Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


Join the CBR18 Book Bingo Reading Challenge—Now Underway!   

The author looks like someone who would write about a pickle

The Wise Pickle by Sarah Howden

by 1 Comment

One will never look at a pickle the same way again.  Or you won’t after reading The Wise Pickle by Sarah Howden and illustrated by Sabina Hahn. Due mid/later June 2026 I read this book via an online copy. First, be prepared to witness weirdness. I mean a talking pickle for starters is really just the start of the weirdness. And second, be prepared to be amazed (by the fact there is a talking pickle who is a wise old soul. Or not). And finally […]

Family, traditions, loss, home

Little Moons by Jen Storm and Ryan Howe

by Leave a Comment

I needed more than the sixty-odd pages in the graphic novel, Little Moons by Jen Storm and Ryan Howe. I needed to see more about the family, the relationships, the other women who have gone missing. I needed to see the community. I need to see what is being done to locate our character. And yet, that is the point. We do not always get that neat bow to tie the story up. There is no happy ever after for Chelsea and so many girls […]

Taste the story

Every Peach Is a Story: A Picture Book by David Mas Masumoto

by Leave a Comment

I have been reading picture books coming out in 2025 from online reader copies recently. Every Peach Is a Story: A Picture Book by David Mas Masumoto, Nikiko Masumoto, and Lauren Tamaki (due in March 2025) is one of those. The cover was a bit awkward, being busy and (frankly) a bit messy looking. Yet, I knew that if I didn’t like it, I didn’t have to finish it. And while it is not my favorite read this year, it has a strong place. It […]

The Map to the Afterlife

49 Days by Agnes Lee

by Leave a Comment

Read the description of 49 Days by Agnes Lee as that tells the story. My review is one that focuses on the fact that this is an emotional, complex and beautifully done book. I am focusing on the pieces that really spoke to me. And how it is relatable in many ways.  I like the realism of the grief processes. It is strong and powerful, and the idea of “yes, I must grieve, but I also must keep on living” is an interesting twist. Usually […]

Red Kites and Black Birds

The Pebble: An Allegory of the Holocaust by Marius Marcinkevičius

by Leave a Comment

The Pebble: An Allegory of the Holocaust by Marius Marcinkevičius, illustrated by Inga Dagilė and translated by Jura Avizienis is a clever telling of the Holocaust story via one child’s experiences. We follow a child from inside to the ghetto, to the day they leave and do not return. The mystical element might be assumed “real” and therefore, having a younger child missing the metaphor, but older readers/children and adults will appreciate it. The artwork is sparse, but creates a tone that allows the realism […]

Finding yourself

A Sky of Paper Stars by Susie Yi

by Leave a Comment

A Sky of Paper Stars by Susie Yi is probably more of a 3.5 than a pure 4 rating as there were a few bumps for me. However, I enjoyed seeing Korean culture, some of it I knew and other aspects new. My unscientific opinion is that probably Korean culture is not known well by the aimed age reader (a stronger 8 to 12). My experience with Asian based characters seems to lean towards Chinese first, with Japanese second, then the people of Taiwan and […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo