Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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One thread to connect them all

One Red Thread: A Story of Connection by Lindsay Ward

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One Red Thread: A Story of Connection by Lindsay Ward (author and illustration, read via an online reader copy, due September 2026) has everything I dislike about a book. It is too sweet, too cute, too happy-joy-joy, too kumbaya-yah. And yet, while it was too much for me, I think this book has great potential for all ages, including adults. And, for some reason, despite my dislikes I really liked this book.  The illustrations are cute, simple but are not lacking. I like how the […]

Honestly, I didn’t even know virologist was a word, let alone how bada$$ they can be!

June Almeida, Virus Detective!: The Woman Who Discovered the First Human Coronavirus by Suzanne Slade and Elisa Paganelli

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Back in 2021 the book June Almeida, Virus Detective!: The Woman Who Discovered the First Human Coronavirus by Suzanne Slade and illustrator Elisa Paganelli was published. In 2026 I found a copy of it. I then read it. I liked it. And then I wrote a review about it. The theme is simple: woman scientist discovered ways of counteracting viruses, learned to use machines in ways no one had before, and would decades before it would be needed on a global scale, tells us that […]

I’ve honestly lost track how many times I have read one and hope I can repeat it with the other title

The Tree in Me by Corinna Luyken

Hello, Ocean! by Corinna Luyken

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Honestly, I have lost track of how many times I have read The Tree in Me by Corinna Luyken. I know I have read it at least once via an online reader and one reading of the finished book, but I am sure it has been more. In fact, it could be up to four or five times. And this is because I forget I read it, but as soon as I do I remember, I remember it was a pleasure to read each time. […]

This book is out now, so lucky you! You don’t have to wait.

The Endless Game by J.D. Amato and Sophie Morse

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The Endless Game by J.D. Amato and illustrator Sophie Morse has some plot points that I personally dislike, but kids at least aged 9 and up would be the perfect audience for this graphic novel. The concept is for decades the two sides of the town have been at odds. Think “greasers and socs.” Think “Uptown Kids vs. Downtown Kids.” Think “Hatfield and McCoys.”  Then one day, the mayor of the town decides to have a “friendly” game of Capture the Flag to have some […]

Life, love and rock climbing

Kirby's Lessons for Falling [in Love] by Laura Gao

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Kirby’s Lessons for Falling [in Love] was neither loved nor hated. I mean, Laura Gao did a lovely job of story, text and art, but at the same time, I was thinking, “Something is missing.” It moved quickly, has some new takes on familiar themes, and for the most part I like how things turned out. Yet, giving it a score is hard as I loved most of it, but there were places I did not. Probably why I am having trouble figuring out a […]

No longer under his grandmother’s table

I Wish I Didn't Have to Tell You This: A Graphic Memoir by Eugene Yelchin

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I enjoy Eugene Yelchin as an author and illustrator. I have read several titles including, The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, Breaking Stalin’s Nose, and The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! by Carmen Agra Deedy (illustrated by Yelchin). Therefore I was excited about I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This: A Graphic Memoir written and illustrated by Yelchin. I was assuming it was going to be a memoir of his life during the early 1980s, but it […]



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