Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Culture has many forms

The Runaway Pancake by Tiny Fisscher

Sleep Here, Wake There by Caio Zero

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cbr17bingo Culture (Runaway Pancake) and Work (Sleep Here, Wake There) When you are a reader of the children’s genre you find all types of books. One of my favorites are picture books as they are fun, unique and quick reads. Still, they can have deep messages and/or be quirky and fun.  The Runaway Pancake by Tiny Fisscher and illustrated by Sophie Pluim (currently available but read via an online reader copy) (CULTURE) is a fun and quirky one with a  fun take on the Gingerbread […]

Whisper Sweet Nothings About Chopin All Day Long

The Unforgivable and Other Writings by Cristina Campo

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This collection of short stories was the product of an unusual author.  Campo, born in Italy in 1923, had been a sickly child (heart condition) and grew up secluded by her wealthy family in a villa in Tuscany.  In the 1960s, she moved to Rome, and lived in a convent for long periods of time until her untimely death in 1977. Some of her earlier work borders a little too closely to twee for my taste, and I do not share her enthusiasm for Catholic […]

Dusty town It’s a busy village Every day Like the one before Little town Full of little people Wanting to say, WHERE THE F IS SUNDAY?

The Lost Sunday by Iléana Surducan

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I won’t say a lot about the themes or story of The Lost Sunday by Iléana Surducan as it is pretty traditional. There are fairy tale tropes, the ideas are what you would expect for an Odyssey like journey of a young girl to the witches lair. The illustrations are amusing, cute, clever, simple and detailed simultaneously. There are good colors to them, without being too bold or too muted. They are supportive of the story. There are not a lot of surprises for big […]

Based on a Japanese folktale

The Beckoning Cat by Koko Nishizuka and Rosanne Litzinger

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The cover of the online version of The Beckoning Cat by Koko Nishizuka and Rosanne Litzinger (illustrator) was what caught my attention. This white cat jumped off the screen and meowed “look at my colors, my odd grin and you know you want to read me.” I debated laying down as I was at work and a talking computer screen was more than I was ready for. But I went to get some air and read it a bit later. I would love to give […]

If The Librarians met the Night at the Museum

The Night Librarian: A Graphic Novel by Christopher Lincoln

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If The Librarians television series met the movie The Night at the Museum you would have The Night Librarian: A Graphic Novel by Christopher Lincoln. Realism, fantasy and literature literally come to life on the pages of this middle grade graphic novel.  While I liked and enjoyed it, I was not “wowed.” Things are familiar (sibling issues, issues with absent parents, really expensive and rare editions of Dracula), and it is just a fun story about stories, siblings, family, communication, being appreciated. We have read […]

Daddy Death

Godfather Death by Sally Nicholls, Julia Sarda

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“Godfather Death” is an interesting fairy tale to produce for children. It’s very emotionally mature with an adult character at its center. A poor fisherman seeks out the “most honest man” to be his child’s godfather. He turns down God (God is too fickle), he turns down the Devil (for obvious reasons), but when he meets Death, he realizes Death is the most honest man, for he sticks to his duty no matter how rich or poor his victim. Death gives the father a gift […]



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