Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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Join the CBR18 Book Bingo Reading Challenge—Now Underway!   

Okay, now I’m showig off…. (sorry/not sorry)

The Princess Away Beyond the Mountains by Valeria Angela Pisi and Francesc Rovira

April's Journey by Annamaria Piccione, Luis Amavisca and Francesc Rovira

September 11, 2026 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I don’t know which came first for me to read, The Princess Away Beyond the Mountains by Valeria Angela Pisi and illustrated by Francesc Rovira (available) or April’s Journey by Annamaria Piccione, Luis Amavisca, and Francesc Rovira (available).  Whichever way it was (both read via online readers) April’s Journey made me think that it felt familiar. But I do not think I had read either before. It turned out that both were done by Francesc Rovira as the illustrator, and there was the familarity, with images […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Health, History, Poetry Tagged With: Activism & Social Justice, Annamaria Piccione, Annamaria Piccione, Luis Amavisca and Francesc Rovira, Francesc Rovira, Luis Amavisca, Moving & Relocation, Occupations, Peer Pressure, self-esteem, Self-Reliance, Social Themes, survival stories, Valeria Angela Pisi, Valeria Angela Pisi and Francesc Rovira

BlackRaven's CBR18 Review No:314 · Genres: Children's Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Health, History, Poetry · Tags: Activism & Social Justice, Annamaria Piccione, Annamaria Piccione, Luis Amavisca and Francesc Rovira, Francesc Rovira, Luis Amavisca, Moving & Relocation, Occupations, Peer Pressure, self-esteem, Self-Reliance, Social Themes, survival stories, Valeria Angela Pisi, Valeria Angela Pisi and Francesc Rovira ·
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· 0 Comments

Stand next to a princess

Modern-Day Princesses (Egalitè) by Luis Amavisca, Dolores Brown, and Sonja Wilmmer

August 14, 2026 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Before I started the picture book Modern-Day Princesses (Egalitè) by Luis Amavisca and Dolores Brown I thought that the woman in the top left corner of the cover was the actress Diona Reasonover (if you are unfamiliar with her, she plays Casey on the original NCIS television series). I felt this was a good sign and it meant I needed to read the book as I like Reasonover’s character, she is cute and I like a good omen. After reading the actual book, my first […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: Business, Careers, Dolores Brown, girls, Luis Amavisca, Dolores Brown, and Sonja Wilmmer, Occupations, Social Themes, Sonja Wilmmer, values, virtues, women

BlackRaven's CBR18 Review No:229 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction, Health, History, Non-Fiction, Poetry · Tags: Business, Careers, Dolores Brown, girls, Luis Amavisca, Dolores Brown, and Sonja Wilmmer, Occupations, Social Themes, Sonja Wilmmer, values, virtues, women ·
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· 0 Comments

Getting your vroom on

Sarabeth's Garage by Melanie Florence and Nadia Alam

April 15, 2026 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Once again, I found a book that I almost did not read. I was going through online reader copy links and Sarabeth’s Garage by Melanie Florence popped up. It had a funny looking cover, realistic, but overly cartoon based. It was colorful and okay, but not “grabbing me.” Still I was looking at Sarabeth, on the cover, with a garage behind her. It wasn’t bad-looking, okay it definitely looked like this was going to be a “girl power, girls can do anything story” but was […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: Business, Careers, cars, family, garages, Girls & Women, grandmothers, mechanics, Melanie Florence, Melanie Florence and Nadia Alam, Nadia Alam, Occupations, Transportation

BlackRaven's CBR18 Review No:106 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fiction, Poetry · Tags: Business, Careers, cars, family, garages, Girls & Women, grandmothers, mechanics, Melanie Florence, Melanie Florence and Nadia Alam, Nadia Alam, Occupations, Transportation ·
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Freshly squished (from frozen)

The Lemonade War Book 1 by Jacqueline Davies

August 26, 2025 by BlackRaven 1 Comment

While reading The Lemonade War Book 1 by Jacqueline Davies I did not think I would write it up here. It came out in the early 2000s. How could it still be relevant? Wouldn’t everyone have already read it? Therefore, I didn’t make arrangements to post. Then I was sitting at my work desk (a few days after finishing) and it had been mixing itself inside me, like mixing bugs and lemonade. Or: it was not sitting right. Why not talk about an almost 25 […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fiction Tagged With: Business, Careers, friendship, Jacqueline Davies, math, Occupations, siblings, Social Themes, values

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:381 · Genres: Children's Books, Comedy/Humor, Fiction · Tags: Business, Careers, friendship, Jacqueline Davies, math, Occupations, siblings, Social Themes, values ·
· 1 Comment

Take a trip to the market

August 26, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Mari and the Great Market Swap came up on my online reader site. It had a nice cover. It was bright, interesting, but was not saying READ ME NOW. I thought about it. I went to do other things. I read other things. The next day I said, “Well, it’s still there. Might as well give Janelle Springer-Willms’s book a go.” And I did. Now, while it might not be a WOW read, it is a strong cozy read. It did not shock or blow […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Cooking/Food, Fiction, Poetry Tagged With: Caribbean & Latin America, community, family, Janelle Springer-Willms, Juliana Eigner, Occupations, Places

Genres: Children's Books, Cooking/Food, Fiction, Poetry · Tags: Caribbean & Latin America, community, family, Janelle Springer-Willms, Juliana Eigner, Occupations, Places ·
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· 0 Comments

Presenting Hesse and Karas awesome collaboration

Night Job by Karen Hesse

April 25, 2025 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Night Job by Karen Hesse and illustrated by G. Brian Karas was almost put aside to read. It is not due until later October 2025, but I needed to see how these two would work together. I think of Hesse as a slightly more serious author and Karas as a lighter illustrator. Not saying it couldn’t work, but first thoughts are first thoughts. And they became probably one of my new favorite duos. The story is a bit on the lighter side allowing Karas almost […]

Filed Under: Children's Books, Fiction Tagged With: & Sons, Careers, children of working parents, Daily Activities, family, Fathers and sons, G. Brian Karas, jobs, Karen Hesse, night jobs, night work, Occupations, parents, School custodians, work and family, working parents

BlackRaven's CBR17 Review No:208 · Genres: Children's Books, Fiction · Tags: & Sons, Careers, children of working parents, Daily Activities, family, Fathers and sons, G. Brian Karas, jobs, Karen Hesse, night jobs, night work, Occupations, parents, School custodians, work and family, working parents ·
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