Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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Panda Bears Eat 35 Pounds of Bamboo Daily

The Beast in the Clouds: The Roosevelt Brothers' Deadly Quest to Find the Mythical Giant Panda by Nathalia Holt

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This book was recently chosen for my book club of dudes, perpetuating the stereotype that guys don’t read fiction. Y’all know I *do* read fiction, though, because (a) I like it, and (b) I like to be a contrarian. Anyway, Dr. Nathalia Holt’s newest historical narrative is about the Roosevelt brothers’ 1929 expedition to the Himalayas to try and locate the fabled panda bear. Ted and Kermit were sons of former President Teddy Roosevelt, and frenemy cousins with FDR. Neither son could do much to […]

Tusks of Extinction

The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Naylor

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This is a well-crafted little novella. The consciousness of our protagonist, Damira, has been “uploaded” into a mammoth (!), which scientists have brought back from extinction. Damira had been an elephant activist, an anti-poaching conservationist. After she uploads her consciousness to a vaguely explained political lab, and after her subsequent death, and after the extinction of African elephants, scientists successfully bring back the mammoth. Unfortunately, the neo-mammoths don’t know how to behave like mammoths, on account of being previously extinct. Also, poachers still exist, and […]

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene don’t stop helping the bees, hunny!

Green Jolene and the Backyard Bees by Wendy Mass

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Green Jolene and the Backyard Bees is written by an author I have enjoyed reading over the years. This author is Wendy Mass. And while they have had a few different ages and have written a few different genres, their more realistic stories are fun. And when Mass collaborates with illustrator Billy Yong you get an interesting combination of realistic story, art and modern feelings. Yet, there is also a classical, family friendly feeling as well. This mixture works for today’s readers aged at least […]

She made sure it was not a silent night

Rachel Carson's Wonder-Filled World : How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover Changed the Environmental Movement by Kate Hannigan

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This poetic biography of Rachel Carson covers the basic facts, but also gives a romantic twist to how her personality, adventures and contributions were. There are multiple sections where the five senses come into play and we learn what she sees, hears, smells, feels, and tastes. They could be literal but mostly metaphorical.  Rachel Carson’s Wonder-Filled World : How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover Changed the Environmental Movement by Kate Hannigan and illustrated by Katie Hickey (which I read via an online reader copy […]

Lining up History

Lady of the Lines: How Maria Reiche Saved the Nazca Lines by Sweeping the Desert by Michaela Maccoll and Elisa Chavarri

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Lady of the Lines: How Maria Reiche Saved the Nazca Lines by Sweeping the Desert by Michaela Maccoll and illustrated by Elisa Chavarri has the privilege of being one of my favorite books of 2025 so far. Due in April 2025 (I read via an online reader copy) I hope you run out and preorder it at your local independent bookstore, buy copies for all the kids (and adults) you know, for town and school libraries, not to mention for the tiny free libraries on […]

The plight of bees done poetically

Milk Without Honey by Hanna Harms

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Milk Without Honey by Hanna Harms (translated by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp and Sarah Wyndham Lewis doing the foreword) is a clever, poetic look at the loss of the pollinator, especially the honeybee. The author’s illustrations are both a bit realistic but also interestingly abstract. The use of the color yellow, as well as black and white, is important. The overall feel is the content is for anyone, but the way it is presented might not be for everyone. However, it is for the strong teen […]



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