Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


Join the CBR18 Book Bingo Reading Challenge—Now Underway!   

The kids want more … words?!

Things in the Basement by Ben Hatke

by Leave a Comment

Things in the Basement is a backlist graphic novel title by Ben Hatke (Zita the Spacegirl, Mighty Jack). It concerns a boy named Milo who is sent to the creepy basement by his mother to retrieve the one pink sock that will make his baby sister stop crying. When Milo sees the sock snatched up by a rat-like creature, he chases it, and discovers that his basement opens up in to many creepy levels, full of monsters, ancient art, and a friendly ghost. This is […]

And here my basement only had a skunk

Things in the Basement by Ben Katke

by Leave a Comment

The rating of a four for Things in the Basement is because of the illustrations. While on the surface, Ben Hatke’s story and art are not huge  “wows” (the illustrations are not overly colorful, or detailed; the story is slow to build up), there is something about them that makes you want more. The focus you need for the illustrations means you need to read the images as the book itself is mostly wordless. There are some interesting twists and turns and the “creepy factor” […]

Spunk is the name of the game!

Julia’s House Moves On by Ben Hatke

Oona by Kelly DiPucchio

by Leave a Comment

Spunk is the name of the game with Julia and Oona. Two different gals, but who both know how to “get-r-done!” Julia’s House Moves On is the latest in the Julia books by Ben Hatke (an author who covers several age ranges with their books, this being for the 5 and up crowd). This darn cute story about “best laid plans” and how things will work out for the better just is silly, funny and educational. As the joke says, “You want to make God […]

A great graphic novel series for kids! (And adults too!)

Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke

Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke

by Leave a Comment

Mighty Jack Jack is a normal teenage boy who would like to sleep in during the summer.  But he can’t, because he has to mind his sister, Maddy, who is nonverbal and on the autism spectrum.  Their mother has started working a second job to pay the bills, because they are in dire financial straits.  At a flea market, a mysterious stranger offers them strange seeds. Maddy speaks, and tells Jack to buy them.  The price is the family car, which is not pleasing to […]

Not so jolly giant and his Jack

Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke

Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke

Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

by 2 Comments

The Might Jack series by Ben Hatke starts as a separate, but companion series to the Zita the Spacegirl graphic novels. Books One (Mighty Jack) and Book Two (Mighty Jack and the Goblin King) set up Jack’s, Maddy, and Lilly’s adventures. These adventures mirror another story that has a Jack, some magic seeds and a few giants in it. Only, these magic seeds are purchased by trading the family car (not cow) and what grows is not just a beanstalk, but all sorts of creatures […]

Friends! Adventure! Robots! All she needs now is a catch phrase.

Legends of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

The Return of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

by Leave a Comment

The graphic novels featuring Zita the Spacegirl are back in two more adventures (from 2012 and 2014). The first (technically second) book is Legends of Zita the Spacegirl #2 and the second (technically third) book is The Return of Zita the Spacegirl. Ben Hatke published Zita in 2011 but had been working on her for years. Both stories flow well and are solid stories. Even though the first two books “wrap up” that books story, there are open endings to each of them. Therefore, it […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo