Central & South America – Cannonball Read 17

Grecia the toucan Can!

Building a Beak: How a Toucan's Rescue Inspired the World by Becca McMurdie

February 13, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

We can have artificial intelligence, limbs, and more for humans and we can even have a 3-D printed beak for a toucan. Don’t believe me? Then read all about it in Building a Beak: How a Toucan’s Rescue Inspired the World by Becca McMurdie and illustrated by Diana Hernández due in June 2025. (I had the opportunity to read it via an online reader copy). Not to spoil things, but I will say that how a toucan got a life saving “nose job” is probably […]

Lining up History

Lady of the Lines: How Maria Reiche Saved the Nazca Lines by Sweeping the Desert by Michaela Maccoll and Elisa Chavarri

February 10, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Lady of the Lines: How Maria Reiche Saved the Nazca Lines by Sweeping the Desert by Michaela Maccoll and illustrated by Elisa Chavarri has the privilege of being one of my favorite books of 2025 so far. Due in April 2025 (I read via an online reader copy) I hope you run out and preorder it at your local independent bookstore, buy copies for all the kids (and adults) you know, for town and school libraries, not to mention for the tiny free libraries on […]

“Mesmerizing illustrations combine with poetic text”— School Library Journal

Ancient Night by David Bowels

March 17, 2023 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

CBR15Passport New Author Two Nahuatl traditions are given a new twist in Ancient Night. But I was not aware of that until after finishing it. I was assuming when I picked up this picture book (and that was because the cover was intriguing) it would be an adaptation of a folk tale, but not which people. And I came away with thinking, “Oh, well, that’s nice. Different. Do I like it?” This is not a onetime read or a book to read quickly. I did […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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