Devon Holzwarth – Cannonball Read 17

She was for the birds

Birdlore: The Iridescent Life of Florence Merriam Bailey by Jess Keating

December 26, 2024 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Online reader copies have pretty much become the way that I read future publications as fewer physical reader copies are finding themselves in my hands. And one that I am glad I read, regardless of the format, is Birdlore: The Iridescent Life of Florence Merriam Bailey by Jess Keating and some far out illustrations by Devon Holzwarth. Due in mid-March 2025, I am excited to tell you about it so you can go to your local independent bookstore and pre order copies. Yes, copies. You […]

Rhythm and butterflies

A Flicker of Hope: A Story of Migration by Cynthia Harmony

Rhythm by Jackie Azua Kramer

May 31, 2023 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Perseverance in an interesting concept. And within the picture books A Flicker of Hope: A Story of Migration and Rhythm, we see two different ways of obtaining that. Both titles are due mid-February 2024 and were read via an online reader copy. Cynthia Harmony made a book that has the migration of not only monarchs, but people too, in A Flicker of Hope. When Lucia and her father notice that the monarch butterflies are getting ready for their trip North, they know the journey of […]

How do you listen?

Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion. by Shannon Stocker

May 12, 2023 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I will date myself and say when I was a kid there was a show called Punky Brewster. It was edgy for its time, and watching it today, I laugh at how Afterschool Special it was, but I still have found memories. And one of those was a woman, now I forget the actresses name, but she was deaf. In the story she was “just the janitor” and people thought her dumb because of her deafness. In the children’s music class, she was mimicking the […]

Show me a family

Papa, Daddy, & Riley by Seamus Kirst

My Maddy by Show

January 6, 2023 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

One thing that makes people think the GLBTQ community is “other” is that it does not “look normal” when it comes to families. However, that is a bunch of meadow muffins! Because as we learn in these two books, we see that parents and families can look like anything, as long as there is the love to hold it together. Families take on all sorts of shapes and sizes. I believe I have read and reviewed Papa, Daddy, & Riley before, but I had the […]

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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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