Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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“Sylvia did reach her dream of becoming a ballerina. And it all started with one determined girl with one library book from one bookmobile.”

Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became The Bookmobile Ballerina by Lea Lyon & A. LaFaye, Illustrations by Jessica Gibson

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We’re gonna start off today’s review by (potentially? I don’t think I’ve talked about this here before) learning a new thing about NTE: I used to be a dancer. Before my body decided that anything that required even standing was completely out of the question (so from age 3-15, basically), being a dancer was a major part of my identity. I danced five days a week – tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, & pointe. Pointe was – by far – my worst class (I had […]

A Special kind of lunch

Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi

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Lailah is in a new school in a new country. She misses her old friends, friends who were old enough last year to partake in the fasting of Ramadan. This year, she is deemed old enough by her mother, and wishes she could share her concerns and excitement with those friends. But here at the new school, she is shy and worried no one will understand the importance of this honor. She worries that people will make fun of her and feel sorry when she […]

On Pointe

Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina by Lea Lyon

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Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina has gotten a lot of attention. First, because this is a good book that covers several subjects. It covers African American history, women’s history and dance. It covers determination and perseverance. It talks about challenges, a family’s love and how you can do anything with the right book. This is a sweet story about Sylvia Townsend: a determined girl who let nothing stopped her. Lea Lyon and A. LaFaye’s text is upbeat and highlights the […]



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