Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


One thread to connect them all

One Red Thread: A Story of Connection by Lindsay Ward

by Leave a Comment

One Red Thread: A Story of Connection by Lindsay Ward (author and illustration, read via an online reader copy, due September 2026) has everything I dislike about a book. It is too sweet, too cute, too happy-joy-joy, too kumbaya-yah. And yet, while it was too much for me, I think this book has great potential for all ages, including adults. And, for some reason, despite my dislikes I really liked this book.  The illustrations are cute, simple but are not lacking. I like how the […]

Me and my neighbor

The Blackout by Luis Amavisca and Francesc Rovira

by Leave a Comment

The cover of The Blackout by Luis Amavisca and illustrator Francesc Rovira (due October 2026, read via an online reader copy) makes the book look like it would be a slightly different and more mature story. Instead, it is a sweet picture book (that I hope is not oversized as it has an unusual look to the actual cover illustration) about how family—even found family, who is literally in the dark—makes everything a little better. The illustrations are perhaps my favorite part of things as […]

Be careful what you wish for

Ghoul by Kasey Iris

by Leave a Comment

After finishing my online reader copy of Ghoul by Kasey Iris (sent to me via an email from the publisher; due May 2026) I was not sure if I liked it or not. I know I didn’t dislike it, but I’m not sure how much I liked it. And, in this case, that is not a bad thing. This is a thoughtful and interesting story on grief, family and pain. Each character is dealing with secrets, heartache, and lack of understanding. The characters are seemingly […]

Kindness can go a long way.

La bondad brilla en la oscuridad / Kindness Glows in the Dark (Spanish and English Edition) by Gama Valle and Mrinali Álvarez Astacio

by Leave a Comment

While food insecurity is not a new subject, it is not one that is always talked about, especially in a picture book form or is not always accessible to all readers or listeners. The story La bondad brilla en la oscuridad / Kindness Glows in the Dark (Spanish and English Edition) by Gama Valle and Mrinali Álvarez Astacio (Illustrator) introduces this concept to a younger audience, but the extras at the end allow it to grow with the reader. The format, the place the story […]

Unbury the secrets

Rubble: The Hidden Letters of the Warsaw Ghetto by Elisa Boxer and Oksana Drachkovska

by Leave a Comment

The book Under the Rubble: The Hidden Letters of the Warsaw Ghetto by Elisa Boxer and illustrator Oksana Drachkovska did not give me a warm and happy feeling. It gave me a cold and sad feeling. The theme is obvious by the title as we know what the Warsaw Ghetto was. Now, one would think that this is not a book for kids, and it is not for the very young or frankly overly sensitive. But when you know your child (or classroom) is ready, […]

Enviormental fun

Luz Goes Green V01 Luz Sees the Light by Claudia Dávila

Luz Goes Green V02 Luz Makes a Splash by Claudia Dávila

by Leave a Comment

Unknowingly I read the Luz Goes Green series backwards. Or I read Luz Makes a Splash (Luz Goes Green, 2) by Claudia Davila before Luz Sees the Light (book one). That did not take away from the fact that I loved this book. Honestly this is probably the closest five I have read in awhile. Sure, there was one small bump, but that is forgivable. That bump was because the online reader I was reading didn’t have a lot of color. I would have loved […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo