Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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Princess of the Shtetl? Prince of my Heart!

Princess of the Shtetl by Jake Maia Arlow

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Princess of the Shtetl is one of my most anticipated releases, and it was so worth the wait (even though y’all are going to have to wait a bit longer because it’s not out until January – I’m sorry/you’re welcome?). Jake writes fantastic, fun middle grade novels, and Princess of the Shtetl is far and away his best to date. Princess follows Bunke, an eleven-year-old girl living in a Russian shtetl during a time when the dangers to Jewish families are increasing and young Jewish boys […]

Six stories, one War

Survivors of the Holocaust: True Stories of Six Extraordinary Children by Kath Shackelton, Zane Whittingham and Ryan Jones

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This is a controversial start to my review of Survivors of the Holocaust: True Stories of Six Extraordinary Children by editor Kath Shackelton: Yes, I think we need stories about the Jewish experiences of the Holocaust. Yes, we need the children’s stories. And thankfully we can have survivor stories. However, we know those stories. I would love to see more stories about the other people who were persecuted as well. I want a mix of stories as I do not want anyone’s story to be […]

I had a lot of clever titles for this review but none of them fit.

Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan and Noah Stollman

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Recently I was emailing a representative of a publisher my work deals with. We were talking about a book dealing with the 12 Day War between Iran and Israel that is coming out this fall. I mentioned I would like to find something that showed the other side of the story as well. I figure one should get all the information one can and you’ll probably have a better understanding of things as a whole. The person mentioned they liked Rutu Modan. However, she was […]

What if Cinderella was a handsome Jewish man and the prince was a determined and beautiful heiress?

Marry Me by Midnight by Felicia Grossman

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Isabelle Lira wants to take charge of her deceased father’s business, but is hindered from doing so both because she is a woman and because the Jewish community she lives in finds it unacceptable. So she must find a husband who will not object to her controlling her family’s interests, and who won’t be cruel, abusive or who will take advantage of her and her wealth. In order to find a suitable match, she is arranging three festival events, where all eligible Jewish men are […]

The story in grandmother’s attic

A Family Secret by Eric Heuvel and Lorraine T. Miller

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Due to the familiarity of the story presented in A Family Secret by Eric Heuvel and Lorraine T. Miller (Translator), things were not as impactful as it could have been. However, if this is your first or near first time reading a WWII / Holocaust story, it is good. The images are busy, so take your time with them. The ending is a smidgen idealistic, but it’s also a nice touch. I am now curious about the sequel / companion graphic novel. I would have […]

New place, new community, new home

The Garlic Eaters by Madison Safer

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As a bookseller I have access to books in multiple ways. The easiest way is to have online reader copies. I was granted access to The Garlic Eaters by Madison Safer this way. I was going to wait to read it (as it is due in July 2026, so I had plenty of time to read) but decided why not? I needed something that seemed quick and easy. There is nothing quick or easy about things. You are getting a deep story about displacement from […]



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