Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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Old and New Traditions

Just Us by Molly Beth Griffin

March 21, 2024 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I am one of those people who do not like change. Unless it’s when I get money back from a purchase that I have made. Seriously, though, change can be hard for people and children especially. And especially when it has become a tradition filled with pleasant memories, good feelings and food (I do like food).  Molly Beth Griffin’s Just Us shows how when something changes, it can also be a good thing, just different. The narrator of the story is upset that the winter […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Cooking/Food, Fiction, Health Tagged With: Alternative Family, Anait Semirdzhyan, cousins, Emotions & Feelings, family, Holidays & Celebrations, Molly Beth Griffin, siblings, Social Themes, Thanksgiving

BlackRaven's CBR16 Review No:114 · Genres: Children's Books, Cooking/Food, Fiction, Health · Tags: Alternative Family, Anait Semirdzhyan, cousins, Emotions & Feelings, family, Holidays & Celebrations, Molly Beth Griffin, siblings, Social Themes, Thanksgiving ·
Rating:
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I’m so excited and I…. gotta sit down and read books

Loveykins by Quentin Blake

Pavlo Get the Grumps by Natalia Shaloshvili

January 16, 2024 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

CBR16SweetBooks #Exciting To get me excited over a book there has to be something about it that just grabs me. And of course, that does not mean it works out in the end but some times it does. The covers of these two picture books fit that bill of they “grabbed me” and got me excited. The first is about a bird that is from its cover, a crossed-eyed, awkward looking chap (think Quentin Blake illustrations as it is by Blake). And the second is about a cat that just […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fiction, Health Tagged With: Alternative Family, animals, birds, CBR16SweetBooks, emotions, family, Feelings, friends, Natalia Shaloshvili, Quentin Blake, Social Themes

BlackRaven's CBR16 Review No:21 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fiction, Health · Tags: Alternative Family, animals, birds, CBR16SweetBooks, emotions, family, Feelings, friends, Natalia Shaloshvili, Quentin Blake, Social Themes ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

It’s a Love and Air thing

Family is Family by Melissa Marr

Puff: All About Air by Emily Kate Moon

July 17, 2023 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Let me tell you a not so secret secret: I like books. But what is a somewhat secret is that I do not write reviews for all the books I have read. However, I am going to write reviews for the two below (both read via online reader copies) Family is Family by Melissa Marr and illustrated by Marcos Almada Rivero, due March 2024  While the “all families are different” theme has been done before, this is the first time I have seen it done […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fiction, Health, Non-Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: Alternative Family, Earth Sciences - Weather, Emily Kate Moon, family, Marcos Almada Rivero, Melissa Marr, nature, new experiences, science, Social Themes

BlackRaven's CBR15 Review No:527 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fiction, Health, Non-Fiction, Poetry · Tags: Alternative Family, Earth Sciences - Weather, Emily Kate Moon, family, Marcos Almada Rivero, Melissa Marr, nature, new experiences, science, Social Themes ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Theme of the day: Crazy and pets.

Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty

Latke, the Lucky Dog by Ellen Fischer

December 9, 2022 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Bathe the Cat is a love it or not book. And it all depends on what you think of insanity and a very naughty cat. One of the dads of the story wants everyone to clean up as Grandma is coming soon. But even though he has a very put together list of chores posted, the cat (who is on the list as the recipient of a bath) decides to mix things up and mayhem ensues to the point of sweeping the fish, mopping the […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Cooking/Food, Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: Alice B. McGinty, Alternative Family, animals, David Roberts, Ellen Fischer, family, glbtq, Hanukkah, Pets, Tiphanie Beeke

BlackRaven's CBR14 Review No:594 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Cooking/Food, Fiction, Poetry · Tags: Alice B. McGinty, Alternative Family, animals, David Roberts, Ellen Fischer, family, glbtq, Hanukkah, Pets, Tiphanie Beeke ·
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One word: DANG

Auntie Uncle: Drag Queen Hero by Ellie Royce

May 4, 2020 by BlackRaven 2 Comments

Auntie Uncle: Drag Queen Hero is a modern take on gender and how it is fluid. It is how Drag is not just “dressing up” but being who you are.  The best part is how normal and realistic the situation is. Uncle Leo helps with homework, plays with his nephew and they have fun. Auntie Lotta sings, dances and has fun with her nephew. Just because Leo is Lotta/Lotta is Leo is beside the point. These are things we can relate to: having fun with […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fiction Tagged With: Alternative Family, aunts, Ellie Royce, family, friends, Hannah Chambers, lgbt, nephews, Performing Arts, uncles

BlackRaven's CBR12 Review No:161 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fiction · Tags: Alternative Family, aunts, Ellie Royce, family, friends, Hannah Chambers, lgbt, nephews, Performing Arts, uncles ·
Rating:
· 2 Comments

We are Family

Just Like a Mama by Alice Faye Duncan

April 7, 2020 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

When I first read the title, I thought it said Just Like Mama. No “A.” And that for certain changes the meaning of the book. Just Like a Mama is a modern story about the things a “not mom” does to help the young child of the story. Mama Rose might not be the “actual” mother, but she loves the narrator (Carol Olivia Clementine), makes her do her chores, tells her to eat her vegetables and all the other things mamas do. Carol goes through […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction Tagged With: Alice Faye Duncan, Alternative Family, Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, family, parents

BlackRaven's CBR12 Review No:147 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction · Tags: Alice Faye Duncan, Alternative Family, Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, family, parents ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • Emmalita on A Sheep Detective Story!This sounds delightful.
  • finnyfinfinn on The Blanks by Grady HendrixI try to keep that whole book locked in a closet in the back of my mind.
  • esmemoria on “There are so many ways to tell it, and all of them are important. But each way paints a very different picture and leads down a different road.”I just read a forensic anthropologist’s book and it was slim on details and not very reflective. This sounds like...
  • Classic on The Blanks by Grady HendrixI maybe lost my entire mind while reading that book. I think he was tripping on acid while writing that...
  • finnyfinfinn on The Blanks by Grady HendrixThere can be no forgiveness for Pupkin.
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