Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Topsy turvy and then some

The Flip Side: A Graphic Novel by Jason Walz

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The Flip Side: A Graphic Novel is an unusual book that has all the feelings, but not the ones you might think of at first. They are the ones that we can share simultaneously, but at the same time, each of us have our own way of dealing with them. The first is grief and the second fear. Jason Walz shows us this through the eyes of two main characters. One, a boy who lost his best friend to (assuming) cancer (or other similar illness), […]

Songs of Grandfather

Cassi and the House of Memories: A Graphic Novel by Dean Stuart

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Sometimes I see a book and say to myself that it looks good, but for some reason say no thank you to actually reading. Then things happen and it keeps coming back to my attention. And finally one day I will say FINE I will read you. Sometimes I regret doing that, sometimes I do not. I am not sure how I feel about Cassi and the House of Memories: A Graphic Novel by Dean Stuart. This book is an emotional fantastical journey of a […]

When someone is that calm in a crisis, either they don’t know what’s happening, or you don’t.

The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley

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Suffering doesn’t make people good or noble. A little bit gives them perspective. A lot turns them cruel, and too much – you get a murder or a marvel, and neither of those are really people any more. ― Natasha Pulley, The Hymn to Dionysus His duty was hurting him, and this is the medicine, and the only reason you think that’s unreasonable is that your duty has hurt you much more, there never was medicine for you, and you don’t see why other people […]

Mom’s ups and downs

My Mom Is Like a Kite by Lisl H. Detlefsen

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While mental health issue stories are not new, even in children’s books, Lisl H. Detlefsen makes a fresh and creative work in My Mom Is Like a Kite. I assumed that the Mom in question would probably have highs and lows, but I did not expect them to be as serious as they are. I assumed this would be a lighthearted story about feelings, one that says even adults are happy, sad, scared, etc. You know, real emotions. This is partly because Nathalie Dion’s illustrations […]

While looks easy, there is a lot packed it and not all of it is nice, but worth the read

Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand and Tara Anand

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Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand and Tara Anand has several potential triggers. They include (but are not limited to): self-harm, alcohol consumption, sexual context, suicidal thoughts, bullying, mental health, suicide attempt, and cultural situations/responses. Despite the issues, or maybe because of them, this is actually a fantastic story about how mental health is “hidden” even when it is right in front of you. The idea of being the “perfect Indian girl”, the idea of the “favorite son,” the idea of family and honor, and more, […]

Where is the win for Winifred?

The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle

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The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle has been on my TBR for ages. And while I am giving the book a four (due to averaging out all the pieces), I was not loving it as much as I hoped. You see, I built it up a bit too much and therefore, of course it couldn’t live up to my expectations. Still, if I had come at it fresh or as a teen (at least a strong 10 and up, but more likely 12/13 and […]



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