Cannonball Read 11

Sticking it to Cancer One Book at a Time

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Middle book syndrome? Or just me?

The Golem's Eye (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, #2) by Jonathan Stroud

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I read the first book in this series a couple of years ago and liked it, but I never got around to finishing the series. Probably should have read it closer together . . . This was a perfectly serviceable follow up to The Amulet of Samarkand, and honestly I think my ‘meh’ reaction to it is mostly on me. The only real criticism I have of the book is that it was too long. This is supposed to be children’s/middle grade book, and it’s 562 pages with pretty small font. I suppose that wouldn’t matter (coughHarryPottercough) if I were […]

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Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

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1/18/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:11 |

“When the mist rises, and the smiling man comes walking, you must avoid large places at night.”

Small Spaces by Arden, Katherine

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Ollie hasn’t been much of a people-person, but since her mother died the only solace she can seem to find is in books.  On a bike ride home from school, she comes across a woman sobbing by the lake, trying to talk herself into throwing an old black book into the water.  On a whim, Ollie steals the book and discovers within its pages a strange and spooky old story about the Webster family and their tragedy brought on by a sinister “smiling man.” The subjects of the novel appear to be very similar to the family who owns Misty […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

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1/13/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:4 |

I spent New Year’s Day in Hogwarts.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling

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First of all I have read this book more times than I can count, literally. I know I’ve read this first one at least twelve times because that’s how many copies of it I own, but that is a gross underestimate because many of those copies I have read multiple times (especially the battered paperback I still have from 1999). I also used to re-read every year, and every time a new book in the series came out, so I’ve read this one the most. My OCD is crying inside because I didn’t keep track of what books I read and how […]

Help Support Cannonball Read

Buy the following on Amazon and help our mission to stick it to cancer, one book at a time:

We pay for our website first, and then all proceeds above and beyond those fees are donated to the American Cancer Society in AlabamaPink's name. Find out how else you can help support our mission.

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1/2/2019 | 's CBR11 Review No:1 |

Me and the littles review The Worst Witch

The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy

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We have family in England that sometimes send the children British books that I hadn’t really known very much about; in the last few years they sent us The Worst Witch, but it hadn’t really caught the kids attention. I knew that it had been a television series and that there were several books, but wasn’t super familiar with the series as well. It seemed like a good candidate for us to review together, after offering to read it aloud to my littles. I quite liked it and the kids were happy to listen, but it certainly seemed of a […]

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9/9/2018 's CBR10 Review No:18 |

Children and War in Afghanistan

The Breadwinner: A Graphic Novel by Deborah Ellis

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This graphic novel was adapted from a film version of Deborah Ellis’ novel The Breadwinner. The novel is actually part of a series much acclaimed in Canada, and based on this graphic novel version of the first volume, I can understand why. It is visually gorgeous, and the story, which is based on things Ellis learned while touring an Afghan refugee camp in Pakistan in 1997, is gripping. The Breadwinner is the story of an 11-year-old girl named Parvana who has to disguise herself as a boy in order to take care of her family in the wake of the […]

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7/1/2018 's CBR10 Review No:29 |

This return to childhood never disappoints (a slightly feminist review)

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

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I’m not sure how old I was the first time I encountered The Phantom Tollbooth, but I do recall that my first exposure was in an anthology in an elementary grade reading class. We read the chapter on the Royal Banquet, where Milo is forced to “eat his words.” It strikes me that this book is likely the first exposure kids have to really understanding figures of speech and the complexity of the English language. For those who haven’t read The Phantom Tollbooth, well first of all, I’m shocked. You really need to stop what you’re doing and get that […]

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11/12/2017 's CBR9 Review No:22 |

Cubby returns, to the delight of most

Cubby Returns to Yellowstone by Frances Joyce Farnsworth

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Back in February I reviewed a charming little children’s book called Cubby in Wonderland. Since then, you have no doubt been wondering, whatever happened to that ursine lad? Did he hibernate? Did he go off on his own? Did he encounter any new creatures? All these questions and more are answered in the second and final installment of this series, Cubby Returns to Yellowstone. (Two and out? Frances Joyce Farnsworth was clearly an amateur at milking a series.) When the book opens, Cubby is stirring from a deep sleep, fretting that he feels odd and stiff, and his feet feel […]

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10/7/2017 's CBR9 Review No:19 |

Animorphs twofer: One very silly, one very not.

The Underground (Animorphs, #17) & The Decision (Animorphs, #18) by K.A. Applegate

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Apparently instant oatmeal (maple ginger instant oatmeal, to be precise) is like Yeerk heroin, so the Animorphs decide to run a mission down to the Yeerk pool, and see how many Yeerks they can get addicted to it (a process which eventually drives them mad). Man, just typing it out like that makes me feel like their whole plan was super fucked up, and the fact that no one really put up more than a token resistance to it is NOT a good sign for both the morale and morality of our heroes. Aside from the oatmeal complication, this is […]

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9/22/2017 's CBR9 Review No:87 |


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