Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


If Mr. Rogers was that quirky uncle, LeVar Burton was that cool older cousin

My Friend LeVar by Ezra Edmond

by 2 Comments

I saw the title: My Friend LeVar. And I wondered, “Is this the LeVar?” The Mr. LeVar Burton who was one of the influential parts of my reading childhood? And yes, Ezra Edmond’s picture book (due in October 2024 and read via an online reader copy, and illustrated by Jenna Nahyun) was about that LeVar Burton. The story is unusual in the sense that it is not your usual action book. There is a lesson, but not the ones you usually get. The story is […]

Read Everything And ‘Den Some! 

I Want to Read All the Books by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

by Leave a Comment

When I first saw the online reader copy of I Want to Read All the Books I skipped over it. Somewhat ironically, as I do want to read all the books, but I know I cannot, so I have to choose. But then I saw that it was by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. And that sealed the deal and I was thinking that I must read. Ohi is one of those authors/illustrators of books that you need to read. Maybe you do not love the work, […]

The Picture Book Graphic Novel Read

Author vs. Illustrator by Bob Lentz and Donald Lemke

The Unlucky Kid by Bob Holt

Like Lava in My Veins by Derrick Barnes

by Leave a Comment

There is a new genre, (or at least newish to me) that I call “Picture Book Graphic Novel.”  I am sure there are others out there, but I have recently found three within a few weeks of each other. This means that the graphic novel panel format is done in the larger, traditional sized picture book and aimed at the picture book crowd, but can allow the older reader access as well. The first two were read via online reader’s copies and the last in […]

How do you read?

101 Ways to Read a Book by Timothee de Fombelle

by Leave a Comment

The Sunflower, The contortionist, The sleepwalker, The romantic are all ways you can read a book. You can read one in the tub, or if you are The Octopus you can read many at a time. But Timothee de Fombelle decided to show you 101 ways in 101 Ways to Read a Book. Each page has one or two ways of reading. There are readers on bikes and readers on the floor (there are about 10 different ways to do that). And each one is […]

First Book of the Year – A Book About Books

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

by 1 Comment

This is a late start for me this year—I have had a very busy couple of months. Hopefully things smooth out a bit! Lucky me, Mark Lawrence knocks it out of the park again. The man can write some serious engaging blends of fantasy and science fiction. With The Book That Wouldn’t Burn—the first book of his new trilogy—we have a love letter to stories, libraries and nostalgia.  Unlike a number of his previous trilogies (yes, the man is a prolific writer) The Book That […]

Wizkit the a one-eyed cat

Wizkit: An Adventure Overdue by Tanya J. Scott

by Leave a Comment

Wizkit: An Adventure Overdue by Tanya J. Scott is an actually terribly cute story that had a bit more punch than expected. This is a true case of not judging a book by its cover. At first glance I figured it would be silly and not have any real “meat” to it. Yet, I was happily surprised.  The illustrations are sweet and simple, allowing focus to be on the story itself but allows for strong support as well. Things are colorful and draw your eye […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo