Cannonball Read 13

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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A YA Book that Quotes Richard Wright

The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket

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Who knows when some slight shock, disturbing the delicate balance between social order and thirsty aspiration, shall send the sky-scrapers in our cities toppling? — Richard Wright, Native Son The Penultimate Peril is the 12th book–the penultimate book–of A Series of Unfortunate Events. For my reviews of the 10th and 11th books, go here and here. The travails of the Baudelaire orphans continue in The Penultimate Peril, and if anything, get darker. The book takes place in the Hotel Denouement, where the children take on […]

A terrific middle-grade novel about systemic racism, colorism, and…fencing.

Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes

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I’m a huge Jewell Parker Rhodes fan, and in middle-grade literature, she has no equal. She is uncanny at tackling major systemic issues that are not only age-appropriate but widely appealing, and also interesting to read about. I was excited to hear she had a new book out, and I quickly read it, as well. In Black Brother, Black Brother we meet Donte and Trey, two biracial brothers in an integrated family. Their dad is White, their mom is Black. Trey looks like their father, […]

Careful what you wish for…

Wishes and Wellingtons by Julie Berry

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Middle grade books can be tricky, because they are intended for an audience who is older than standard elementary school fare, but not quite old enough to tackle the issues we see in young adult literature. I mention this, because I suspect Wishes and Wellingtons might have received a higher rating from me if I was in middle school. I should quickly add that this is a charming book, even if it felt a bit juvenile for me (and appropriately so). Maeve is an unconventional […]

I’m called Little Buttercup, dear Little Buttercup

Buttercup the Bigfoot by Douglas Rees

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When Willa Cathcart Wilmerding must stop her nightly howling at the moon, she runs away from home. When in the mountains, she finds a bigfoot (who has enjoyed scaring hikers and decorating her cave with the things dropped/left behind by fleeing souls) the two find a kindred spirit in each other. Even if it gets off to a rocky start with said Bigfoot trying to scare Willa away. And said Bigfoot is named Buttercup, (and yes, I thought of the HMS Pinafore song, I’m Called […]

Obviously, this book is not for everyone

Rescuing Mrs. Birdley by Aaron Reynolds

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I either started and never finished Rescuing Mrs. Birdley or I have read it before. However, if it is a reread, I do not remember reading it the first time. This picture book review is as if this is the first and only time, I have read it. Our “animal expert” (solely by her word only) Miranda sees her teacher in the grocery store. Not unusual. I still run into former educators all over town. However, Miranda has the misunderstanding of what a teachers “natural […]



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