Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“You can’t run away from who you are, but what you can do is run toward who you want to be.”

Ghost by Jason Reynolds

Patina by Jason Reynolds

Sunny by Jason Reynolds

Lu by Jason Reynolds

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CBR11 Bingo — And so it begins. I’ve desperately been trying to get my kids to read this summer. But in between camps, and summer classes, and the never-ending monster that is swim team, there just hasn’t been a lot of reading going on. So I’ve tried my best to make it easy for them, and to help them pick books that I just know they’ll respond to. Like I’m their personal book sommelier. And so far, we’ve had pretty good results. I picked up […]

When life gives you hurdles, lead with your knee

Lu Track #4 by Jason Reynolds

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I have now come to the final book of Jason Reynolds’ Track series. Lu Track #4 covers the last leg of Ghost, Patina, Sunny and Lu during their time as newbies on a middle-school track and field team. It is bittersweet as I would like to know more, but also it is time to come to the finish line. We follow Lu as his changes include not being a full-time runner but is also doing the hurdles (which, of course, is a metaphor for his […]

Track the field and you’ll see Sunny shining

Track #3 Sunny by Jason Reynolds

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Track #3 Sunny is the third in the Track series and so far, perhaps the strongest of the bunch. Jason Reynolds has written Sunny in a diary format. While the information is all there (seeing Sunny running, not running, dealing with his family and friends) it is more tell than show. This can be a little awkward at times as, with a real diary, Sunny does not always start at the beginning or make sense. But there is a reason for that. Sunny’s writing is […]

Life is better in running shoes

Patina by Jason Reynolds.

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Track #02 Patina is written in the signature style of Jason Reynolds.  This time we look at the life of Patina, or Patty as she prefers. Due to her mother being unable to care for her and her sister, she gives custody of her daughters to her brother and sister-in-law. This brings up many issues for Patty: the biggest being, how can she care for the people she loves. She takes on a “mother roll” to her sister, her mother, her friends and forgets herself. […]

If he can stay on track

Track #01: Ghost by Jason Reynolds

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Track #01 Ghost is a book that is praised for its diverseness (an author and characters of color). However, I forgot that these characters were “not white” and focused on the struggles of Castle. Or Ghost as he prefers.  That and the fact they deal with a lesser explored sport, running, are probably the two best parts of the book. Which is to say, since that is the book, it is a good book. The metaphor Jason Reynolds gives you is Ghost is always running: […]

I, too, live with a kid OBSESSED with world records

Ghost (Track #1) by Jason Reynolds

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This was a great little read. Apparently Jason Reynolds has published four in this series, so I’ll be looking for the next one for sure. “Trouble is, you can’t run away from yourself.” Coach snatched the towel from his shoulder, folded into a perfect square, and set it in the space between us. “Unfortunately,” he said, “ain’t nobody that fast.” Ghost (his real name is Castle Cranshaw but he expects you to understand why he doesn’t want to go by that) has always been fast. But […]



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