Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“Monsters are easier to fight when you’ve got people on your side.”

Dungeons and Dragons: Dungeon Club: Roll Call by Molly Knox Ostertag and Xanthe Bouma

by 2 Comments

I honestly don’t remember pre-ordering this, but I’m glad I did! The magic of a book showing up like a little unexpected gift in my mailbox never gets old. Dungeons and Dragons: Dungeon Club: Roll Call has an unwieldy title but is a sweet middle grade graphic novel about using D&D and the power of imagination to build friendships and overcome fears. Olivia and Jess are best friends who love playing D&D together, but when Olivia decides to start a D&D club at school and […]

Be a Duck and go with the flow

Slug Days Stories V03 Duck Days by Sara Leach

by Leave a Comment

Slug Days Stories V03 Duck Days might be the third in the series but is a slightly standalone story. However, it would probably be best to read the others first. Sara Leach created a modern story about a girl on the Autism spectrum. Lauren tells her story about being a third grader, her best friend Irma, learning about how friendships have many forms and what it means to be brave. The tone of the story is classic, even slightly old fashioned, but is still set […]

When Zafera was Zafera

The Dirt Girl by Jodi Dee

by Leave a Comment

The Dirt Girl by Jodi Dee seems familiar.  Maybe I have read it before, or maybe it is just a familiar subject. Either way this book is a solid three as I was not blown away by it, but it was also comfortably enjoyable. When Zafera goes to school for the first time, the children tease her. She is the definition of a “Wild Child of Nature.” Ladybugs and twigs in her hair, dirt on her face and dress. OF course, different means “bad” and […]

A Perfect Book

The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty

by 6 Comments

Most of us have heard of Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies), but did you know she has a sister who writes perfect YA and middle-grade novels? You haven’t? Well, I’m not surprised, because no one I’ve talked to has ever read any of Jaclyn Moriarty’s Australian school YA novels (The Year of Secret Assignments, Feeling Sorry For Celia, etc) or her fantasy novels (The Colors of Madeline series and others). But I am here as a lone voice in the book wilderness, having just read another […]

Two days that changed it all.

The Way I Say I by Nancy Tandon

by Leave a Comment

The Way I Say It is an old school feeling story with a modern take. The entire time I was reading I was thinking, “This is so 1980s!” I felt that while the issues being discussed in this book by Nancy Tandon, they were terribly tame by today’s standards. It almost felt like I had read this book back when I was between the ages of 8 and 12. Yet, dealing with a speech issue, brain injury and friendship woes is timeless at the same […]

A really sweet and heart-warming comic about gay teens

Heartstopper, vol 1 by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper, vol 2 by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper, vol 3 by Alice Oseman

by 1 Comment

Heartstopper, vol 1: 4.5 stars Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more…?   Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn’t been too great, but at least he’s not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He’s heard a little about Charlie – the kid who was […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo