Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

I’m so excited and I…. gotta sit down and read books

Loveykins by Quentin Blake

Pavlo Get the Grumps by Natalia Shaloshvili

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CBR16SweetBooks #Exciting To get me excited over a book there has to be something about it that just grabs me. And of course, that does not mean it works out in the end but some times it does. The covers of these two picture books fit that bill of they “grabbed me” and got me excited. The first is about a bird that is from its cover, a crossed-eyed, awkward looking chap (think Quentin Blake illustrations as it is by Blake). And the second is about a cat that just […]

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 […]

Talking wordy to you

Maddie and Mabel by Kari Allen

The Magical Clay Doll : A Legend Retold in English and Chinese by Ning Sun

Maribel’s Year by Michelle Sterling

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Picture book round-up with a family and friendship theme attached to them! All titles are currently available but were read via an online reader copy. I like how the publisher copy of Maddie and Mabel by Kari Allen describes our young sisters, “two spunky sisters who navigate their relationship with humor and heart.” There is heart, some humor and a lot of spunk, but not everything is for everyone. The dynamic between the siblings is old fashioned, but is not dated. If you have a […]

I am The Best! At what, not sure yet…..

Getting Dizzy by Shea Fontana

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I was surprised at the graphic novel, Getting Dizzy. I expected it to be “whiny” and young. However, while it deals with teen angst and the “good enough/not good enough” trope, the not-so-super-superhero story was  not overly cliché. The ending was a tad rushed, the mother a bit too forgiving, but overall it was a pleasant read. The aged 10 to 13-young 14 will enjoy it.  Shea Fontana has a diverse cast, and while there is a “love interest” he, or that potential storyline, is […]



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