Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Freshly squished (from frozen)

The Lemonade War Book 1 by Jacqueline Davies

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While reading The Lemonade War Book 1 by Jacqueline Davies I did not think I would write it up here. It came out in the early 2000s. How could it still be relevant? Wouldn’t everyone have already read it? Therefore, I didn’t make arrangements to post. Then I was sitting at my work desk (a few days after finishing) and it had been mixing itself inside me, like mixing bugs and lemonade. Or: it was not sitting right. Why not talk about an almost 25 […]

One for Pride, both for romance

Amy's Big Brother by BonHyung Jeong

Carousel Summer by Kathleen Gros

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Amy’s Big Brother by BonHyung Jeong and Carousel Summer by Kathleen Gros are two recent graphic novels I read for the middle school aged (10 to 14) reader. Amy’s Big Brother was read via an online reader copy (though it is currently available) and Carousel Summer was read via a finished copy.  Both stories are similar with their interesting stories of siblings, middle school, and life lessons, but also tackle different things, too. One of those is that while they both have a love interest […]

“We’re all born naked and the rest is drag” (RuPaul) And this novel SLAYS

Donutella Hamachi and the Library Avengers by Kim Chi, Stephan Lee, and Utomaru

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The novel/part graphic novel or novel with several illustrations that make up the narrator’s special world in Donutella Hamachi and the Library Avengers started out strong. Then Kim Chi, Stephan Lee, and Utomaru’s story started to drag. Pun intended. But in all seriousness, I was just as upset as the kids when I learned that the DragQueen story hour (that I had never seen/had been canceled before the book started) had been Karen-cancelled. I was rooting for Jae Han and their friends to find themselves, […]

You’re Watching Disney Channel

Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire by Ashley Spencer

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Disney Channel’s children’s TV shows were a major cultural touchpoint during the 2000s, with hit TV shows like Hannah Montana and movies like High School Musical, which is all the more impressive considering that it was practically built from the ground up starting in the late 1990s. It’s hard to overstate the ubiquity of the Disney Channel’s children shows during the 2000s. I never watched these shows because my parents were exceeding suspicious of non-cartoon children’s entertainment when I was a child (I watched High School Musical for […]

Frankie is the Gal with the Pals!

Frankie and Friends: The Big Protest by Christine Platt

Frankie and Friends: The Lost Tooth by Christine Platt

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One of the main things I like about Frankie and Friends: The Big Protest by Christine Platt is that things are presented in a kid friendly way. By using the journalistic approach (which is described) we are able to see how such things as “big news” is carried out. And this accessible language (with a glossary of the highlighted words) allows us as kids (aged six/seven to read to, eight/nine to read solo) and adults to have a neat read and learn about not only […]

Finance Bro Mass Delusion

The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates, and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend by Rob Copeland

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Ray Dalio became globally famous as the head of an innovative hedge fund and his Principles, which he purported would lead to inevitable success when followed. But behind the scenes at Bridgewater Associates was a bizarre, dysfunctional workplace culture. I vaguely remember hearing about the utter weirdness of Bridgewater Associates before, but Wall Street is not really an area of interest for me. I picked this book up though because of this review by J, which whetted my appetite with promises of crazy workplace drama […]



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