Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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Mangonificent tale

Farah Loves Mangos by Sarthak Sinha

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CBR15Passport Different Countries (author is from India & his travels have taken him “from the tropical rainforests to the high Himalayas where he makes children’s books from his tiny studio.”) This book, Farah Loves Mangos, has multiple feelings, but in the end, it becomes a little bittersweet. At first it seems like a lovely story of a young girl, her mangos, and her grandfather. I assumed we would have a symbolism story where the mango tree represents the grandfather, or how the tree is the […]

Don’t pick your nose, pick a book

Got Your Nose! by Alan Katz

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Let’s get it out of the way: If I had to pick a nose (book), I would pick this one. I can’t catch my nose, it’s too runny. I hope I don’t blow this review. Alan Katz did similar and a few more jokes inside the pages of Got Your Nose! The “you’re never too old for silly fun” is the center of the tale. When Becky’s grandfather Max makes a surprise visit, they sing and play music and end up on a surprise adventure: […]

Shiver me timbers and pull up a cutlass

When I Was a Pirate by Tom Silson

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You can take When I Was a Pirate with you can take this book with a shot of rum and coke and say it is a true whale of a tail. Or you can believe that the grandfather has had some far out times in his life.  I mean, does the grandfather in the story tell the truth? Was he a grand old pirate in his youth? (Tattoos seem to confirm this.) Or is he just diving deep into a bit of exaggeration?  I would […]

What is your relationship with your grandfather?

Gigi and Ojiji by Melissa Iwai

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I find it amusing when I want to review an early/easy reader. After all, it is funny that a book that probably has less than 250 words needs a review of 250 words. Gigi and Ojiji by Melissa Iwai has a lot going on in it. There is the daughter/mother relationship. There is the granddaughter/grandfather relationship. And there is the culture relationship. You learn Gigi is biracial (Japanese mother, white father) by just seeing it. There is no HEY LOOK! I AM DIFFERENT yelling off […]

Bitter sweet goodbyes

The Sour Cherry Tree by Naseem Hrab

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When I first saw The Sour Cherry Tree by Naseem Hrab, I thought it was going to be an Asian folktale. Instead, this lovely story of a granddaughter saying goodbye to a beloved grandfather is a realistic story with Arabic characters. But the great part is, it is relatable no matter your background. Anyone with a grandparent that maybe you did not have a terrible close relationship with but had a very special one will understand how the young girl feels the day she learns […]

Keeping your Family together

When We Were Alone by David Alexander Robertson

Grandpa’s Girls by Nicola I. Campbell

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Both books are very different but have the common thread of having a Native American influence, or backdrop. These would be great books to add to any collection. They both are fabulous examples of the meaning of friendship. I preferred When We Were Alone more than Grandpa’s Girls for several reasons. One reason I enjoyed it was the serious tone of the book. This might turn some people off, but even then, David Alexander Robertson has infused a great hopefulness as well. When We Were […]



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