Cannonball Read 16

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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YA POV of the LA riots

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

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And with this review of Christina Hammonds Reed’s The Black Kids, I made a bingo just under the wire. I received this for free from my Mocha Girls Read book club as it was our July sponsored book of the month. This YA historical novel is set against the backdrop of the 1992 LA riots. From the get, I was like is it really historical?! But I have to admit it has been some time since that fateful Rodney King verdict. Ashley Bennett lives in […]

Black Girl Scientific Joy

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty

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There are so many adorable kids’ books available these days. I often catch myself admiring the shelf and smiling when visiting the bookstore. I really love the concept behind the Questioneers series from Andrea Beaty. She does a great job spotlighting children from various cultures. Each book follows a child and their dream career, many of them in STEM. There are also accompanying activity books to introduce these careers and topics beyond the main book. Series Synopsis: The Questioneers series is a celebration of STEM, […]

My fave does it again!

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

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“The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.” – Malcolm X Tiffany D. Jackson is one of my favorite YA authors. She consistently writes riveting mystery novels featuring black teen girls.  The mystery usually revolves around a particular social issue facing black women, and I’m continually impressed with how her writing immensely satisfies both the mystery component and the social one. I will […]

But I’m one of the good guys.

Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles

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Del has it bad for Kiera Westing, and he’s crushed on her almost his entire life, from kindergarten to high school. But the girl always has a boyfriend, and he can never seem to get the timing right to snag her during the in-between times. But this time when she finally becomes available, Del may have an in. See, Kiera doesn’t seem to be in a rush to find a new boyfriend – she is taking it so slow, she has joined the Purity Pledge […]

Why do you build me up…just to let me down?

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

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George Washington “Wash” Black had spent all of his twelve years as a field slave on a plantation in Barbados when he and friend/protector Big Kit were suddenly summoned to the master’s house to serve at table. After the tense dinner at which the master quarreled with his brother Christopher and broke Big Kit’s nose with a plate, the main house slave tells Wash he’s to stay behind and tend Christopher in his room. Big Kit tries in vain to argue Wash’s way out of […]

Love in an elevator

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The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory was simply lovely. Alexa and Drew meet when stuck in a hotel elevator together in San Francisco. Alexa is on her way to meet her sister to celebrate a promotion. Drew is begrudgingly going to his ex-girlfriend’s wedding. The two strangers hit it off immediately, so Drew takes a chance and invites Alexa to the wedding. He gets a bit carried away and tells everyone she’s his girlfriend. Luckily, Alexa doesn’t mind and they have an amazing time at the wedding and […]



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