Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Three might be company, but four is one too many

Just Jamie by Terri Libenson

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Terri Libenson has several middle-school novels in her Emmie & Friends series. First we saw Invisible Emmie, then Positively Izzy and now we have Just Jamie. And while each book ties into the others, each is a standalone story as well. Done in a slightly nontraditional graphic novel format, Libenson creates a slightly idealistic (things are wrapped up nicely, certain convenient events happen to move the story along) but also a realistic view of Middle School. Jamie has her group of friends. Three of them […]

Stay up all night reading about The Nocturnals!

The Chestnut Challenge by Tracey Hecht

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I read another one of the Nocturnals series last year. It was at a lower level than this one, but the type of story and flow of the story are the same. The Chestnut Challenge is Tracey Hecht’s attempt at doing a moral story about cheating. While the theme of to be a winner one does not cheat and to have fun when playing a game has been done before, this is a good addition. The great part of the fact that there are higher […]

“It’s amazing how few words a person can get by with.”

After Zero by Christina Collins

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Elise grew up as the home-schooled daughter of a single mother and has recently transitioned to public school for her eighth grade year. Theirs is a solitary existence – her mother rarely leaves the house, working as a professor for online math classes, struggling with bouts of depression since the death of her husband on the day of Elise’s birth. Elise deals with the solitude, and these days it has actually been helpful: for quickly after starting the school year, Elise made it a goal […]

Proudly Perfectly Peculiar

The Peculiar Possum by Tracey Hecht

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The Peculiar Possum is one of a series. I do not know which number but know that there are several in the older easy reader level (I would say ages high first up to medium second grade), as well as a few novels for (according to Amazon aged 7 to 12. But not having read them, I am unsure if this is correct. I find their ages tend to be a bit on the young side, to be honest). The premise of this one is […]

It’s hard to become homecoming queen when you can’t even leave your house

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From Goodreads, as I’m once again reviewing books from over a month ago: Mallory hasn’t left the house in sixty-seven days–since the day her dad left. She attends her classes via webcam, rarely leaves her room (much to her brother’s chagrin), and spends most of her time watching The X-Files or chatting with the always obnoxious BeamMeUp on New Mexico’s premier alien message board. But when she’s shockingly nominated for homecoming queen, her life takes a surprising turn. She slowly begins to open up to the world outside. And […]

Pirriwee Public School holds a killer Trivia Night Fundraiser

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Prior to reading Big Little Lies, I had never read a Liane Moriarty novel before.  But, I have to say, it was pretty good.  It was a quick, engaging read but not empty fluff like quick reads can often be. I will say though that after the first chapter, I was worried that it was going to be empty fluff.  I mean, the name of the school is Pirriwee Public School and while I know elementary schools are often given twee names, that’s an awfully twee […]



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