Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

I wholeheartedly agree with you, but. . .

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

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“Ronnie Childers was tripping his balls off in Jackson Square when an angel of the Lord appeared before him. She was a glorious vision, dressed in black gym leggings and a Bikini Kill T-shirt, her golden hair twisted into a messy knot on the top of her head.” First of all, best opening lines I’ve read in ages. I flipped open to page one to get a flavor of what this book was like and didn’t want to put it down. That’s a strong beginning, […]

Fiction That Could Unfortunately Be Nonfiction

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

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This is probably a book that will make you angry. And it should, because it is fiction that could just as easily be nonfiction. We follow high school senior Justyce during his run-ins with the police and his interactions with peers, some of whom are racist but certainly don’t think that they are. After his first run-in with the police, he decides to start an experiment to be like Martin Luther King Jr. He revisits King’s writings and writes letters to him, which is where […]

Banned books and hope in a small town

Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

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After having read The Change and The Women of Wild Hills, I decided to pick up Kirsten Miller’s other adult novel. With her other two adult novels, Miller had a big magic realism component and dealt with quite a few larger, topical issues. This one takes on a lot of similar themes but at a more intimate level, in a small Southern town setting. Surprisingly, I think I enjoyed this more than The Change or The Women of Wild Hill! Lula Dean is bitter – […]

Let’s talk about [redacted], baby!

It's NOT the Stork! by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley

It's So Amazing! by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley

It's Perfectly Normal! by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley

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In my continued effort to be better acquainted with commonly banned and “controversial” children’s books, I dug into three sex ed books by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley. It’s Perfectly Normal is the book that is most commonly banned among the three, because it is the most comprehensive and progressive. But I was curious to see how each book differed, as they are aimed at specific age groups. It’s NOT the Stork is for ages 4 and up, It’s So Amazing is recommended for […]

I finally read Gender Queer!

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

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I’m sure this book has already been discoursed to death here at Cannonball Read, so I won’t get too much into that. (It was a book club pick, yes?) I finally decided to read it because I have been much more active in my local anti-censorship organization this year, and wanted to be able to better defend the book if someone came after me with questions about it. The book is so stunning, warm, and earnest. It’s the most thorough exploration of this specific form […]

Colorful exploration of a colorful subject

Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg, Fiona Smyth

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The Digital Public Library of America, a fabulous organization working toward equitable access to ebooks, is running a Banned Books feature on their social media pages, inviting readers to share why they love and support a banned book. (They are taking submissions here!) As a longtime supporter of comprehensive sex education, I picked a sex ed book that frequently comes under fire: the wonderful tween title Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg with illustrations by Fiona Smyth. I reread it to provide my […]



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