Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

The real Mary Poppins

Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews by Julie Hedlund

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Who has not watched Disney’s 1960s Mary Poppins? Or Sound of Music? And who of us did not want to sing like Julie Andrews? Well, even though it sounds like she popped out of the womb doing these kind of things, her life was anything but simple. First, her mother traveled (she was a piano player) and was away a lot. Second, her parents would divorce, and she would eventually be sent to live with her mother and stepfather in war torn London. And then […]

Picture book round up

Today is a Me Day by Ev Starkey

Bear Is Never Alone by Marc Veerkamp

Stillwater and Koo Save the World by Jon J. Muth

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Picture book round up part… I’ve lost count. I will add three books that are not my OMG Best Books ever but were an interesting experience to read. Today is a Me Day is a story that is exactly what it sounds like it would be. The world has things it wants to do, and wants the young narrator to do, but she has decided she needs a day off. She is going to be happy and choose what she wants to do. She will […]

Parent Trap meets Freaky Friday without the magic but lots of music

Mirror to Mirror by Rajani LaRocca

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Awhile back I found a reader copy by Rajani LaRocca called Mirror to Mirror. I was interested in it due to the diverse characters and the prose poetry format.  However, as I started reading (at lunch) it was going slowly, and I put it aside. I picked it up months later and was able to finish it finally. It was mostly worth the wait. I say mostly, as for me, there were a few bumps. I was not a fan of some characters, and a […]

Community

One Sweet Song by Jyoti Rajan Gopal

American Desi by Jyoti Rajan Gopal

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CBR15Passport author   The funny thing is, “sweet” does not always do it for me (unless it is a donut or chocolate). However, once in awhile a book that is sweet gets me in the feels. That is because it is sweet but not overly, sickening sweet (like three York peppermint patties and a mug of hot chocolate). And One Sweet Song falls in the former sweet category. Rhyming text takes us through a neighborhood when one person, while sitting on a balcony, plays a […]

Performance jitters

Something Wild by Molly Ruttan

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Hannah loves playing violin, but not in front of people. Of course, she has a recital. On the day of, Hannah wishes for Something Wild to happen. And due to some wonderful imaginative situations, the laughs (and some well needed inspiration and self-confidence) happen. Molly Ruttan has created a tale of cleverness and overcoming stage fright in a fresh, vibrant, manner. Story and text mix together to create magic and humor. Overall, the ideas that Hannah get (her outfit disappears, dolphins in the fountain whisk […]

When music is more than life

Skeleanor the Decomposer: A Graphic Novel. by Emily Ettlinger

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To start on a negative is not usually a good thing, but this review needs to start with, “Why was this book so short?” It is too short Emily Ettlinger (author of)! I see potential for a book with multiple stories for Skeleanor! I see lots of trouble and adventures she can get into and have! But until we have a book two, I must be satisfied with Skeleanor the Decomposer: A Graphic Novel.  I read this sweet story about practice and figuring out that […]



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