Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Welcome to my Two Books in One Review review 

Thank You, School by Louise Borden

Finding My Wave by Alexandra Katona

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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 […]

A red swimsuit and a copper diving helmet

Else B. in the Sea : The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep by Jeanne Walker Harvey

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Else B. in the Sea : The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep by Jeanne Walker Harvey and illustrated by Melodie Stacey is due early June 2024. Therefore I read via an online reader copy. This is an amazing introductory picture book on a person, Else Bostelmann, who we are not probably familiar with. She was not only an artist but also a scientist. She was hired, in the 1930s, to paint the ocean. But not the waves or the creatures above those […]

She showed her knees and swam away a winner

Annette Feels Free: The True Story of Annette Kellerman, World-Class Swimmer, Fashion Pioneer, and Real-Life Mermaid by Katie Mazeika

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When looking through the old online reader copy links I found some surprises but others, like Annette Feels Free: The True Story of Annette Kellerman, World-Class Swimmer, Fashion Pioneer, and Real-Life Mermaid was only a small surprise as I like biographies of unknown (or at least mostly unknown) people. And Kellerman is a fairly unknown name today. But that was not the case when she was a swimmer. Taking Australia by storm, a young teen took to swimming like fish takes to swimming. It did […]

The non-swimmer in his crocodile family

Swim, Jim by Kaz Windness

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One day in the swamp, three crocodile siblings are born. Kim, Sim and Jim. Kim and Sim both jump right into the water to swim, but Jim? Well, he just puts his toe in. And like typical siblings, the others tease Jim. But though his parents reassure him he will swim when ready, he feels the swamp is too big and he must find a smaller swamp, and then everyone will realize that Jim can swim in, Swim, Jim by Kaz Windness. Okay, so the […]

I relate Abigail. I relate

Abigail the Whale by Davide Cali

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CBR15Passport book set another country: Davide Cali is a Swiss-born Italian and book was originally in French   I had forgotten I had requested Abigail the Whale when I received the email saying it was on hold for me at the library. Why did I request this book? I remembered when I saw the cover. Oh, yes, this was the book about body image. Now where did I see it again? That did not matter as I quickly realized this is a book that it […]

Mermaids, lantern fish and a little courage

A Dive Into the Blue. by Ellie Huynh

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The one fear/issue I did not have about learning to swim was that the drain in the pool would pull me in, like some Kraken waiting to bring me to Davy Jones locker. But, now well, I still don’t. And that is because of the little girl in A Dive Into the Blue. Ellie Huynh gives us a story of courage and bravery and literally diving right into the problem. Our small girl is at the edge of the diving board, the drain looking up […]



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