Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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As Chang says: Don’t Yuck another’s Yum

Geraldine Pu and Her Lunch Box, Too! by Maggie P. Chang

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Geraldine Pu and Her Lunch Box, Too! was not something that looked like a must read. Afterall, it seemed obvious: it was going to be about a girl who carries a lunch box and there will be some issue with it: classmates think she is a “baby” for having a lunch box. Or someone was going to bully her, and the lunchbox was going to take the brunt of the abuse. However, as the adage goes: Don’t judge a book by its cover. Geraldine is […]

Emmie is a Gem of a girl

Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson

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Invisible Emmie is another gem in the author/illustrator series of middle school. Terri Libenson has taken her character Emmie and shown her through her own eyes. As well as showing some of the characters from the other books in a different light. When you see a person through another character’s eyes you start to get a bigger picture of the world Libenson wanted to tell. And that story is the world of middle school. Yet, each character is one that we know, want to be […]

A really good premise ruined by casual racism and poor characterization

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

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The Scholomance is not your typical school. And not just because it’s a school for magic. No, this school is not your average school because it will straight up try to kill you. Students have to stay alert constantly and travel in packs everywhere lest one of the evil creatures, or malefecaria, who live in the school try to kill them. Galadriel, or El, is a student at the Scholomance determined to survive all the way through graduation and do so on her own terms. […]

Obviously, this book is not for everyone

Rescuing Mrs. Birdley by Aaron Reynolds

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I either started and never finished Rescuing Mrs. Birdley or I have read it before. However, if it is a reread, I do not remember reading it the first time. This picture book review is as if this is the first and only time, I have read it. Our “animal expert” (solely by her word only) Miranda sees her teacher in the grocery store. Not unusual. I still run into former educators all over town. However, Miranda has the misunderstanding of what a teachers “natural […]

We all have jitters

First Day Critter Jitters by Jory John

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It will be the first day of school soon and the critter students all have the jitters (hence why the book is called First Day Critter Jitters). Sloth worries he is too slow, Snake cannot get his backpack on his body, Bunny has a lot of energy and worries they will not be able to hop around. Everyone has a special issue that is related to their animal type. But they are all real fears and worries children have. When they finally get to school, […]

Nat your friend, but you probably want her to be

Forget Me Nat (Nat Enough V02) by Maria Scrivan

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In many ways, Forget Me Nat (Nat Enough V02) is better and funnier than the first book. Maria Scrivan continues the adventures of our hero Natalie (or Nat) and her friends. The second half of the year has started, but the crush Nat has only continued to get stronger. And yes, we have some rose colored glasses, a best friend into a little gossip, another best friend into running for class president and a whole lot of hijinks, humor, and several people with hurt feelings. […]



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