Book Bunnies

Caramel reviews Make Your Own Press-Out Spaceships by David Hawcock

Today Caramel reviews a recent favorite, Make Your own Press-Out Spaceships, by David Hawcock. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, as soon as you saw this book in a catalog, you wanted to get your paws on it. But it took us a while to get a copy. Was it worth the wait?

Caramel: Yes. It most certainly was.

S: So tell us a bit about the book.

C: This book has a lot of fun facts about space, and in between, there are special pages you push out and make spaceships with. As you can imagine, this made me very happy.

S: I can imagine. But I don’t have to. I saw you happily building a rover and a space shuttle already.

C: Yep. And next I’m going to build the purple spaceship at the end. I will call it the Dark Star.

S: That sounds cool!

C: It is!

Caramel is reading Make Your Own Press-Out Spaceships by David Hawcock. — Caramel is reading *Make Your Own Press-Out Spaceships* by David Hawcock.

S: So you said the book is full of facts. And we know you love facts and have a lot of them in your head already. Can you tell me one new fact you learned?

C: I learned about dark matter. Apparently it is “an invisible component of matter that makes up most of the universe.” According to the NASA website we found, “dark matter is composed of particles that do not absorb, reflect, or emit light, so they cannot be detected by observing electromagnetic radiation. Dark matter is material that cannot be seen directly. We know that dark matter exists because of the effect it has on objects that we can observe directly.” That is pretty awesome!

S: I agree, it is pretty awesome!

C: I also learned that it takes Mercury eighty-eight days to orbit the sun, but it takes Pluto 247 Earth-years! That is kind of sad!

S: Yes, so if we lived on Pluto, years would probably not be too useful as units of time, right?

C: I guess you could use them to measure things that take a longer time.

S: But our lifetimes would be less than a Pluto-year.

C: Unless we would be different there, and our lives would last about the same number but in Pluto-years.

S: Those lives would be long!

C: Yes, and they would be excellent!

S: Okay, let us not get too carried away. So I know the book has cool facts and cool spaceship models, but when you remove the pages to make the models, what remains of the book? Do you still have something left over?

C: Yes. They were clever and put the model pages separately from the main book pages with the facts and the pictures. Did I tell you about the pictures yet?

S: No.

C: Okay, let me tell you now then. On every page there are a lot of colorful illustrations of astronauts and spaceships and so on. The book is really fun to look at.

S: That’s neat Caramel. So can you describe the book to me in three words?

C: Colorful, factful, and craftful.

S: Okay, I know I have accepted “factful” before even though it is kind of a stretch, but I have never heard of “craftful”.

C: Well, I created it so it now exists. You do know what I mean.

S: Yes, I suppose you mean that the book is a book of paper crafts.

C: Yep. You got it.

S: Okay, let us say it works then. So maybe this is a good time to wrap up the review. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Make Your Own Press-Out Spaceships by David Hawcock and made several of the spaceships already. Here he is posing with Rover the Rover and Kevin the Space Shuttle. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Make Your Own Press-Out Spaceships* by David Hawcock and made several of the spaceships already. Here he is posing with Rover the Rover and Kevin the Space Shuttle.

Marshmallow reviews The Red Pyramid (Book One of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan

Marshmallow is an avid reader and Rick Riordan is one of her favorite authors. She has read and reviewed several series by Riordan. Today she finally starts talking about The Kane Chronicles, Riordan’s books about the Egyptian mythologies. Below you will find her thoughts on The Red Pyramid, first published in 2010.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about Egyptian mythology or have enjoyed reading some of Rick Riordan’s other books, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Since his mother’s death, Carter Kane has traveled the world with his father. His father, a famous Egyptologist, got custody for Carter, but Carter’s younger sister, Sadie, was given to their maternal grandparents in London. Sadie and Carter are not particularly close, despite the fact that they are siblings. Given their strikingly different personalities (Carter is more reserved, quiet, and cautious, whereas Sadie is more outgoing, rebellious, and impulsive), different accents (Sadie has a British accent), and dissimilar appearances, most people would not assume that they are siblings.

Every year, Carter and his father are given a day to visit Sadie. On the day Carter and their dad visit Sadie, they go to the British Museum and their father releases several ancient Egyptian gods that were trapped in the Rosetta Stone. From there on, Carter and Sadie’s already-complicated lives get more complicated. The father is kidnapped by the evil, chaotic god, Set. Then Sadie and Carter are rescued by their uncle Amos, who they haven’t seen for many years. He takes them to a house in Brooklyn. (Yes, they were in London, but their uncle has magical abilities.) There, Carter and Sadie learn that they are descended from a line of magicians.

Eventually, they must flee Amos’s house and escape to Cairo, the first nome of the House of Life. As it turns out, Sadie and Carter’s dad did something illegal (in the House of Life) when he summoned the gods as gods are banned from the House of Life. In the House of Life, Carter and Sadie find new friends and new enemies. Sadie and Carter are trained to do magic by magician and scribe Zia Rashid (Carter’s new love interest). Unfortunately, Set plans to take over the world, bring chaos, and destroy all order. Can Carter and Sadie fight him with newly learned magic and prevent him from bringing about the end of the world?

Marshmallow is reading The Red Pyramid (Book One of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow is reading *The Red Pyramid* (Book One of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan.

Marshmallow’s Review: I really enjoyed reading The Red Pyramid and would highly recommend it to any and all people who liked any or all of Rick Riordan’s previous books. The writing style and narrative is the same: funny, fresh voice that we know and love from his Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, Trials of Apollo, and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series.

I really liked the characters and the interactions between them all. It was interesting to see the characters grappling with, not only impending doom and ancient Egyptian gods, but also losing family members and dealing with crushes. The emotions and thoughts portrayed in the book made the characters feel more real and more relatable.

The Red Pyramid is written as if it were an actual audio recording by Carter and Sadie. The book opens with Sadie and Carter instructing the reader to open a locker; this is explained later in the book.

Fair warning: The Red Pyramid is the first book in the Kane Chronicles trilogy, and if you read this, you will likely want to read the other books. The end reveals new information and promises a continuation of the plot. Some narrative threads are left unfinished, and it is clear that this is not the end of the story. I am really looking forward to reading and reviewing the other two Kane Chronicles books.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates The Red Pyramid (Book One of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Red Pyramid* (Book One of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan 100%.

Caramel reviews Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

Last year, Caramel grabbed a book from Marshmallow’s reading pile, as all little brothers do, and did not stop reading until he was done with it. We published his review of Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao in December 2022. While he is eagerly awaiting the sequel to that book, he was excited to find a different book by the same author this week: Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor. Today he is talking about this book originally published in 2022. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, I know you really liked Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, and you are eagerly waiting for its sequel, Heavenly Tyrant. But apparently that book won’t come out till next year. So in the meantime I thought you might enjoy this book by the same author. Was I right?

Caramel: Yes. I really liked Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor. And the two books are actually kind of related. They both have a character named Wu Zetian, who just happens to be the first female emperor of China.

S: But Iron Widow was a story that took place in a different planet.

C: And probably in the future. Yes.

S: How about this one?

C: This one is in our world. But it is also a bit in the future. They have full-blown virtual reality, a lot more advanced than what we have today.

S: I see. So they are not related in terms of narrative, but more in that they are both related to Chinese history and mythology, right?

C: Yes. But also they are both written from the point of view of their main characters. I mean, Iron Widow is written in first person, and we see everything from her perspective. This book is not in first person, but still we see everything from the perspective of the main character.

S: Cool. Tell me about this main character.

C: The main character is a boy named Zachary. He is of Chinese origin and is trying to learn about his Chinese heritage. And then the spirit of Qin Shi Huang, the first Chinese emperor, tries to take him over.

S: Wait. That is strange! You said, “tries”, so does he succeed?

C: No. Instead he takes over Zachary’s VR headset. Which is very helpful when Zachary has enough of him and doesn’t want to talk to him anymore. He can just take the headset off.

S: That is funny!

C: Yep. But it also looks kind of suspicious, him walking around with his VR headset in public.

S: Yes, I can see that would be weird. So what else can you tell us about the story?

C: There are two other kids taken over by two other spirits — one of the spirits is Wu Zetian’s — and the three of them go on a quest of sorts. And lots of things happen then. Lots of dangerous things. His mom’s spirit is stolen, for example.

Caramel is reading Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao. — Caramel is reading *Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor* by Xiran Jay Zhao.

S: Okay, so maybe we can stop there with the plot because we are getting too close to giving away too much. What else do you want to tell me about the book?

C: Well, Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor is apparently the first of another series! Because the book ends with a cliffhanger!

S: Oh, and I know you do not like those.

C: No, I don’t.

S: But at least is the main quest of the book accomplished?

C: I guess, more or less, yes and no.

S: So some things are resolved and some not?

C: True.

S: Hmm, did you like the book then? Was it still a satisfying read? Do you want to read the next one?

C: Yes. Yes. And yes.

S: Did you think Zachary was a likeable character?

C: Yes. He is really shocked and confused when his VR headset starts to talk to him. I think that is very realistic.

S: Yes, I agree. It would be really weird if my headset started to give me commands and tell me they are the spirit of a long-gone Chinese emperor.

C: You are not Chinese, so probably it would not happen to your headset.

S: That’s right. But think about your watch being taken over by the spirit of a long-gone historic figure, for example. It could talk to you and give you commands, wouldn’t it be weird?

C: Absolutely.

S: Okay, so what three words would you use to describe this book?

C: Exciting, adventure, mythological.

S. Those work! Okay, then, as we are wrapping up this review, what do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao and recommends it for all bunnies young and old. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor* by Xiran Jay Zhao and recommends it for all bunnies young and old.

Marshmallow reviews 9 From the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan

Marshmallow reviewed all three books of Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. (You might want to check out her reviews of The Sword of Summer, The Hammer of Thor, and The Ship of the Dead before moving on.) She has also reviewed Hotel Valhalla: Guide to the Norse Worlds, a companion book to the trilogy. Today she reviews 9 From the Nine Worlds, a 2018 book of short stories written by Riordan about the nine worlds of the Norse mythology. As a fan of many of Riordan’s series, Sprinkles is asking questions and taking notes.

Marshmallow reviews Nine from the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow reviews *Nine from the Nine Worlds* by Rick Riordan.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, what would you like to tell us about this book?

Marshmallow: This is a collection of short stories Rick Riordan wrote about the nine worlds of Norse mythology. There is one story for each world.

S: Are any of the stories or the characters in them related to the Magnus Chase series?

M: Yes. All of them actually.

S: So these stories complement the Magnus Chase trilogy then?

M: I think they happen after the trilogy ends, but many of the characters are people we met before in the trilogy. There are some new characters, too, of course.

S: Of course. So what did you think of the stories? Did you enjoy them?

M: Yes, I thought the stories were really good.

S: Can you tell us about one or two of them? Did you have a favorite?

M: I liked “This Is Why I Hate Clothes Shopping” by Amir Fadlan the most.

S: Wait, weren’t these stories all written by Riordan?

M: Yep. Amir Fadlan is a character from the world of Magnus Chase. Maybe you remember? He was engaged to Samirah al Abbas.

S: Oh, yes, I remember. So the stories are each narrated by a character from the Magnus Chase trilogy.

M: Yes. I guess I should have said that earlier. Anyways, in the story by Amir, he gets tricked into wearing a pair of pants and the pants are– oh wait, no spoilers, so I cannot tell more.

S: But somehow some weird stuff happens about the pants, right?

M: Yes. Some magical stuff.

Marshmallow is reading Nine from the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow is reading *Nine from the Nine Worlds* by Rick Riordan.

S: Okay, so how does Riordan manage to narrate nine stories from nine different voices?

M: I really don’t know how he does it, but he definitely does it well. And they are all very funny. Or at least lighthearted.

S: And I saw that there were some full-color pictures in the book. Can you tell us a bit about those?

M: Yes, there are sixteen full-color full-page pictures, by James Firnhaber, Jim Madsen, and Yori Elita Narpati. Eight of them portray eight of the narrators, all except Amir actually. And the remaining eight depict eight of the nine worlds. Midgard is missing, probably because that is our world, the world of humans and bunnies, so we already should know what that looks like. There might be bunnies in Alfheim, too, actually, but I would not know. I have not been there.

S: Do the portraits of the characters fit your image of them in your mind from before?

M: A little. It is always interesting to see how other people visualize a character.

S: For sure. So overall, you enjoyed this book, right?

M: Yes, and it definitely is a quick read, and since it is made up of many short stories, you could stop and start and it would be okay. Just keep in mind that the stories are all kind of connected.

S: So does one need to read the book in order?

M: I think it would be better to read the stories in order.

S: And do you think one would need to have read the Magnus Chase trilogy before diving into these stories?

M: That would probably be a good idea. There might be some spoilers. And you would know the narrators much better then.

S: Okay Marshmallow, it seems like you will be lending me yet another book of yours soon. I am eager to read this book now that I know more about it.

M: Sure. I think you will like it!

S: Okay, it is time to wrap this up now. How would you rate the book?

M: I’d rate it 100%.

S: Great! And what do you want to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates Nine from the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Nine from the Nine Worlds* by Rick Riordan 100%.