Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Bash, shindig or a party it’s all the same to Violet: Scary

Violet Shrink by Christine Baldacchino

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Using it for my Color Violet h cbr12bingo spot! Who has not been a little nervous about a party? Well Violet Shrink is so nervous she gets downright sick to her tummy and just is not a happy gal. And even when her father tries to cover it up by calling them “a bash” or “shindig” in the end it is still a party. And like celery in her soup, Violet does not like parties. This is a book about kids and their anxiety and speaking […]

If Neruda could write about an onion, my poems are not that out there….

Ode to an Onion: Pablo Neruda and His Muse by Alexandria Giardino

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While Ode to an Onion: Pablo Neruda and His Muse might not be my favorite book of all time, it is one of the first book in a while that I have truly loved. A book that I felt in my gut. I got engrossed in this book in a way I have not in some time. And it is “only” a picture book and not some “thoughtful novel.” It is a thoughtful picture book. The prose of Alexandria Giardino is a poem as it […]

People needing People who are People, too

The World Needs More Purple Pepole by Kristen Bell

You Matter by Christian Robinson

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Current events have made people want books on race, being open and being different. Two books that are going to be big sellers from these categories are Kristen Bell’s The World Needs More Purple People and You Matter by Christian Robinson. Bell’s book is a “celebrity book” (in other words a bit indulgent). Yet there is a nice message to it. And, while it is a bit obvious what the point is and where it is going, it is not overly preachy. It just “is […]

Read a little story with me

Your Turn, Adrian by Helena Oberg

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Teachers, I think this might be a book for you. It is aimed at the child reader, but I am not sure a kid would appreciate all the subtleness.  Your Turn, Adrian has a story that is simple. All ages can read but the concept is deep. There are illustrations that tell the main story by giving the ambiance of the time, place, people and of course, the main character. While I cannot think of who I could recommend it to, I feel people need […]

All For One and One for All…and a Baton Twirl to seal the deal

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

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I read Kate DiCamillo’s Three Rancheros series out of order. I read Louisiana’s Way Home a few years back and just finished Raymie Nightingale yesterday afternoon. You can read them out of sequence, but it helps a little to know what happened in Raymie’s world first. Because of this order of reading, I think Louisiana’s story was stronger. Maybe it was because I was introduced to her first, or maybe because I have heard Raymie’s story before: the father leaves his family for another woman. […]

It’s Actually Almost over, but still a fun book to read

Almost Time by Gary D. Schmidt

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Growing up in Vermont you know Maple Syrup from a young age. If your school did not take you on at least one trip to a family who ran sap lines, collected and boiled the sap, you probably where not in Vermont. Maple Sugar Candy is a favorite of mine. As a kid I would eat it until I was sick. Many people love that rich sticky syrup (pancakes and French toast are recommended but snow is good too. Helps makes a molasses like candy). […]



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