Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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I should save this for a bingo or something like this, but I gotta tell you about the book that made me cry

We Are Pan by Andre R. Frattino and Yasmín Flores Montañez

June 5, 2026 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

A little over a year ago I read Tokyo Rose – Zero Hour by Andre R. Frattino and illustrator Kate Kasenow. I gave it a rating of four. When I was looking for my review from 2025, I found another review that was from 2023 (if you haven’t guessed, I came late to the party) on here that was also a four. I mention this other book because not only is it a great book and should be promoted when it can, Frattino is the […]

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Religion, Romance, Short Stories, Young Adult Tagged With: 1960s, 20th Century, Alex Segura, Andre R. Frattino, Andre R. Frattino and Yasmín Flores Montañez, Castro, Catholic Welfare Bureau, Cuba, diversity, family, Fidel Castro, Hispanic & Latino, Multicultural, Operation Pedro Pan, parents, revolution

BlackRaven's CBR18 Review No:160 · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Religion, Romance, Short Stories, Young Adult · Tags: 1960s, 20th Century, Alex Segura, Andre R. Frattino, Andre R. Frattino and Yasmín Flores Montañez, Castro, Catholic Welfare Bureau, Cuba, diversity, family, Fidel Castro, Hispanic & Latino, Multicultural, Operation Pedro Pan, parents, revolution ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Sun reigns; desert shapes

Sundust: (A Caldecott Honor Book) by Zeke Peña

February 19, 2026 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

The minimalistic text and illustrations of Sundust: (A Caldecott Honor Book) by Zeke Peña  packs a punch. It is a “you experience it by what you bring to the table” book. Therefore, no two people read the same book, and even no two readings by the same reader will be the same book, either. The siblings of the story leave the comfort zone of their home, community, safety, and wander into the desert. Here they not only see things you can’t find in society, you are […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Health, Poetry Tagged With: Environment, family, Hispanic & Latino, Science & Nature, siblings, Zeke Pena

BlackRaven's CBR18 Review No:60 · Genres: Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Health, Poetry · Tags: Environment, family, Hispanic & Latino, Science & Nature, siblings, Zeke Pena ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Munchies and Crunchies animal friendly

Picadillo for Paulina by Ruth Behar, Gabriel Frye-Behar, Erika Rodriguez Medina

January 12, 2026 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Picadillo for Paulina by Ruth Behar, Gabriel Frye-Behar, and Erika Rodriguez Medina    Having a vegetarian base to the character is a unique way of introducing a food “lifestyle” (for health or personal reasons). The addition of the recipe shows how you can adapt one dish for this traditionally Cuban meat dish. Overall, sweet, I like the tension without it being too confrontational. The images are soft, and bubbly to help soften a somewhat serious story. That is a basic description of the story. I […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Cooking/Food, Fiction, Health Tagged With: animals, Erika Rodriguez medina, family, Gabriel Frye-Behar, grandmothers, grandparents, Hispanic & Latino, Ruth Behar, Ruth Behar, Gabriel Frye-Behar, Erika Rodriguez Medina, Social Themes, zoos

BlackRaven's CBR18 Review No:14 · Genres: Children's Books, Cooking/Food, Fiction, Health · Tags: animals, Erika Rodriguez medina, family, Gabriel Frye-Behar, grandmothers, grandparents, Hispanic & Latino, Ruth Behar, Ruth Behar, Gabriel Frye-Behar, Erika Rodriguez Medina, Social Themes, zoos ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Young rebels

Little Rebels by Yuyi Morales

July 29, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Cbr17bingo Citizen (as a citizen it is our duty to help the community we are a citizen of and we are a citizen of the Earth, the land, the people on it). To be honest, I do not remember if I requested the reader’s copy of Little Rebels by Yuyi Morales or if it was just sent to me, but either way I got a lovely surprise when it arrived at my work via the USPS mail. It is due in early September 2025, therefore […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: activism, cbr17bingo, Cbr17bingo Citizen, citizenship, Hispanic & Latino, Imagination & Play, Social Justice, Social Themes, Yuyi Morales

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:340 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry · Tags: activism, cbr17bingo, Cbr17bingo Citizen, citizenship, Hispanic & Latino, Imagination & Play, Social Justice, Social Themes, Yuyi Morales ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

What’s scarier than a cucuy?

The Unlikely Aventuras of Ramón and El Cucuy: An Illustrated Chapter Book by Donna Barba Higuera

March 6, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

The Unlikely Aventuras of Ramón and El Cucuy: An Illustrated Chapter Book by Donna Barba Higuera and some funny illustrations by Juliana Perdomo is a fun story about family and a bit of mythology, that I read via an online reader copy.  Our narrator/main character is a young monster on the eve of his first assignment to scare a human child. They are the youngest in their class, and one of the few cucuys who do not have a Clump or name. Therefore, they must […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Cooking/Food, Fantasy, Fiction Tagged With: Donna Barba Higuera, family, friendship, Hispanic & Latino, Juliana Perdomo, monsters, moving, school, Social Themes

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:128 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Cooking/Food, Fantasy, Fiction · Tags: Donna Barba Higuera, family, friendship, Hispanic & Latino, Juliana Perdomo, monsters, moving, school, Social Themes ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Magic!!! (jazz hands)

Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain: A Graphic Novel by Juan E. Zambrano

January 10, 2025 by BlackRaven 1 Comment

We have seen this story before: Boys cannot do magic. They cannot be witches. The non witches also think witches are evil and bad. Witches think non witches are beneath them and if they have any trace of magic it is not pure and therefore not worthy of paying attention to.  But in Pacheco and the Witch of the Mountain: A Graphic Novel by Juan E. Zambrano (due June 2025) this story is told with a bit of fun and humor, plus a few twists […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Cooking/Food, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Mystery, Religion, Young Adult Tagged With: Fairy Tales, family, folklore, friendship, Hispanic & Latino, Juan E. Zambrano, Legends & Mythology, magic, Social Themes, Venezuela

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:24 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Cooking/Food, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels/Comic Books, Health, History, Mystery, Religion, Young Adult · Tags: Fairy Tales, family, folklore, friendship, Hispanic & Latino, Juan E. Zambrano, Legends & Mythology, magic, Social Themes, Venezuela ·
Rating:
· 1 Comment
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