Latino – Cannonball Read 17

Welcome to my Two Books in One Review review

Thank You, School by Louise Borden

Finding My Wave by Alexandra Katona

October 6, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I found two books (hence the title) that were nice, cozy and enjoyable but I did not want to weaken reviewing either solo as I didn’t want to add fluff to them. Therefore, please enjoy these shorter reviews that hopefully do not leave out the good stuff. Thank You, School by Louise Borden and illustrator Paige Keiser due March 2026 Read via an online reader copy. Through a series of poems, children thank each person (from bus drivers to teachers) who help make their school […]

Columbian Mythology and Family Trauma

The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía by Alexandra Alessandri

April 6, 2025 by cosbrarian Leave a Comment

Valentina, her brother Julian, and her father are hiking the Columbian jungle to track down a vampire. Well, that’s what her father’s doing. Valentina is along for the ride, trying not to be embarrassed about her father and brother’s belief in Columbian folk creatures, and taking the opportunity to practice her drawing. But during the trip, Valentina has a visceral premonition: “The earth is not happy.” She urges her family to leave, but they are caught in a violent earthquake. The kids and their dad […]

One summer of food, friends, family

Speak Up, Santiago!: A Hillside Valley Graphic Novel by Julio Anta

January 22, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Speak Up, Santiago!: A Hillside Valley Graphic Novel by Julio Anta and illustrator Gabi Mendez is a story about friendship (even to yourself), family and finding your place. The cultural references, the ideas of community and more comes to life. The feeling is a younger The Misfits by James Howe, with colorful illustrations that brings Santi and his four new friends together. In the end it is a cozy read that is both familiar and fresh. Santi is trying to come to terms with not […]

You know, it is okay to say fat

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

October 31, 2022 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

When I started reading Fat Chance, Charlie Vega I was okay. This is a thing. It is a little slow, but I can work with that. Then I started thinking I had read it before. I have concluded that I either have read the first few chapters or the two scenes that were really making me think I read before are “subject word for word” to other things read. Perhaps that is because the teen romance troupe is something we know and the author “went […]

Contains more teeth than you can imagine

Bright World (The Hazards of Love #1) by Stan Stanley

September 12, 2022 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Title from online review Bright World (The Hazards of Love #1) by Stan Stanley is dark, odd, sexy, thoughtful, spooky, serious, humorous, and much more. The path of love is never easy, especially when a talking cat tricks you out of your life and you are tossed into a magical realm where humans are snacks, slaves or worse. Gorgeous illustrations that are both overly busy and simple, will amaze and create unease as you flow through the story of a non-binary teen and what […]

How to love the imperfect

How to Love a Country: Poems by Richard Blanco

July 15, 2020 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

cbr12bingo Pandemic I probably should use my Pandemic slot last, as you can fill in anything you want, but at the same time, How to Love a Country: Poems is the perfect book for it. I am planning on using poetry for another slot, but Richard Blanco’s collection does not seem to fit another category, so here he is and I get to a) use poetry more than once and b) introduce you to a (possible) new poet that I would never have heard of […]

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Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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