Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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She was “Sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

The Story of Fannie Lou Hamer: An Inspiring Biography for Young Readers (The Story of Biographies) by Margeaux Weston

March 26, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

She was born Fannie Lou Townsend. She became Fannie Lou Hamer after marrying. She would be born to a large family (20 children) run by sharecropper parents. She did as much schooling as she could, leaving school at a young age, but continuing to read and learn whenever she could.  As she grew she felt that having to work so hard for little results, the discrimination, having to struggle to take care of a family, and having no rights because she was a black woman […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Young Adult Tagged With: 20th Century, African American women, African American women civil rights workers, civil rights workers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Fannie Lou Townsend, Margeaux Weston, Social Activists, women activist, Women's History

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:159 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Young Adult · Tags: 20th Century, African American women, African American women civil rights workers, civil rights workers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Fannie Lou Townsend, Margeaux Weston, Social Activists, women activist, Women's History ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Superhero 101

Naomi Season One (TV Tie-In by Brian Michael Bendis

June 13, 2022 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I am glad I was not the only one who was not completely taken with this graphic novel. The Goodreads reviews were averaging two and three for scores. Naomi Season One has almost nothing original to it. It was created to have representation of a person of color as the main character. It is filled with clichés, and steals Superman’s origin story (alien from another world, left on Earth). Naomi even learns of her alien heritage in a cave. Her white adoptive parents are typical, […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Mystery, Romance, Speculative Fiction, Suspense, Young Adult Tagged With: adoption, African American women, brian michael bendis, David F. Walter, DC Comics, Jamal Campbell, Social Themes, superheroes, teens

BlackRaven's CBR14 Review No:298 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Mystery, Romance, Speculative Fiction, Suspense, Young Adult · Tags: adoption, African American women, brian michael bendis, David F. Walter, DC Comics, Jamal Campbell, Social Themes, superheroes, teens ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

R-E-A-D Please!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford

April 23, 2021 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I had hoped to like R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford a bit more than I did. Perhaps my desire to like it “a lot” made it impossible for the result to live up to my expectations. Yet in the end, I enjoyed reading this glimpse into Franklin’s world. It just will probably not be on my top ten of favorite picture books I read this year list. This book is simple, but not simplistic. We see the life and […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, History, Non-Fiction Tagged With: activism, African American women, Aretha Franklin, carole boston weatherford, Frank Morrison, music, women

BlackRaven's CBR13 Review No:141 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, History, Non-Fiction · Tags: activism, African American women, Aretha Franklin, carole boston weatherford, Frank Morrison, music, women ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Lady Day Lived the Blues

 Blues for Lady Day: The Story of Billie Holiday by Paola Parisi,

March 17, 2020 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I know a few Billie Holiday songs. Not enough to say “X, Y and Z are hers” but if they are on the radio or such, I can say, “Sounds like her” and I am usually right. I recently learned a bit about her (well on song) and wanted to read more. When I saw that there was a graphic novel biography done by Paola Parisi, I thought I probably should find it. And yesterday, it was being placed in the “to be return to […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Young Adult Tagged With: African American & Black, African American singers, African American women, Artie Shaw, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Cultural &Ethnic & Regional, Lady Day, Lester Young, Louis Armstrong, music, Paola Parisi, Singers, The Blues, Women blues singers, Women jazz singers

BlackRaven's CBR12 Review No:126 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Young Adult · Tags: African American & Black, African American singers, African American women, Artie Shaw, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Cultural &Ethnic & Regional, Lady Day, Lester Young, Louis Armstrong, music, Paola Parisi, Singers, The Blues, Women blues singers, Women jazz singers ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments


Recent Comments

  • katie71483
    on Dog Days Are Over, Bitches
    definitely some healing from religious trauma! And, Saved! is one of my favorite movies of all time.
  • jomidi
    on Library Week! Show us Your Library Joy
    I meant to visit museums using library passes (so $5 admission for one museum and $15 admission to another museum)...
  • jomidi
    on Library Week! Show us Your Library Joy
    Speaking of other stuff at libraries, in the past couple of months I used library museum passes to pay only...
  • jomidi
    on Library Week! Show us Your Library Joy
    Long Hill Township (NJ) library was my local library when I lived in NJ. I still attend their author events...
  • Emmalita
    on Library Week! Show us Your Library Joy
    Those are all great! My local library regularly has herb and gardening classes. Next Tuesday I’m going to one on...
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