Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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A colorful story from a colorful author

Midnight Manor: A Backwards Bedtime Book by Sid Sharp

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Have you ever read a book and thought, “Now what?” I did with Midnight Manor: A Backwards Bedtime Book by Sid Sharp (late September 2026; read via an online reader copy). There was a beginning, middle and end to the story, but I am not sure what to do with that. Sharp’s book is one of the most abstract solid books I have recently read. Sharp is the author of the quirky books, Bog Myrtle, and the The Wolf Suit to give you an idea […]

As the old saying goes: Who is the monster and who is the man?

Stitch: Reimagining Frankenstein by Pádraig Kenny

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Stitch: Reimagining Frankenstein by Pádraig Kenny is a good reimagining of the Frankenstein story. You can see how the original story influences the ideas presented on the pages of this middle grade novel. There was much to enjoy, however, it lacked a ‘wow’ factor for me. It was enjoyable and I liked it but it wasn’t my favorite. With that said, I recommend it for ages 10 and up, but the sensitive reader might not be okay with some situations, as it does go “edgy […]

This wasn’t for me, but I am curious about the author

Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo

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Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo was a slow read for this reader. Also, it was nothing I had not read in other young adult novels, but for the modern reader starting out it is good. The prose poetry element reads as a novel and moves at its familiar novel pacing. I would have liked to have seen more of the narrator’s cultural background, but what is there is decent. You see, Bright Red Fruit is new if you are new to young adult literature, […]

Don’t debate, celebrate reading!

The Secret Society of the Willbrook Witches by Camille Perron-Cormier

Chickenpox by Remy Lai

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Lately, I’ve been debating a lot about whether I should write a review about some books I read. I like writing reviews for books. I love sharing my finds with others. Especially my children, middle readers and young adult reading, as it has been my experience that sometimes they are “shoved to the side” as afterthoughts, or dismissed as “just kids books,” or “not as good as adult reads.” I could go on. But back to debating on if I should review The Secret Society […]

Home Family

A Forest, A Family, A Harbor, A Home by Nikki McClure

The Things We Hold by Vanessa Lewis-Porter and Cornelius Van Wright 

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I honestly debated putting these two books together in one review. They are both about homes, but each with a radically different direction. One is about the closeness of home and family, while the other deals with homelessness and family.  The only similarty is that both are future publications and read via an online reader.  Yet, please find two books about home and what that means to the characters in these picture books. A Forest, A Family, A Harbor, A Home by Nikki McClure (due […]

A tangled fishing line catches friendship

Ege and Avra by Evgenia Mantikas and Elifgul Buyukoral

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The Autumn releases come at the busy time of the year as it is pre-holidays. And some years what you will find is good and other years not as much. But Fall of 2026 will be filled with new publications. And some really good ones too, like Ege and Avra.  Publisher description says it is a story about connecting Türkiye and Greece on the Aegean Sea. And that is how it ends, but the start is where the goodness happens. We follow two girls, Ege […]



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