Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A sudden sound of wings and screech sends our hero on an adventure of his life time

Orris and Timble: The Beginning by Kate DiCamillo

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Orris and Timble: The Beginning is pure Kate DiCamillo. Part Romeo and Juliet (enemies to friends), part the Lion and the Mouse (a rat saves an owl) and part a grandparent/grandchild relationship (even though there is a grumpy older rat and a young owl). This story is sweet, funny, and a little bit tense (after all, even if an owl says it is too scared to eat you, can you really believe it? Especially with those large and dangerous talons?). When Orris, the rat, hears […]

The Picture Book Graphic Novel Read

Author vs. Illustrator by Bob Lentz and Donald Lemke

The Unlucky Kid by Bob Holt

Like Lava in My Veins by Derrick Barnes

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There is a new genre, (or at least newish to me) that I call “Picture Book Graphic Novel.”  I am sure there are others out there, but I have recently found three within a few weeks of each other. This means that the graphic novel panel format is done in the larger, traditional sized picture book and aimed at the picture book crowd, but can allow the older reader access as well. The first two were read via online reader’s copies and the last in […]

It’s time for book roundup! Get along little bookies!

The Midnight Mitzvah by Ruth Horowitz

Bo Keeps the Beat: The Piano Pedal Problem by Andrew Bambridge

A Bold Pumpkin Plan by Katy Hudson

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It’s time for a book roundup! Each book is good for all types of readers and listeners. Not only that, they are nice companions to each other with their softer toned stories, illustrations and less traditional “action” stories. This mixture of books is one of the reasons why I love books. You never know what delightful treat you will find. The first and last titles are more traditional picture books, while the middle one has a chapter format and is part of a series. All […]

Dragons and Mayhem and Magic, Oh My

A Mythical Case of Arson by Melissa Erin Jackson

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This was a cute, cozy fantasy/mystery. Deandra Hendricks decides to take a break from her long work hours, and what seems to be a lacking social life, to visit family in Axia. The book is set on earth as we know it, except that there are a number of magical communities called hubs in this world where magical people and mythical creatures can live, and Axia is the small hub that Deandra’s magical grandparents have retired to. Deandra has no magical abilities herself and has […]

“We are messes and we are messed up and I don’t want to go through this world without the one person I can’t hide from and who can’t hide from me.”

The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black

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CBR16 Sweet Books: Excited (this is one of my most anticipated releases in the first half of the year) This book really doesn’t stand alone. It is the second half of a duology that started with The Stolen Heir, which came out last year. If you haven’t read that one, it’s probably best to skip this review and return once you’ve caught up. Prince Oak, heir to the throne of Elfhame, finds himself a prisoner in the dungeons of Queen Suren (or Wren, as he […]

Magic and Anxiety

Secret Passages 1985-1986 by Axelle Lenoir

The Ghostkeeper by Johanna Taylor

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Secret Passages 1985-1986 by Axelle Lenoir – 3 stars In an effort to untangle her complicated feelings about the loss of her cosmic twin, author Axelle decides to unspool her life in an off-kilter autobiographical comic. This is a surreal and funny graphic novel which depicts a year in young Axelle’s life as she starts going to school, forms a strange connection with the forest by her home, and begins to suffer in the grip of acute anxiety. The art is both atmospheric and humorous, […]



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