen of the Earth, the land, the people on it). To be honest, I do not remember if I requested the reader’s copy of Little Rebels by Yuyi Morales or if it was just sent to me, but either way I got a lovely surprise when it arrived at my work via the USPS mail. It is due in early September 2025, therefore […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: activism, cbr17bingo, Cbr17bingo Citizen, citizenship, Hispanic & Latino, Imagination & Play, Social Justice, Social Themes, Yuyi Morales

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:340 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry · Tags: activism, cbr17bingo, Cbr17bingo Citizen, citizenship, Hispanic & Latino, Imagination & Play, Social Justice, Social Themes, Yuyi Morales ·
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