Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Children’s Music comes to life

A Life of Song: The Story of Ella Jenkins (The First Lady of Children's Music) by Ty-Juana Taylor

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I was  texting with a friend of mine the other day about how I like biographies of people who are not as well known. I had not yet found A Life of Song: The Story of Ella Jenkins (The First Lady of Children’s Music) by Ty-Juana Taylor and illustrated by Jade Johnson at that time,  but boy does it fit that category. If I had heard of Ella Jenkins, I have since forgotten it.  She is a woman who brought music to the people to […]

The first woman to sit down was a teenager

Claudette Colvin: I Want Freedom Now! by Claudette Colvin

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We know Ruby Bridges, Rosa Parks, Dr. King and more of the civil rights movement people, but do you know Claudette Colvin? She was a teenager who one day was sitting on the bus. She was, like Rosa after her, tired and knew her rights. She said No, I’m not giving up my seat. She would be yelled out, arrested and charged with numerous crimes (none of which were true). And her mother and preacher would bail her out of jail. But that was not […]

I wish I had this girl helping me when I do my chores

Soulful Struttin’ by ulia Pierre Hammond

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The title of the last book review was supposed to be, “I finally have gotten everything I have written, posted.” Then this morning I read one more picture book that is officially due late October/early November 2024, and I read via an online reader copy. Plus, I had just one more to post yesterday, but couldn’t get to it so it didn’t matter anyways! The book cover is the first thing you (obviously) see, so you know that you will have a diverse cast of […]

Frankie is the Gal with the Pals!

Frankie and Friends: The Big Protest by Christine Platt

Frankie and Friends: The Lost Tooth by Christine Platt

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One of the main things I like about Frankie and Friends: The Big Protest by Christine Platt is that things are presented in a kid friendly way. By using the journalistic approach (which is described) we are able to see how such things as “big news” is carried out. And this accessible language (with a glossary of the highlighted words) allows us as kids (aged six/seven to read to, eight/nine to read solo) and adults to have a neat read and learn about not only […]

Crossing paths

Me: Moth by Amber McBride

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I took a roundabout path to read Me: Moth by Amber McBride. I had reader copies (mostly online) and then saw the final book was out (losing all my reader copies). I then happened to see the book on a shelf at work, but then noticed it was at my library and since I was not sure if I really wanted to read it, I took it out of the library.  It took so long for me to finally get a copy and read that […]

Beautiful reads

Seeker of the Truth: Kailash Satyarthi’s Fight to End Child Labor by Srividhya Venkat

A Song For August: The Inspiring Life of Playwright August Wilson by Sally Denmead

Love of the Half-Eaten Peach by Lee Wind

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I debated if I should write a review about three books I only read as samples. Yet, I realized that they are must know about and I do not think they will have any surprises when they finally come out.  All were read via online samples of the picture book. In mid-late July 2024 we will see Seeker of the Truth: Kailash Satyarthi’s Fight to End Child Labor. Srividhya Venkat’s book was the one that had the smallest sample, but I was hooked. Starting as […]



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