Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Appetizing

Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods by Grace Lin

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Officially I have not finished Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods by Grace Lin. Not because it is a bad book, or because it is a hard read, but because it is actually a good collection of stories that you need to take your  time with. Lin takes myths, legends, some truths, historical facts and creative license and tells us the story of the menu of Chinese culture. I have only gotten  little over half way through, but want to […]

The year 2025 is going to be busy with fun new books

The Three-Year Tumble: Based on a Korean Folktale by Dayeon Auh

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The Three-Year Tumble: Based on a Korean Folktale by Dayeon Auh and translated by Tim Mohr was read via an online reader copy as it is not due until mid-late March 2025. And I was unaware of this until after I read it and really liked it. But it is worth the wait. Auh’s story is a clever story about how we see things and how our attitude can shape that. The story follows a grandfather who must go over a mountain to get to […]

The WOW factor

The Crane Girl by Curtis Manley

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OMG! Times Ten!  That is how I felt after I read The Crane Girl by Curtis Manley and illustrated by Lin Wang. Though available, I read via an online reader copy and I plan on finding a finished copy as you need to hold this book, I think, to get the entire picture. The story is dense and deep. We find Manley adapted the Crane Girl/Wife story to fit their needed goals. Still, it feels as if this was a true interpretation of the legend. […]

A special cup of tea

The Amazing Leaf in the Cup: A Tale of Tea Retold in English and Chinese by Yiping Wei

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It is probably a copout to just copy and paste the publisher’s description of The Amazing Leaf in the Cup: A Tale of Tea Retold in English and Chinese by Yiping Wei. However, I’ll summarize it “a man, named Ding Xian, has qualified for the imperial examinations. In his travels, he passes through Wuyi Mountain, where he meets a monk that helps him by giving him a drink that restores his energy. It is just hot water and leaves, but makes an impact on the […]

History is not only about the past.

Obaasan's Boots by Janis Bridger and Lara Jean Okihiro

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It took me months to read Obaasan’s Boots by Janis Bridger and Lara Jean Okihiro because I was reading it via an online reader copy at lunch and when I could sneak it in on my phone (which was not as often as I’d like as there was always something else to read or do when there). This long time reading probably affected the biggest issue I had which was, I was not always sure which cousin was who. Charlotte and Lou are marked by […]

Talking wordy to you

Maddie and Mabel by Kari Allen

The Magical Clay Doll : A Legend Retold in English and Chinese by Ning Sun

Maribel’s Year by Michelle Sterling

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Picture book round-up with a family and friendship theme attached to them! All titles are currently available but were read via an online reader copy. I like how the publisher copy of Maddie and Mabel by Kari Allen describes our young sisters, “two spunky sisters who navigate their relationship with humor and heart.” There is heart, some humor and a lot of spunk, but not everything is for everyone. The dynamic between the siblings is old fashioned, but is not dated. If you have a […]



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