Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


Join the CBR18 Book Bingo Reading Challenge—Now Underway!   

Save the world and work the family food truck

 Mabuhay! A Graphic Novel by Zachary Sterling

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We know the surface story, but there are several fun twists and turns in Mabuhay! A Graphic Novel.  What I mean is, we know sibling issues, how as kids our parents are always embarrassing us, that we are trying to make friends while dealing with bullies and trying to fit in. And one will not be able to do that when your parents own a food truck called The Beautiful Pig and you are in the smelly pig mascot costume. Or if  your kid sister is just […]

“The pit was full of bones and her hands were full of wires”

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

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4.5 stars #CBR15 Passport Challenge: Books I already own CBR15 Bingo: Violence 15-word-review: Princess Marra has to complete three impossible tasks to kill her brother-in-law. A quest follows. Longer review: Marra, the youngest princess in a small, rather insignificant kingdom, who has spent half of her life in a convent and so is almost, but very significantly not, a nun, has been set three impossible tasks by a dust-wife (a magic-wielding woman who can communicate with the dead). She must spin thread out of nettles […]

Picture books are Fun

Indigo Dreaming by Dinah Johnson

Not Quite Narwhal and Friends: Weather Together by Jessie Sima

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  cbr15bingo Africa: Indigo dreaming has the African connection I enjoy doing picture book reviews and doing a round-up review of a few titles at once. The thing with picture books is that they are short. So, they are easy to read. And yet, they can be packed from cover to cover with amazing goodies. Just sometimes that does not lend itself to a regulation review word count. The below titles are perfect for most people, yet different enough and varied in age ranges that […]

A genius scientist and her evil nemesis some aliens, a talking goat and a toilet weasel

Billie Blaster and the Robot Army from Outer Space  by Laini Taylor

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cbr15bingo On the air:  Spaceship in space because a signal from an old robot friend is sent back to Earth that starts Billie’s adventures  Billie Blaster and the Robot Army from Outer Space  is a good solid 3.5 rating. It was not “OMG Best book ever!” but I enjoyed it. The humor is typical kid, there is a message (though maybe slightly glossed over), and there is a fun premise (though I really really wish there was a particular room on the spaceship….) Overall, ages […]

Say, you’re not around from around here are you?

How to Welcome an Alien by Rebecca Klempner

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This is a picture book that is about welcoming people in the tradition of Jewish hospitality. How to Welcome an Alien is on the surface, just about being kind to your neighbors and visitors; but the deeper meaning is accepting people who are different from you, and helping them in times of need. This can mean not just your new neighbors, but refugees, aliens or even something else. Rebecca Klempner set their book in a way all can relate. It is humorous, but serious as well. […]

Around the world in a book

Lunar New Year (Celebrations & Festivals) by Natasha Yim

Martina Has Too Many Tias by Emma Otheguy

The Masjid Kamal Loves by Ashley Franklin

Lali’s Flip-Flops by Farhana Zia

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I was in the mood for picture books, and when I went looking for one, I found four. (I was surprised I only found four). And when I started to really look at them, I realized they were all culturally based.  And due to the shorter nature of them, it would be hard to write individual reviews, so here is a “Around the World ” in four books themed review. All are currently available and all are good reads and I will probably read the […]



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