School & Education – Cannonball Read 17

Messy handwriting doesn’t mean you can’t be an author

Abdul’s Story by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

May 12, 2023 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I have read parts of Abdul’s Story off and on for a year now. Finally, I was able to find the finish copy and sink my teeth in. This story is how a young boy, Abdul, loves telling stories. But writing them is a lot harder. Besides, why write them down? Some stories are meant to be told. Yet, when an author comes to his class, a man who looks like Abul with his straight lines, and unscuffed shoes, he learns that there are many […]

Making your mark and a few mistakes

Marker by Anna Kang

January 5, 2023 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Today’s lunch was a small croissant with a little chicken curry inside and picture book reading. And one of those was Marker by Anna Kang and illustrated by Christopher Weyant. This short picture book is a due in mid/late June (which seems an odd time) as it is about the first day and the first few days of school. Marker is a proud member of Teacher’s crew. And they are always there, ready to make their permanent mark on things. But during the writing of […]

I might change the title of this review when I either remember it or find my notes for this really cool line I wanted to use

Emmie & Friends Truly Tyler by Terri Libenson

December 22, 2022 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Truly Tyler in the Emmie & Friends series might be my favorite of the group. I have enjoyed the others by Terri Libenson, but after a bit it felt like I was reading the same one over. This time we are focusing on a side character who is male. In the author afterwards, Libenson mentions how this was for them, among other fun facts. We follow two of the characters, Tyler and Emmie (switching between their points of view) and see how the same situation can be […]

Almost 6 miles

9 Kilometers by Claudio Aguilera

December 12, 2022 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I remember as a kid not wanting to get up and go to school. It was a chore and all I had to do was get up, eat a prepared breakfast, and get dressed. The sun (and my mom) was already up for at least an hour or two. I had to wait for the bus to drive oh five-ten minutes down the road. When they switched the route when I was older, it took 15-20 minutes. The only real struggle was rainy days or […]

Schooling the class

Agatha May and the Anglerfish by Nora Morrison and Jessie Ann Foley

June 9, 2022 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Agatha May really likes the Anglerfish, and we learn about that in Agatha May and the Anglerfish by Nora Morrison and Jessie Ann Foley. Now, I like the Anglerfish but in mid-December 2022 you can find a gal who really likes them. Agatha is a kid who has trouble sitting still in class. Their fingers are messy. They decide to feed when it is not lunch time and they are afraid that when the class picks sea creatures for their school project, hers will be […]

Let me tell you about a secret

Nasreen’s Secrete School by Jeanette Winter

September 24, 2021 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Jeanette Winter’s style comes alive in this 2009 picture book, Nasreen’s Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan. The colors of the illustrations are rich, deep, and plentiful. I have always appreciated how things are fanciful and realistic at the same time. This story is based on the story of a girl of Afghanistan, who of course, has had her and her family names changed to protect everyone. This book has come back into our knowledge due to recent events in the country. Worries that […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
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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