Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Family Dynamics

Our Wish for You: A Story About Open Adoption by Dano Moreno

Other Words for Nonno by Dave Cameron

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September 2023 had two interesting books come out. Of course, it had more than that, so I should say that 2023 had a lot of books come out and September 2023 had two of those that I read in 2024. They were found as I was cleaning up my online reader copies, which is going to take me well into 2024 to even dent, while I find new 2024s and will need to balance the two. However, I am glad I took the time to […]

Heavy emotions

The Heavy Bag: One Girl's Journey Through Grief (US Version) by Sarah Surgey

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Books about grief are not new, however, the tone of The Heavy Bag: One Girl’s Journey Through Grief (US Version) has a more European or “classical” feeling to it. This allows things to not be the “same old” we are used to. However, as it does say “US Version” in the title, it might have been adapted to a more American audience or possibly just translated into English (the French title is, Un sac très lourd). The more poetic nature of dealing with the issues […]

2024 is going to be a busy year

Our Nipa Hut: A Story in the Philippines by Rachell Abalos

I Am Both : A Vietnamese Refugee Story  by Kerisa Greene

Two Homes, One Heart  by Jessica Young

All About Color by Elizabeth Rusch

Of Words and Water: The Story of Wilma Dykeman—Writer, Historian, Environmentalist  by Shannon Hitchcock

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It is a picture book reviewing round up time! My theme is that of cultures. Of course we know the concept of “country and culture” but sometimes a culture can be something you do not immediately think of.  Yelena and Papa take care of their nipa hut and it takes care of them in Rachell Abalos’s picture book, Our Nipa Hut: A Story in the Philippines. Due in February 2024, I was lucky enough to have my book dealer send me a finished copy, as this is a book that needs […]

The Who What When Where Why and not How of crying

Sad Happens: A Celebration of Tears by Brandon Stosuy

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I will start my review of Sad Happens: A Celebration of Tears with that I did not read every person’s confession. And second, I was not even 40% into it before I knew what I wanted to say. So, no I have not finished it yet, but my review of four is a 3.7 rounded up and I hope it keeps the same pace. Now, this is despite not reading some of the longer ones, or if the person’s mini biography did not “grab me.” As I […]

Two rabbits and emotions

Uh-Oh! Rabbit by Jo Ham

 Yippee! Rabbit by Jo Ham

 Ups and Downs: A Book of Emotions  by Mike Wohnoutka

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If I could write a 250 worded review of the below books I would impress myself. However, since there are probably not even 250 words between them (including author, illustrator and text) I think I will combine them into a one review. All books were read via online reader copies and all due in September 2023. Uh-Oh! Rabbit by Jo Ham (I am assuming Jo Ham’s Rabbit is a series as I also read the total twenty word Yippee! Rabbit as well) is approximately half a dozen words […]

I challenge you to a duel

Duel by Jessixa Bagley

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I read several graphic novels recently with diverse, modern casts. One of them, Duel by Jessixa Bagley, left me with two things. The first was I was not sure about a couple characters. I read Duel via a physical reader copy and the images were not complete (some were sketches, not fully fleshed out and color was not added). Though  I was enjoying Aaron Bagley’s expressive artwork when we were able to see a larger image. There are hair-raising moments, images of the fencing, the […]



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