Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


From Lima, Peru for Sunny City, California

Vampirita and the Angry Mob (Book 1): A Charming Tale of a Young Vampire's Adventure in California by Mariana Llanos

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Vampirita and the Angry Mob (Book 1): A Charming Tale of a Young Vampire’s Adventure in California by Mariana Llanos and illustrated by Laura Brenalla is the story of a “new kid in town” but has a slightly different twist to it with a vampire as our main character. However, the relatable issues of homesickness, not fitting in, and trying to be nice when you want to be anything but, is familiar. However, regardless of how much we know this story, the author has fun […]

A boy who was inspired by his culture and people, the classics of Western society and made his own mark on poetry

With a Star in My Hand: Rubén Darío, Poetry Hero by Margarita Engle

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Probably as dramatic and romantic as the poet himself, the life of one poet Ruben Dario, is introduced to readers in this prose poetry novel. While the information is based on events in his autobiography, With A Star in My Hand: Ruben Dario, Poetry Hero fells like the author, Margarita Engle, has taken a smidgen of poetic license to what is presented. Overall, this is a fun way to be introduced to a poet you might not be familiar with, but also an interesting format […]

Papa said Poopy!

Stinkbird Has a Superpower by Jill Esbaum

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Jill Esbaum, you had me at STINKBIRD and then Bob Shea had me with that dancing, purple chick on the cover. And then you all had me forever after reading Stinkbird Has a Superpower. This is a hilarious book about how a papa bird tells his little chick (and the reader) about how fabulous they are. Mostly because hey, they are awesome, but also because they are a species that has a lot of “only thems.” And the superpower of the title? Well, it is […]

“Mesmerizing illustrations combine with poetic text”— School Library Journal

Ancient Night by David Bowels

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CBR15Passport New Author Two Nahuatl traditions are given a new twist in Ancient Night. But I was not aware of that until after finishing it.  I was assuming when I picked up this picture book (and that was because the cover was intriguing) it would be an adaptation of a folk tale, but not which people. And I came away with thinking, “Oh, well, that’s nice. Different. Do I like it?” This is not a onetime read or a book to read quickly. I did […]

Well-behaved women seldom make history

Rima's Rebellion: Courage in a Time of Tyranny by Margarita Engle

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CBR15Passport Book I own Rima’s Rebellion: Courage in a Time of Tyranny is an interesting book. First, it is prose poetry and while that is usually a good thing for me, I am not sure this was the best format for the subject. Second, it is confusing what age(s) it is aimed for. The tone of the book is for a middle-grade reader (at least aged 10 and up), but the subject matter is more mature. If this was Margarita Engle’s first novel, that bump […]



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