Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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The courage to sing

Songbird in the Light: A Picture Book by Billy Porter and Chris Clarkson

October 29, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Access to online readers is not really an issue for me if I play around with my work computer. However, I am not able to access all that I do wish to read. Thankfully I had access to Songbird in the Light: A Picture Book by Billy Porter and Chris Clarkson. This March 2026 picture book talks about the life and times of performer Billy Porter in a roundabout way. We do not do a deep dive, but we get the overall picture of someone […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, Poetry Tagged With: African-American, Billy Porter, Billy Porter and Chris Clarkson, black, Charly Palmer, Chris Clarkso, LGBTQ, music, self-esteem, Social Themes

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:479 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, Poetry · Tags: African-American, Billy Porter, Billy Porter and Chris Clarkson, black, Charly Palmer, Chris Clarkso, LGBTQ, music, self-esteem, Social Themes ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Lunch was less than satisfyingly, but these picture books made up for it

Here Comes Ocean by Meg Fleming

My Rainy Day Rocket Ship by Markette Sheppard

Hurry Up!: A Book About Slowing Down by Kate Dopirak

Smashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman

The Ocean in Your Bathtub by Seth Fishman

Meet the Latkes by Alan Silberberg

December 22, 2020 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I was sitting at lunch, eating something not that great tasting (but when you forget your lunch and the owner provides food, you know beggars can’t be choosey), I decided to distract myself with some quick picture book reading. And I found six titles that By George the III! Are pretty darn good. Each of these is a Third or a 3 rating. Not OMG but books I will gladly recommend and might just read a second time. Here Comes Ocean by Meg Fleming (author) […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fantasy, Fiction, Non-Fiction Tagged With: Alan Silberberg, Andrea Zimmerman, Charly Palmer, Christopher Silas Neal, Dan Yaccarino, David Clemesha, Isabel Greenberg, Kate Dopirak, Markette Sheppard, Meg Fleming, Paola Zakimi, Seth Fishman

BlackRaven's CBR12 Review No:427 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fantasy, Fiction, Non-Fiction · Tags: Alan Silberberg, Andrea Zimmerman, Charly Palmer, Christopher Silas Neal, Dan Yaccarino, David Clemesha, Isabel Greenberg, Kate Dopirak, Markette Sheppard, Meg Fleming, Paola Zakimi, Seth Fishman ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Mama Africa!

February 22, 2018 by BlackRaven 2 Comments

I have enjoyed the few things I have read by Kathryn Erskine. And Mama Africa does not disappoint either. Who was Miriam Makeba? Probably few people can answer that. I know I could not before reading Mama Africa!: How Miriam Makeba Spread Hope with Her Song. She was a singer who was like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald and sang protest songs. She was a woman like Nelson Mandela and helped lead her people to freedom. She was a fighter. She was an activist.  She […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Non-Fiction Tagged With: Charly Palmer, Kathryn Erskine

BlackRaven's CBR10 Review No:42 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Children's Books, Non-Fiction · Tags: Charly Palmer, Kathryn Erskine ·
Rating:
· 2 Comments


Recent Comments

  • MsWas
    on The best surprise I’ve had so far this year
    What a lovely review of what sounds like a loving and beautiful book!
  • Emmalita
    on 29 Minutes to Yummy
    I love Isa Chandra Moskowitz! I’ll have to see if my library has this one.
  • KimMiE"
    on They go into the woods and do what?
    Wow. . .I am horrified and also fascinated.
  • BlackRaven
    on They go into the woods and do what?
    I hadn't heard the phrase, but knew that it seemed to be a popular way to end a relationship (dude/dudettes...
  • carmelpie
    on They go into the woods and do what?
    I went for a beautiful hike recently. Every time I peered over the edge, the climax of this story flashed...
See More Recent Comments »

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