Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

What is happening?

The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell

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I’m not even sure where to start with this one. Typically, I would summarize the plot, but I’m not sure I know what happened. I may have fallen asleep and missed something, but I’ll give it a whirl – A quirky family of six live in a house. Their family seems to revolve around their Easter celebration, until one year, tragedy strikes. Mother and Father divorce. They split the house in two and Father moves next door. Mother invites her girlfriend and her child to […]

Sugar, Spice, and Things that go Bump in the Night

Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi

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Helen Oyeyemi is an expert in pulling back the cobwebs from the old trunk in the attic, shaking out the goods within, and daring you to take a good strong look. She weaves familiar fairly tales with Yoruba folktales, inter-generational family strife, and good old fashioned 21st century anxiety. In her most recent novel, Gingerbread, she leaves spicy breadcrumbs of Hansel and Gretel, the Gingerbread Man, and many other traditional tales. I was also strongly reminded of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Orsinian Tales. Oyeyemi’s characters present […]

Snow books to cozy up with

Snow Globe Wishes by Erin Dealey

Snow Much Fun! by Nancy Siscoe

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Regardless if it is snowing or not, this time of year I see and occasionally want to read, books about snow. And because it is that time of year, there are all types of books that fit the bill. But two new ones I found recently was, Snow Globe Wishes and Snow Much Fun! Both books are adorable looking but fell a little short for my personal enjoyment. However, I know that there are several people out there who are looking for these exact two […]

And I thought it odd when my classmates when to NJ to visit family

Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border by Mitali Perkins

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Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border is a contemporary story on several levels. Of course, it is first a Christmasstory. Maria, Juan and their mother are going to see their Grandmother. They take a long trip to see her. And they bring presents. And second, it is a story about a family that must be creative about how they deliver said gifts, as they are separated by the border, the fence and the Border Patrol. Yet, this is a happy story […]

Gone to the dogs

Antoinette by Kelly DiPucchio

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Antoinette is probably more a 2.5 than a three. There is something missing for me. Plus, the illustrations and I just are not meshing as I would have liked. Kelly DiPucchio is the author of the companion book Gaston as well as this one. If you do not know who Gaston is, that is fine. His story is told as needed to fit Antoinette’s story. However, you do not necessarily need to know who he was. But, of course, it does not hurt to have […]

Road trip

The Lost Cousins by B.B Cronin

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I found the hide-and-seek aspect a bit difficult in The Lost Cousins by B.B Cronin, therefore, this is more for the older child (5 to 8 or even older). However, it is suggested for slightly younger aged group. It will depend on the actual child and if there is adult help as well. Just announced as part of the NYT’s Best Illustrated Books of the Year 2019, it is described: “All great picture books make you see the world in a new way, but B.B. […]



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