Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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Ornery Agatha Cat Christie

Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire

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Ellie and her sister Meg are the latest managers of their family-owned bookstore. When an employee disappears and a mysterious visitor ends up dead in a gondola, the Christies find themselves entangled in the mystery. My losing streak had apparently ended, because I adored this book! It had all the best traits of a cozy mystery – quirky characters, a small town feel, adorable animals – without going overboard, which is a real hazard in this genre. The Christies are a fun, close-knit family, bookstore […]

Baby it is Flipping (only I didn’t say flipping) cold outside

I Survived the Children’s Blizzard, 1888 (I Survived, #16) by Lauren Tarshis

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cbr14bingo Cold  Level 1 & 2   (Images taken from online)   I Survived the Children’s Blizzard, 1888 (I Survived, #16) by Lauren Tarshis is an easy read for stronger readers but could capture some reluctant readers with the boy narrator and the adventure of the blizzard. The ages could start as young as six or seven for the more advanced reader, as there is little in the way of content that could be considered “too much” (I am sure cartoons and movies today have […]

Friends and snow and that’s how it goes!

A Thing Called Snow by Yuval Zommer

Before We Sleep by Giorgio Volpe

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Due to new books coming out for the holiday season, picture books are coming at us from all sides! And several are quaint, sweet, old fashioned with modern twists, stories. Two of those sweet ones are A Thing Called Snow and Before We Sleep. My first thought about both were: sweet stories. My second thought: Dang these are some awesome illustrations. My final thought: Um… sorry a fox and rabbit and a fox and a mouse are not going to be “safe friends” so why […]

Follow a Star to Friendship

The Bear and the Star by Lola M. Schaefer

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I was thinking this book was a holiday, Christmas story, from the cover. And while it is never mentioned as Christmas, there is an extremely obvious them of the Christ child at the end, going on. Fun illustrations, but the story has some weak moments. Overall, The Bear and the Star is a sweet story. It is about the spiritual of the season and giving to others. Lola M. Schaefer has clear text, even if some places feel a bit rushed or missing pieces. Bethanne […]

Snow Days

Snowy Farm by Calvin Shaw

One Snowy Morning by Kevin Tseng

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It is January in New England and we finally have gotten some serious snow that was snow and not just “crappy stuff” that actually stayed for a little while. If we could get rid of the extreme nasty cold temperatures it would be perfect. Yet, this not so nice weather has allowed me to stay inside and read. And as I was not in the mood for a “deep dark serious reading” for most of the weekend (though I did do at least one of […]

Refreshingly Cool

To Build A Fire by Christophe Chaboute

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I settled in to read this quick graphic novel on a warm autumn evening. Sitting in my Muskoka chair in the backyard, sun streaming down on me, I soon felt the cold and frost of Jack London’s classic tale brought to visceral life by the pen of Christophe Chaboute. You’d be tempted to think this is a black and white comic right until the first fire is lit, which is when we finally see flashes of red, orange and yellow, but a closer look will […]



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