Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Balancing faith with who one is

Gaytheist: Coming Out of My Orthodox Childhood by Lonnie Mann and Ryan Gatts

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While Gaytheist: Coming Out of My Orthodox Childhood by Lonnie Mann and Ryan Gatts is currently available, I read via an online reader. Which is actually good, as I am not sure I personally want to have a copy. However, this graphic novel is one that is needed for more than one person, I’m sure, as I am sure Lonnie is not the only person who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family as a gay person. I’m actually giving this more of a 3.5 […]

Family and Monsters

Family Force V: Book One by Matt Braly

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Part Power Rangers, part Transformers, part Voltron and all superheroes and space monsters is how I describe Family Force V: Book One. Matt Braly’s graphic novel (read via an online reader copy, due mid June 2025) will be worth the wait for you or your preteen/teen reader. This coming of age story is one we know (your destiny is forced on you, but you choose the path that takes) is not new, but the way it’s presented is fun, humorous and cute. It is not […]

Just a couple of moms and their talking cats

Urban Tails by Ilana Zeffren

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I first found Urban Tails by Ilana Zeffren as an online reader copy, though the book has been available since May 2022. I was having trouble reading it online due to the illustrations. The text bled into the images. The colors were dull and this made things feel unfinished overall. The story wasn’t engaging me. But there was something about it that made me want to read it. I knew there was something there. Perhaps it was because it was about Israel. Or because there […]

A long review with a lot of thoughts

Transitions: A Mother's Journey by Elodie Durand

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I used to book mentor a kid that came to my store. He was smart, but mentally and physically young. One day I learned he wanted to go by “James” not “Jamie” anymore. Why? You see, his neighbor “Bob” left one day and when he came back, she was “Jamie” and (hopefully) she was happy. Now, since “James” was a kid, it is expected that he wouldn’t understand this. After all, transgendered people were not in the mainstream as they would be even a few […]

Freshman Blues

How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger

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How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger is a coming of age story that we know: Girl has trouble fitting in during high school. She is not ready for the trials of being a teen. But, the thing is, she isn’t really a teen. She should be an 8th grader. She should be having homeroom, going to Six Flags, starting a first crush; not having to deal with boys who think interrupting their English teacher is funny. Doing group projects with a boy (thankfully she […]

The sibling bond

The Firelight Apprentice by Bree Paulsen

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Due to the rushed ending, The Firelight Apprentice by Bree Paulsen is a 3.5 and not a 4. However, it is Paulsen and I like the books  I have read out of three I know they have written and illustrated.  The first was Garlic and the Vampire, and the second is The Firelight Apprentice. I have Garlic and the Witch waiting for me. (And to get it out of the way, all graphic novels are now currently available but I read this via an online […]



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