Cannonball Read 14

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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Another Delightful Middle-Grade Graphic Novel Wins My Heart

Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright

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Twins is a fun read and one I have now owned two copies of, so I am hanging on to this one so I don’t have to buy a third! Maureen and Francine have always been together in the same class but now, as they enter middle school, they’ve been separated in all but two classes. Maureen, who is shyer, wants them to be in the same classes, but Francine seems thrilled to have time away from her twin. Maureen also has the added misery of […]

Relatable awesomeness

Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega

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I will start with a controversial statement. I am not always a fan of the drawn natural hair look. For me, it does not “translate” well to the page. I feel something is lost from the “real look” verses the “page look.” However, in Frizzy Rose Bousamra really pulled it off. Marlene (our heroine) and her natural look is amazingly done. And Claribel A. Ortega’s story is equally wonderful. Now, I am not a Dominican middle school girl who has the same self-esteem issues s […]

I read some books and I want you to know about them

The Pack by Amanda Cley

A Perfect Spot by Isabelle Simler

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A surprise in the mail other day found its way to my desk. Two hardcover picture books from a publisher I do not remember asking for (but I am on publishers’ lists so it could be they cold-sent!) called The Pack by Amanda Cley and Cecilia Ferri and A Perfect Spot by Isabelle Simler. The Pack is spooky. Not in the usual sense of “creepy ghosts or goblins” but the tone is somber, and the sepia colors (with the hints of rare other colors just […]

More smiling eyes

Eyes That Speak to the Stars by Joanna Ho

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While gorgeously illustrated, Eyes That Speak to the Stars is a repeat of the companion book Eyes That Kiss in the Corners also by Joanna Ho and Dung Ho. However, that is not to say it is not as delightful as the first book, but I was looking for something slightly different. The story starts off with an innocent drawing by a school friend, has our narrator questioning how people see him, and how he sees himself. The picture looks nothing like him. But through […]

I’m Team Glue, but I see the Importance of Glitter

When Glitter Met Glue (When Pencil Met Eraser) by Karen Kilpatrick

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When Glitter Met Glue is part of the When Pencil Met Eraser series by Karen Kilpatrick. They are about our pens, pencils, erasers, markers, and other tools of art/writing that come to life to teach a lesson and entertain. They are a formula that you have seen before but are fresh due to the way German Blanco creates their illustrations. Here we learn about how friendships are created and how even if you are feeling underappreciated, you are still a vital part of the team. […]

Looking for an “unrealistic YA rom-com where the fat girl gets the guy?” Well, it might be more realistic than you think.

Big Boned by Jo Watson

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I started Big Boned by Jo Watson sometime last fall. And it took me this long not because it was bad, the opposite actually, but I was only reading at lunch, was not reading every day and it just got away from me.  This weekend I had a few hours with nothing bothering me expect my friend’s cat occasionally giving me the stink eye as I was not petting him and sitting in his spot. What started off as a funny-without-be-lol-funny book would have its […]



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