Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Finding Home

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

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If you want a really tough read, and not just because of the theme, then pick up As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh. None of the difficulties I had with this book comes from the story or even technically the writing itself. However, my issues were that the beginning is slow. There is a lot of build up, taking what feels like forever to “get to the point.” The author, like her main characters, are terrible flirts (as in they like […]

Ching Ming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day

Clear and Bright: A Ching Ming Festival Story by Teresa Robeson and William Low

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Clear and Bright: A Ching Ming Festival Story by Teresa Robeson and illustrated by William Low is currently available, but I read via an online reader copy. This book is a nice book on diversity. It is a fun read, not a WOOW BEST BOOK EVER (or WBBE) but it has a lot of great points. We learn about the Ching Ming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day. We see how a family passes down their traditions to the next generation. As the publisher’s description says, our […]

I really got into Leila Boukarim books!

Mariam’s Dream: The Story of Mariam Al-Shaar and Her Food Truck of Hope by Leila Boukarim

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Leila Boukarim’s Mariam’s Dream: The Story of Mariam Al-Shaar and Her Food Truck of Hope is not a biography about a “woman done good.” Or an Arab woman “done good” or even an Arab refugee woman “done good.” It is all those things and much more. It shows that even if you were born into a situation where all you knew was being a refugee or if you have many obstacles to overcome, you can make your dream come true. Of course, that is a […]

You know, they are not just strolling in on a whim right?

Unaccompanied: Stories of Brave Teenagers Seeking Asylum by Tracy White

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Education, CBR17 Pie Chart Challenge I have wanted to read all of the Street Noise (the publishers) graphic novels (they only do graphic novels, so that’s redundant…). Anyways, I have wanted to read Unaccompanied: Stories of Brave Teenagers Seeking Asylum by Tracy White since I learned it was going to be published. But something always got in the way of actually reading. I figured maybe it wasn’t something I was going to read, but that was okay. I mean you can’t read them all…. Then […]

Forced to leave home

Wings to Soar by Tina Athaide

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Diversity CBR17 Pie Chart Challenge April is Poetry Month. Therefore in March I decided to find a few books of poetry or novels that were prose poetry. And one of them was Wings to Soar by Tina Athaide. Currently available, I read it via an online reader copy. I do not think I will purchase copies for myself, but I think anyone who is interested in refugees, women authors or places we do not normally read about, this is the book for you. Aimed at […]

No matter how they look, a sister is a sister

My Sister the Apple Tree by Jordan Scott, Jamal Saeed, and Zahra Marwan

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Diversity  CBR17 Pie Chart Challenge My Sister the Apple Tree by Jordan Scott, Jamal Saeed, and Zahra Marwan is due this fall (September 2025). I was able to read it via an online reader copy. Now, I know I probably won’t be purchasing a finished copy for myself, but this book is a very contemporary themed picture book that is good for the older reader and should be read.  A young child starts their story with the birth of twin goats. They are envious that […]



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