Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene don’t stop helping the bees, hunny!

Green Jolene and the Backyard Bees by Wendy Mass

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Green Jolene and the Backyard Bees is written by an author I have enjoyed reading over the years. This author is Wendy Mass. And while they have had a few different ages and have written a few different genres, their more realistic stories are fun. And when Mass collaborates with illustrator Billy Yong you get an interesting combination of realistic story, art and modern feelings. Yet, there is also a classical, family friendly feeling as well. This mixture works for today’s readers aged at least […]

She made sure it was not a silent night

Rachel Carson's Wonder-Filled World : How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover Changed the Environmental Movement by Kate Hannigan

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This poetic biography of Rachel Carson covers the basic facts, but also gives a romantic twist to how her personality, adventures and contributions were. There are multiple sections where the five senses come into play and we learn what she sees, hears, smells, feels, and tastes. They could be literal but mostly metaphorical.  Rachel Carson’s Wonder-Filled World : How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover Changed the Environmental Movement by Kate Hannigan and illustrated by Katie Hickey (which I read via an online reader copy […]

Lining up History

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

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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 […]

The plight of bees done poetically

Milk Without Honey by Hanna Harms

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Milk Without Honey by Hanna Harms (translated by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp and Sarah Wyndham Lewis doing the foreword) is a clever, poetic look at the loss of the pollinator, especially the honeybee. The author’s illustrations are both a bit realistic but also interestingly abstract. The use of the color yellow, as well as black and white, is important. The overall feel is the content is for anyone, but the way it is presented might not be for everyone. However, it is for the strong teen […]

Free Spirit Publishing has some neat books

Thank You, Night by Dan McCauley

Thank You, Rain by Dan McCauley

B Is for Belonging by Shannon Anderson

Hello, Beech Tree! by Rasha Hamid

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A while back I saw two online reader copies that had intriguing covers (or thumbnails of the cover as it was only a small image). I liked them, but figured I knew what they were about by judging the cover. Thank You, Night and Thank You, Rain looked like they would be nice father and child stories. One set at night and one set in/around a rainy day. And I was not wrong. (Yes, I read them eventually.) They had more to them than those […]

How the plastic took a swim in the ocean

Marina: A Story About Plastic and the Planet by Jesse Byrd

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Marina: A Story About Plastic and the Planet written by Jesse Byrd and cutely illustrated by Andressa Meissner is a story about how our plastic use has consequences for the planet and ourselves. The story itself is short: Marina’s mother always packs a sandwich in plastic, with her name on it. Marina tosses the plastic when she is done. But one day a gust of wind takes the plastic on the very uncool adventure of going through the ocean and to the beach where Marina […]



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