Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“Love is sharing your popcorn.” —Charles Schultz

A Salwar Kameez for Ambika by Arti Pandey

Samina Goes to a Wedding: Celebrations from a Bangladeshi Marriage by Farida Zaman

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Somedays I think I must be one of the top 100 romantic skeptics. I mean, I love a good happily ever after, but I’m also the person who, when I see a public proposal, I’m the one saying, “Just say no! But if you do, get a good prenup!”  So when I recently found two picture books about weddings as online reader copies, I almost passed them by. I mean, I’m all for a wedding (I mean let me eat cake) but reading about them? […]

Dance like your ancestors are watching

I Am a Bon Dancer by Brandi-Ann Uyemura

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Recently I noticed that I have been reading a lot of titles that are similar to each other, be it the theme or the way it is presented. Therefore, I was hoping to find a few new themes or at least new ways of presenting them. In I Am a Bon Dancer, by Brandi-Ann Uyemura and Amy Matsushita-Beal (the lovely illustrations creator) the dance itself is a new way of presenting an old theme, but the idea of family and trying your best has been […]

Misfortunes is an understatement

The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang  by Stan Yan 

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TITLE:  The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang AUTHOR / ILLUSTROR Stan Yan Read via an advanced reader copy DUE September/late October 2025    Review: This is an interesting coming of age story with a potential supernatural element. I mean potential because is a ghost really talking to Eugenia, or is it just a normal fear manifesting itself? There are modern pieces that are mixed with the tradition of a Chinese family. And as Eugenia starts to become a teenager, she questions some of her mothers […]

Yo-Yo means: Come back

Pedro's Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys by Rob Peñas

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Who invented the yo-yo? Well, that I can’t tell you, but what I can tell you is that a Filipino immigrant helped make it one of the most popular toys of not just its time, but even today. Born in 1896, Pedro Flores was a young man from the Philippines. He would work hard under the conditions of events of the  time. When he was finally allowed to leave the country, he found his way to America. But it was not an American Dream right […]

Ching Ming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day

Clear and Bright: A Ching Ming Festival Story by Teresa Robeson and William Low

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Clear and Bright: A Ching Ming Festival Story by Teresa Robeson and illustrated by William Low is currently available, but I read via an online reader copy. This book is a nice book on diversity. It is a fun read, not a WOOW BEST BOOK EVER (or WBBE) but it has a lot of great points. We learn about the Ching Ming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day. We see how a family passes down their traditions to the next generation. As the publisher’s description says, our […]

Yeah, I’d read it again

Continental Drifter by Kathy MacLeod

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Honestly, there are not many surprises in Continental Drifter by Kathy MacLeod. Granted, there might be a few “oh didn’t expect that to go exactly that way,” but for the most part, you know where our narrator is going and how things will probably turn out. Yet, it is an enjoyable read for the adult reader and the pre-teen/early teen will experience it new. We follow Kathy’s (based on the author’s own experiences) story as family, friendship and belonging all come together. This makes a […]



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