Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Two books that I think would be great for young readers but I have personal mixed feelings about

Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley

Apple Crush by Lucy Knisley

by Leave a Comment

Stepping Stones and Apple Crush are middle-grade graphic novels that follow Jen, a city girl whose parents have gotten divorced. Stepping Stones covers the immediate aftermath of Jen’s mom moving them to a farm in the country with her new boyfriend Walter. Jen has to learn how to get along with her new step-sisters, especially Andy, who is bossy and a know-it-all. The conflict between Jen, who is struggling with math, and Jen, who is using her good grades to try to be perfect for her dad, […]

There’s Always Room in My Life For Middle Grade Mysteries

The Bell, The Book, and the Spellbinder by Brad Strickland

The Chessmen of Doom by John Bellairs

by Leave a Comment

I got these books by mistake since I confused them with John Bellairs’ other middle grade gothic horror/magic series starring a boy being raised by his grandparents. I cut myself some slack for this one, especially since I also read this Johnny Dixon series as a child and the titles were familiar. I do still want to do a re-read of the Lewis Barnavelt series, so I’ll have to get my hands on those soon. My idea in getting these was to read the series from […]

A middle-grade mystery inspired by Zora Neale Hurston

Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T. R. Simon

by 1 Comment

Victoria Bond and T. R. Simon took Zora Neale Hurston’s life as literary inspiration for their joint debut novel, Zora and Me. Framed as a middle-grade mystery, we follow the adventures of a fictionalized Zora through the eyes of her best friend, Carrie. The two curious girls and their friend Teddy are given mostly free rein to explore their small town of Eatonville, Florida. They play in the woods and are often given candy from the owner of the general store, Joe. When an alligator […]

The only thing missing from this Wonder Woman story was Jumpa, her pet kangaroo

Diana: Princess of the Amazons by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, Victoria Ying

by 1 Comment

Honestly, if you wanted to find an author who could tell a story of Diana of Themyscira’s youthful adventures, you could hardly do better than Shannon Hale. Hale’s Princess in Black series, the charming adventures of a young princess who leads a secret life as a superhero, was one of the first chapter books we shared with our daughter. We absolutely loved them. DC chose well. Hale’s take on Diana shows us the lonely life of an only child in a society of adults. Everyone […]

Lyrical historical coming of age fiction

Red Dove, Listen to the Wind by Sonia Antaki

by Leave a Comment

Thirteen year old Red Dove lives in interesting times for the Lakota people. Shortly after the Battle of the Greasy Grass (Battle of Little Big Horn), her people have fallen on hard times. Food has become scarce, and the Lakota have learned that they cannot trust the people who have settled on their lands to live peacefully. In a moment of weakness, Red Dove’s mother agrees to send her children to a local Catholic school, hoping that the children will at least find regular meals […]

“Now raise your goblet of rock. It’s a toast to those who rock!”

Drum Roll, Please by Lisa Bigelow

by Leave a Comment

Let’s just get this out of the way: THIS BOOK IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 I want a movie of it that’s like School of Rock meets Camp.  Come on! Working out your parents divorce and your sexual awakening through rock and roll?!?!?! Turning Taylor Swift into a metal jam?! I die. This story is about Melly, who is a quiet young lady that loves playing the drums. She and her best friend Olivia make up the perfect rhythm section, and they […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo