Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


Food and family

Rainbow Shopping by Qing Zhuang

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The publisher’s description of Rainbow Shopping by Qing Zhuang says “Shopping for and preparing a delicious meal helps a young Chinese American girl feel connected to her family.” But it is more than that. It is a way of her having a connection with her past and the present. And it shows a piece of her old home and her new home. We are able to see that while she cannot find everything she and her mother wanted for their special dinners (the whole family […]

Take a look it is in a book (and it’s fun too)

The Spell of a Story by Mariajo Ilustrajo

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I just counted and if my count is right, this is not only my oddball review of 884 (I like “boxed numbers” or ending in zero or five; or all three being the same….sometimes), but also my SEVENTEENTH Cannonball. (I think I might have reviewed a few books this year. What do you think?) But regardless if this is my 884th or 4th, this book is something special. Which is interesting as The Spell of a Story did not immediately grab me when I first saw/found it. […]

Surprises sent in the email

Archie Celebrates an Indian Wedding by Mitali Banerjee Ruths

Sami's Special Gift by M O Yuksel

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I love getting good surprise emails about books. Recently Charlesbridge Publishing sent me a link with new titles. There were several that talked about cultures that are not usually ones we see or know about. I jumped on in, read the 17 that were in English (a few were in Spanish) and found  these below. I admit, I made some assumptions about Archie Celebrates an Indian Wedding. Which, actually, I’m glad I did. I was able to learn from that, and that one should not assume; […]

2024 is going to be a busy year

Our Nipa Hut: A Story in the Philippines by Rachell Abalos

I Am Both : A Vietnamese Refugee Story  by Kerisa Greene

Two Homes, One Heart  by Jessica Young

All About Color by Elizabeth Rusch

Of Words and Water: The Story of Wilma Dykeman—Writer, Historian, Environmentalist  by Shannon Hitchcock

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It is a picture book reviewing round up time! My theme is that of cultures. Of course we know the concept of “country and culture” but sometimes a culture can be something you do not immediately think of.  Yelena and Papa take care of their nipa hut and it takes care of them in Rachell Abalos’s picture book, Our Nipa Hut: A Story in the Philippines. Due in February 2024, I was lucky enough to have my book dealer send me a finished copy, as this is a book that needs […]

Come for the story, leave appreciating some lovely art

Is This a House for Hermit Crab? by Megan McDonald

A Happy Place by Britta Teckentrup

Imperfectly Perfect: A Story That Cherishes Beauty in Imperfection by Perry Emerson

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There was an email in my work email inbox that first was thanking the booksellers who had nominated several titles from the publisher for the Indie Next newsletter. They then asked us to consider some other titles for the next one (as the deadline was in a few weeks). This made me browse the titles they were promoting and found one that worked for my particular mood at the time.    The one that caught my eye was the picture book, Is This a House for Hermit Crab? by Megan McDonald and illustrated by […]

“Welcome to the future! The future stinks.” (Your Pal Fred)

Your Pal Fred Volume One by Michael Rex

Doom’s Day Camp V02 The Story Eater by Joshua Hauke

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I had an odd reading arc at the end of 2023. I  found some not overly happy books. One was a book about Palestine and Gaza, a graphic novel about the Holocaust, and  two books about the apocalypse. Not to mention the teen novel about a “camp” to train teenage assassins. However, there was humor in the two apocalypse books. In Your Pal Fred Volume One, Michael Rex made a character that is from the past. He wakes up in the seriously dystopian world of […]



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