Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


Not just the middle school blues

Other Boys by Damian Alexander

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We know this story: Boy learning who he is. And we know the story of Boy learning that he is Gay and that’s okay. However, Damian Alexander’s approach makes Other Boys a fresh take on that story. The use of the wording/phrase “other boy(s)” is used throughout the book. Sometimes it is, “You are not like the other boys” and sometimes a bit more subtle, but it is there. Sometimes it is a half-compliment and others times and out and out insult. Both will make […]

Family, Friends, Fashion

Lizard in a Zoot Suit by Marco Finnegan

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One crazy (not so little) book that takes you to the 1940s and shows us how fashion caused a riot. Or more accurately, the fact people wore something “different” and were “different” and the prejudices against being different caused people to cause a riot. Lizard in a Zoot Suit shows the layers of events that would lead to the events that would lead to the real-life Zoot Suit Riots. The fact there is a disguised Lizard creature trying to help two sisters when they find […]

Mirror Mirror on the Wall I’ve Become My Mother Afterall

I Am Not Starfire by Mariko Tamaki

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I Am Not Starfire is a lighthearted coming of age/this girl isn’t like the other superhero story.  There are several obvious situations and solutions, but Mariko Tamaki’s text makes them fun and while not necessarily fresh, they are enjoyable to read. There are several characters who are diverse (due to race, sexuality, or personality). Of course, the story of the superhero Titan Starfire is multi-layered: she is the ultimate immigrant (she is not from this world), she is a single mom, and she is raising […]

Siblings to die for

The Blood Between Us by Z Brewer

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Had I been myself as a teenager (and I was) this book would have been a huge hit. The Blood Between Us is a thriller filled with distrust, explosions, and family secrets. Until you get to the end. And this was when my adult-self kicked in and the teenager who forgave a lot to just enjoy the story, came into play. The buildup was strong, but slow. All evidence points to an obvious ending (but honestly would be a satisfying one). That is, until the […]

Romeo and Juliet tackle social issues

The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera

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The Education of Margot Sanchez came up in at a time when I was looking for something different, not too “light”, but not too “heavy” either. And the book Lilliam Rivera presented was a story of coming of age when your world is not as perfect as it might seem. There is a lot to this story to make it a familiar story. We have the “trying to fit in with the cool crowd” plot line. We have the “abandoning old friends who don’t fit […]

Things could probably be okay if it wasn’t for that meddling, dead, Abuela

Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

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As a teen I might have been a bit more into Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland. The twist to the plot point was a bit of a slap, even though the description tells you what it will be. By going with a real “not dead” aspect, considering the spiritual aspects of the rest of the book was awkward. The pacing of the story is a slowly building up that at first was a great way to keep me […]



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