Charly Palmer – Cannonball Read 17

The courage to sing

Songbird in the Light: A Picture Book by Billy Porter and Chris Clarkson

October 29, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Access to online readers is not really an issue for me if I play around with my work computer. However, I am not able to access all that I do wish to read. Thankfully I had access to Songbird in the Light: A Picture Book by Billy Porter and Chris Clarkson. This March 2026 picture book talks about the life and times of performer Billy Porter in a roundabout way. We do not do a deep dive, but we get the overall picture of someone […]

Lunch was less than satisfyingly, but these picture books made up for it

Here Comes Ocean by Meg Fleming

My Rainy Day Rocket Ship by Markette Sheppard

Hurry Up!: A Book About Slowing Down by Kate Dopirak

Smashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman

The Ocean in Your Bathtub by Seth Fishman

Meet the Latkes by Alan Silberberg

December 22, 2020 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I was sitting at lunch, eating something not that great tasting (but when you forget your lunch and the owner provides food, you know beggars can’t be choosey), I decided to distract myself with some quick picture book reading. And I found six titles that By George the III! Are pretty darn good. Each of these is a Third or a 3 rating. Not OMG but books I will gladly recommend and might just read a second time. Here Comes Ocean by Meg Fleming (author) […]

Mama Africa!

February 22, 2018 by BlackRaven 2 Comments

I have enjoyed the few things I have read by Kathryn Erskine. And Mama Africa does not disappoint either. Who was Miriam Makeba? Probably few people can answer that. I know I could not before reading Mama Africa!: How Miriam Makeba Spread Hope with Her Song. She was a singer who was like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald and sang protest songs. She was a woman like Nelson Mandela and helped lead her people to freedom. She was a fighter. She was an activist. She […]

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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