Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Familiar theme, new story

Tales from the Craft Box V02  Emily Was SO Embarrassed by Michelle Olson

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You never know who will pop up and ask you to “read their book” when you are in the book business. Now, many self published authors or small press publishers are not always worth the time, but once in a while you find a small author and/or press that is. And when I was asked by the author Michelle Olson to read their newest book Tales from the Craft Box V02  Emily Was SO Embarrassed, yes I was a little skeptical. However, I also have […]

That feeling

Saudade: Our Longing for Brazil, by Ana Crespo and André Ceolin

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Older books are just as good as a current book or a future publication book. Because, Hello … BOOK! Books are things we long for! Hope for! Need! Now, I am not sure if it fits the definition of saudade (a word that has no real direct to English translation, but basically means “an intense longing for something or someone.”) What is saudade, is the mothers feeling in the story Saudade: Our Longing for Brazil, for the things she left behind in Brazil. Ana Crespo, […]

A girl and her dog learn what loves got to do with it

What's Love All About, Minimoni? by Rocio Bonilla

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While What’s Love All About, Minimoni?, written and illustrated by Rocio Bonilla, is a bit idealistic, it is also cute. When a young girl asks about what love is, she has a mature journey to finding it. What she learns is what many adults do not even realize: Love is a little bit of everything that is good. And she can imagine sharing that with the world. As I said, it is a bit idealistic, but it does have some silly moments, too. This means […]

Finding Happy

The Happy Shop by Brittany Long Olsen

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The Happy Shop by Brittany Long Olsen was a book I had on my TBR for awhile now. I didn’t know what to expect, except it was a graphic novel and would have some type of magic in it. And in the short run, that is what it is all about: A girl finds a magical shop, magical things happen, she makes magical friends. Yet, there is a bit more. It is about how and why the girl is in need of a magical shop. […]

Old idea, new presentation

Papilio by Ben Clanton, Andy Chou Musser and Corey R. Tabor

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The concept of coming of age is told through the eyes of a butterfly in Papilio. Ben Clanton, Andy Chou Musser, and Corey R. Tabor created a unique read (the coming of age concept) but still is a book about a butterfly and its life cycle. We follow Papilio from the changes they have from egg to a falling (though feels like flying) caterpillar, to an actual flying butterfly. Told in three “chapters” these sections show us the stages of going from caterpillar, to caterpillar […]

Told in English and Chinese

Grandpa’s Magic Mask: A Story of Growth and Bravery in English and Chinese by Siping Wu

A House Just for Mommy: A Bedtime Story Told in English and Chinese by Dayong Gan

The Boy, the Deer, and the King: A Legend Retold in English and Chinese by Xiaochun Tang

Little Malan’s Debut: A Story of Courage Told in English and Chinese by Lumin Qian

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I do not speak a second language. As an adult, I regret not working harder on that, but I take solace in the fact that there are bilingual books out there and I can read the English part and admire the second language. Usually this is French or Spanish, but I have noticed that Chinese is taking its place. I’m not sure if the Chinese in these four books is Mandarin or Cantonese, so please let me know if you know! All will be available […]



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