Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“Even though the world is ending in the spring, that’s still two quarters of a school year away. And school years last forever.”

The World Ends in April by Stacy McAnulty

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I got this book somewhat randomly (from a box of books to be thrown out) but ended up really enjoying it. I do love a solid middle grade novel where everyone learns a lesson, and this had that in spades. The World Ends In April follows Eleanor, who’s having a hard time in middle school — her mother is dead, she hates everyone at school, and her one best friend Mack might be leaving to go to another school. She deliberately tries not to interact […]

An emotional YA in verse

Forever is Now by Mariama J. Lockington

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This book is such an emotional ride and I found it near-impossible to put down. Sadie has been coping with her generalized anxiety for years, but after she watches cops unjustly attack a young Black woman, she is suddenly finding it impossible to walk down the front stairs because “what if what if what if.” As she works on coping and healing and adding new tools to her tool box, Sadie is also trying to use her platform and her voice to bring more attention […]

Kiki Kicks her Anxiety

Kiki Kicks by Jane Yolen

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Jane Yolen, inspired by her granddaughter, Ariel Stemple (coauthor), own journey of self-confidence and overcoming her fears, is coming out in mid-October 2023 with the picture book Kiki Kicks. As many of my future publication book reviews, I found this as an online reader copy. The story is straight forward with the sister half of a brother-sister twin duo, finally decides she is ready to try the martial arts that her mother and brother practice.  Of course, like many young kids, she wants to fly […]

Parent Trap meets Freaky Friday without the magic but lots of music

Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca

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Awhile back I found a reader copy by Rajani LaRocca called Mirror to Mirror. I was interested in it due to the diverse characters and the prose poetry format.  However, as I started reading (at lunch) it was going slowly, and I put it aside. I picked it up months later and was able to finish it finally. It was mostly worth the wait. I say mostly, as for me, there were a few bumps. I was not a fan of some characters, and a […]

I’m melting!

Harold the Iceberg Melts Down by Lisa Wyzlic

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CBR15Passport genre (learning about environmental issues with humor and fiction) Harold is a head of iceberg lettuce, who worries a lot. And when he learns about icebergs and how they are melting, well, Harold the Iceberg Melts Down. In the first book in a Harold the Iceberg series, Lisa Wyzlic takes the “worrying character” and makes them a head of lettuce who is a bit neurotic and honestly, a bit vain. They go through the environmental aspects of what is happening, his friends try and […]

Highly enjoyable and very cute

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

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CBR15 Passport Challenge: Books from different countries (the UK) Celine Bangura and Bradley “Brad” Graeme used to be best friends until Brad callously decided to ditch Celine and get with the popular crowd (this is Celine’s interpretation of past events, anyway). Now, every time they are near each other, they trade insults or compete academically. Their mothers are still best friends, though, which means they keep hearing glowing accounts of any accomplishment the other has achieved. One of Celine’s dreams is to become a lawyer, […]



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