Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


Yo-Yo means: Come back

Pedro's Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys by Rob Peñas

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Who invented the yo-yo? Well, that I can’t tell you, but what I can tell you is that a Filipino immigrant helped make it one of the most popular toys of not just its time, but even today. Born in 1896, Pedro Flores was a young man from the Philippines. He would work hard under the conditions of events of the  time. When he was finally allowed to leave the country, he found his way to America. But it was not an American Dream right […]

Ching Ming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day

Clear and Bright: A Ching Ming Festival Story by Teresa Robeson and William Low

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Clear and Bright: A Ching Ming Festival Story by Teresa Robeson and illustrated by William Low is currently available, but I read via an online reader copy. This book is a nice book on diversity. It is a fun read, not a WOOW BEST BOOK EVER (or WBBE) but it has a lot of great points. We learn about the Ching Ming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day. We see how a family passes down their traditions to the next generation. As the publisher’s description says, our […]

Yeah, I’d read it again

Continental Drifter by Kathy MacLeod

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Honestly, there are not many surprises in Continental Drifter by Kathy MacLeod. Granted, there might be a few “oh didn’t expect that to go exactly that way,” but for the most part, you know where our narrator is going and how things will probably turn out. Yet, it is an enjoyable read for the adult reader and the pre-teen/early teen will experience it new. We follow Kathy’s (based on the author’s own experiences) story as family, friendship and belonging all come together. This makes a […]

Misaka took his shot

Wat Takes His Shot: The Life & Legacy of Basketball Hero Wataru Misaka by Cheryl Kim

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I said that The Music Inside Us: Yo-Yo Ma and His Gifts to the World by James Howe is probably one of my favorite picture biographies this year. Or actually favorite reads from 2024, but it is not due until 2025. Therefore if you are looking for one of my favorite reads in 2024 and is out in 2024 for a picture biography, pick up Wat Takes His Shot: The Life & Legacy of Basketball Hero Wataru Misaka by Cheryl Kim and illustrated by Nat […]

Alien Invasion! (Or how I learned how to “wear hat”)

We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang

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The visitors in We Are Definitely Human are odd, but adorable. Okay, maybe not adorable-adorable, but they are really nice and friendly, especially after how the humans, ah…other humans… are so friendly to them when helping them fix their “car.” The act of kindness has never been so humorous!  X. Fang’s story is as clever as it is cute. The idea of just being kind, just because, is not a new story, but one that bears repeating. And of course, if you can add some […]

Groundbreaking

We Are Golden: 27 Groundbreakers Who Changed the World by Eva Chen

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I have wanted to read We Are Golden: 27 Groundbreakers Who Changed the World  by Eva Chen and illustrated by Sophie Diao for ages. And when I found the books “ID number” (or what is known as the ISBN number), I plugged it into the site where I find my online reader copies, and even though it has been out since January 2024, there was still a link. The description of the size of the book has it as a board book. And since I […]



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