Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Hell Bent or That time I tried to rescue my crush who happens to be a sexy demon

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

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Tripp’s lower lip jutted out, but he went back to work, and a minute later was singing “Under the Bridge” in a passable falsetto. Alex didn’t have the heart to tell him she’d gladly spend the next two semesters in hell if it meant never hearing the Red Hot Chili Peppers again. Warning: Spoilers for Ninth House ahead At the end of Ninth House, Darlington is possibly alive and trapped in hell. Dawes and Alex agree to do what they can to rescue him, despite […]

A Year in the Life

Grandpa and the Kingfisher by Anne Wilson

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I have recently read several titles with grandparents recently. One of those books was Grandpa and the Kingfisher. At first, I thought that the book would not be “fun” as okay, follow a bird during its life cycle? Been there done that (and been doing that for about three years now with a robin family that has taken to nesting on the porch. And pooping on my turtle statue). However, I then thought, okay I know this but would it work for a child? Maybe, […]

Rhythm and butterflies

A Flicker of Hope: A Story of Migration by Cynthia Harmony

Rhythm by Jackie Azua Kramer

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Perseverance in an interesting concept. And within the picture books A Flicker of Hope: A Story of Migration and Rhythm, we see two different ways of obtaining that.  Both titles are due mid-February 2024 and were read via an online reader copy. Cynthia Harmony made a book that has the migration of not only monarchs, but people too, in A Flicker of Hope. When Lucia and her father notice that the monarch butterflies are getting ready for their trip North, they know the journey of […]

Two languages one story

Okāwīsimāw Omēkiwin Askīhkānihk Ohci: Auntie’s Rez Surprise by Heather O’Watch

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My 250 words for a review are almost taken up by the Nehiyaw title, Okāwīsimāw Omēkiwin Askīhkānihk Ohci: Auntie’s Rez Surprise (translated by Dorothy Thunder). I am sorry to say there was not a glossary or pronunciation guide in either of the versions I read (I also read the English only version, just titled Auntie’s Rez Surprise). Therefore, I was unable to truly appreciate the language. At first the dual languages were a bit confusing, making the pages crowded, but I quickly was able to […]

Who is Naaahsa?

Naaahsa is an Artist! by Hali Heavy Shield

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I have two questions about Naaahsa is an Artist! The first is who is Naaahsa? They are an artist and a mentor to the young narrator, but are they also a mother, sibling, grandmother, aunt, a tribal leader, or another member of her people? And the second is, what works were shown at the gallery show, as they work in many mediums. However, that is a small piece of the puzzle and really is a piece that is not overly needed. What is needed is […]

Hi ho off to Mars we go

Ready, Set, Mars by Katie Jaffe

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I have a confession. I had read Ready, Set, Mars several days before writing my review. I had a draft saved (drafts are done to sort out ideas) and it was saved as Mars. Um… Mars? What was that book? It was Katie Jaffe and Jennifer Lawson’s picture book due in late August 2023. I needed to start again, this time browsing the text and focusing on the art. It came back to me, and I was thinking that I remembered it, and why I […]



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