Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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When Langston Found Langston

Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome

March 30, 2021 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome is an interesting look at the late 1940s, Chicago, growing up and literature that was way too short. I would have enjoyed more of the history of the time and seen a bigger connection to the two people called Langston. Still, I enjoyed what I read but, like I said, there needed to be more: more of the history of the times (Why were the black families moving north? Why were the soldiers were coming back? Even the fact that […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, History, Poetry, Religion, Young Adult Tagged With: African-American, Alabama, bullies, Chicago, Death, family, father and son, friends, grief, Langston Hughes, Lesa Cline-Ransome, loss

BlackRaven's CBR13 Review No:125 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, History, Poetry, Religion, Young Adult · Tags: African-American, Alabama, bullies, Chicago, Death, family, father and son, friends, grief, Langston Hughes, Lesa Cline-Ransome, loss ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Two books, one review and lots of love

Extraordinary Albert by Bonnie Grubman

The Boy in the Orange Cape by Adam Ciccio

March 12, 2021 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Both stories of this review are books that are about being different and acceptance. The execution and the endings are different, but their results are the same: both characters who are different are accepted, one by his peers and the other of himself. The Boy in the Orange Cape had intrigued me because I am thinking: Why is he wearing the cape? I looked at the cover, read the description and when the opportunity can to get a copy, I jumped on it. I will […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction Tagged With: acceptance, Adam Ciccio, being different, Bonnie Grubman, bullies, Emmanuel Volant, family, friendship, S. K. Y. van der Wel

BlackRaven's CBR13 Review No:112 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction · Tags: acceptance, Adam Ciccio, being different, Bonnie Grubman, bullies, Emmanuel Volant, family, friendship, S. K. Y. van der Wel ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

When the Bully is the Hero, the Girl is in love with a God and there are spaceships up your nose.

Animal Crackers by Gene Luen Yang

January 28, 2021 by BlackRaven 12 Comments

Gene Luen Yang can write the instructions to how to make a sandwich and I would read it. That does not mean I will love it, but I will always appreciate it. And Animal Crackers is in that category. I was not jumping up and down about it, and even with a second reading (although a bit of a quick one) and being able to put together a few more pieces I missed the first time, I still did not love this graphic novel. This […]

Filed Under: Comedy/Humor, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Religion, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Young Adult Tagged With: bullies, emotions, Feelings, Gene Luen Yang, Gods/Devils, heroes, life, Social Themes

BlackRaven's CBR13 Review No:52 · Genres: Comedy/Humor, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Religion, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Young Adult · Tags: bullies, emotions, Feelings, Gene Luen Yang, Gods/Devils, heroes, life, Social Themes ·
Rating:
· 12 Comments

Earth Girl Reads About Earth Boy

Earth Boy by Paul Tobin

January 4, 2021 by BlackRaven 2 Comments

While I would have liked a little more action in this graphic novel with the name, Earth Boy, this was a fun book that has an overall story that is packed with just enough to keep me reading. In fact, I just might reread it at some point and that is something I rarely do. Now, granted, there are several plot point or story arc holes, but that did not take away from the fact it was just (as said above) a fun story. Paul […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult Tagged With: adventure, bullies, friendship, Paul Tobin, school

BlackRaven's CBR13 Review No:1 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult · Tags: adventure, bullies, friendship, Paul Tobin, school ·
Rating:
· 2 Comments

If My Life Was a Story it would have a better sound track….

If This Were a Story by Beth Turley

August 20, 2019 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

#cbr11bingo #SummerRead If This Were a Story looks at anxiety within a modern setting. Perhaps the issues are too easily solved by the end of the book, but it is an over good first novel for the 8 to 10 crowd. Hannah is a pre-junior high student trying to deal with issues even the adults do not always understand: bullies, fighting parents, friends growing apart and school work. Her way of coping is to ignore much of what is going on, keeping her head down, […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Health Tagged With: Anxiety, Beth Turley, bullies, cbr11bingo, family, friends

BlackRaven's CBR11 Review No:324 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Health · Tags: Anxiety, Beth Turley, bullies, cbr11bingo, family, friends ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

You never conjure where you carve….whoops! Wrong Brave….

November 26, 2018 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

This year’s goal was to count every book I read (why a lot of picture book reviews) and to see if I can get to 500 books because of it. Due to the fact some books I could not write reviews for them, they did not make it here, but I am almost at 500. And one reason is Brave book two in the Berrybrook Middle School series by Svetlana Chmakova. While a stand-alone title, I recommend reading Awkward first. Brave is the trials of […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Young Adult Tagged With: bullies, diversity, middle school, Svetlana Chmakova

BlackRaven's CBR10 Review No:437 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Young Adult · Tags: bullies, diversity, middle school, Svetlana Chmakova ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
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