Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

The WOW factor 2

In My Dreams by Effie Lada

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The only real thing that makes In My Dreams a rating of 4.6 and not a true 5 is the physical size of the actual book. It is a bit too large for my personal comfort. However, the illustrations makeup for that. They are amazing! The colors punch you in the nose! They are minimal so their impact is beyond strong. The story itself is poetic (not poetry in the “stereotypical thought”) and a bit weighty. Take your time and read multiple times. Effie Lada […]

The WOW factor

The Crane Girl by Curtis Manley

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OMG! Times Ten!  That is how I felt after I read The Crane Girl by Curtis Manley and illustrated by Lin Wang. Though available, I read via an online reader copy and I plan on finding a finished copy as you need to hold this book, I think, to get the entire picture. The story is dense and deep. We find Manley adapted the Crane Girl/Wife story to fit their needed goals. Still, it feels as if this was a true interpretation of the legend. […]

How the plastic took a swim in the ocean

Marina: A Story About Plastic and the Planet by Jesse Byrd

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Marina: A Story About Plastic and the Planet written by Jesse Byrd and cutely illustrated by Andressa Meissner is a story about how our plastic use has consequences for the planet and ourselves. The story itself is short: Marina’s mother always packs a sandwich in plastic, with her name on it. Marina tosses the plastic when she is done. But one day a gust of wind takes the plastic on the very uncool adventure of going through the ocean and to the beach where Marina […]

Similar looks, different stories

Mali Under the Night Sky: A Lao Story of Home by Youme)

Some Kids by Fifi Abu

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Two picture books to add to your libraries this fall are below. Each is different, but equally unique and fun.  November 2024 will find us with a published book titled Mali Under the Night Sky: A Lao Story of Home. Youme Ly Nguyen (or Youme) is the author and illustrator of this read via an online reader copy picture book. The story of a young girl fleeing her homeland because of war is not a new one, but the way Youme has spun their tale, […]

Sisters finding each other

Unhappy Camper by Lily LaMotte

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I kept trying to read Unhappy Camper by Lily LaMotte for ages. But I couldn’t find a reader’s copy or if I had an online one, it would “time out” on me. Yet, in early May I found an online one and I jumped on it! (Well, not literally, as I would have knocked over my computer screen). And what I would finally read was a fun, thoughtful and interesting story about siblings and learning about who you truly are. Fun illustrations by Ann Xu […]

Four buddies and lots of good times

Sky &  Ty volume 1: Howdy, Partner! by Steve Breen

Surprise! The Adventures of Penguin and Panda volume one by Brenda Maier

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Picture books are fun but once I have read some, I need a little more. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love (and always will love) my picture books. But when that happens and I need that little more, (mostly because I need a different looking format) I need an early reader. The two I found recently were Sky &  Ty volume 1: Howdy, Partner! by Steve Breen and Surprise! The Adventures of Penguin and Panda volume one by Brenda Maier and illustrated by Fanni […]



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