Cannonball Read 15

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Search This Site

> FAQ Home
> Tag: African Americans

It takes a community to make juice

Fresh Juice by Robert Liu-Trujillo

by Leave a Comment

The picture book Fresh Juice might not become a classic, but it probably should. However, at the very least this mid-July 2023 release is going to be popular for many reasons. And the text is a good place as any to start. This story by Robert Liu-Trujillo tells the story of a father and son and their community. You might need vitamins and ginger and a little cayenne pepper for a cold-clobbering juice, but a little community added in does not hurt as well. And […]

The perfection of imperfection

Fights: One Boy’s Triumph Over Violence by Joel Christian Gill

by Leave a Comment

Fights: One Boy’s Triumph Over Violence is not a perfect book. Which is what makes it interesting and exciting. This is (as the author, Joel Christian Gill, themselves says) a memoir not a biography. These snippets of Joel growing up in Virginia, living in the ‘partments, dealing with bullies (adult and kid) are based on events that happened, people he knew and a little poetic license to move his story along. They take you on a journey of how the author learned how and when […]

Lift as you Climb

Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker. by Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker.

by Leave a Comment

Due to current events, picture books have a new source of material. They now deal with women of history and women of color of history more than before. And they are “finding” people who had grand impact but are not as well known. Or known outside of their time. And a person I was unfamiliar with was Ella Baker. A woman of both women’s history and black history. A woman who changed policies and in her own way, kicked some butt. Thankfully, Patricia Hruby Powell […]

The Voices of the Ignored

The Colors of Courage: Gettysburg's Forgotten History, Immigrants, women, & African Americans in the Civil War's Defining Battle by Margaret S. Creighton

by 2 Comments

Until I joined a reenactment group about 6 years ago, I’d never had any interest in the Civil War since its most popular focus is white men shooting each other. Now, this isn’t to say that the experiences of the white, male soldiers consumed by the jaws of war aren’t important, it just means I don’t particularly care what Gen. So-&-So did at noon on July 2nd, 1863. And unfortunately, at least at Gettysburg, ninety-nine percent of the focus is what white men did in […]

No D.I.D here, the gal SAVES the monster and the day!

Monster Mayhem by Christopher Eliopoulos

by Leave a Comment

My new recommendation for the middle grade reader (and slightly younger) is Monster Mayhem by Christopher Eliopoulos. At first, I figured it was just going to be some “bathroom humor” and not the fun kind (oh come on, you know you have laughed at one poop or fart joke in your life….). But what it turned out to be is a cute, funny, sweet and heavy with movie monsters and science graphic novel for the ages 8 to 10. Zoe is a super-smart young girl […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo