Book Bunnies

Caramel reviews Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger by Louis Sachar

Caramel has already reviewed Sideways Stories from Wayside School and Wayside School Is Falling Down, both by Louis Sachar. Today he reviews the third book in the series, Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger, first published in 1996. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking followup questions.

Sprinkles: Caramel, you have already introduced us to Wayside School in your review of Sideways Stories from Wayside School. And then you told us that the second book, Wayside School Is Falling Down, kind of ended on a cliffhanger.

Caramel: Well, the school was overrun by cows and so everyone had to leave the building.

S: Yes, I remember. So does this book pick up where the last one left us?

C: Yes, the first chapter is about how Louis cleaned up the mess and made it safe for students and teachers to come back. And then all kinds of weird stuff happen again.

S: Tell us about some of them.

C: Miss Zarves from the nineteenth story finds out that there is still a cow in her classroom.

S: Wait, I am still not sure I understand this nineteenth story because it does not exist and yet it does?

C: You think I understand it? I don’t either. but in the second book there was a girl named Alison who found her way to Miss Zarves’ classroom and in this book, too, there is a chapter for the same classroom.

S: An d I bet it is the nineteenth chapter, right?

C: Yes, of course!

S: Of course. So what else happens?

C: So Mrs. Jewls is pregnant, and so she goes on maternity leave, and so the kids on the thirtieth floor have substitute teachers. And all of them are evil and horrible.

S: Tell me more.

C: the first one is Mrs. Gorf’s son.

S: I remember Mrs. Gorf. That is the one who turned children into apples, right?

C: Right. So Mr. Gorf steals children’s voices. And he is pretty terrible.

S: Sounds scary.

C: I guess it makes the class quiet.

S: Well, I guess.

C: Anyways, then there is Miss Drazil and she is not too bad but Louis dislikes her, because she was his teacher, and she hated him, and she makes him miserable. But in the end it seems like she is actually not that bad and Louis was the one who made her miserable.

S: I see.

C: Then there is a third teacher, Miss Nogard. And she can hear people’s thoughts and she uses them against the children, making them all doubt themselves and be unhappy.

S: She sounds horrible.

C: She is. Until the end. At the end she listens to a baby’s thoughts, and apparently a baby’s thoughts are all full of love, so Miss Nogard also fills up with love.

S: I guess that is good.

C: Yes. And in the end Mrs. Jewls comes back, too. The baby is hers.

S: I see.

Caramel is reading Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger by Louis Sachar. — Caramel is reading *Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger* by Louis Sachar.

S: So did you notice that the three substitute teachers’ names were animal names spelled backwards? Gorf is frog, Drazil is lizard, and Nogard is Dragon.

C: Yes.I did not think of Gorf in the earlier books. But I began to suspect something when I read about Drazil, it sounded like Brazil but not quite. And then Nogard is DRAGON backwards. And I know that of course.

S: Of course. So tell me. Did you enjoy this book too? I did see that once you began reading it, you could not drop it until you finished.

C: It is a quick and very fun read.

S: That is great Caramel. Did you know there is a fourth book, published only a couple years ago?

C: Yep. And I want to read that next.

S: I am sure that can be arranged.

C: Great! Make it so. Please.

S: I can see you channeling your inner Jean-Luc Picard there. Okay, we will see. Let us wrap up this review then. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel laughed his way through Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger, the third Wayside School book by Louis Sachar, and is looking forward to other new reads. — Caramel laughed his way through *Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger*, the third Wayside School book by Louis Sachar, and is looking forward to other new reads.

Marshmallow reviews Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

In the past weeks and months, Marshmallow has reviewed several books by Pam Muñoz Ryan. This week she went back and reread the very first book she had read by her, Echo. This book was published in 2015 and won Muñoz Ryan a Newberry Honor in 2016. Marshmallow originally read it for school a couple years ago, and she very much enjoyed revisiting it this week. Below she shares her thoughts on this 600-page page-turner.

(You might also like to check out Marshmallow’s reviews of Esperanza Rising (2000), Paint the Wind (2007), and Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs (2022).)

Marshmallow reviews Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan. — Marshmallow reviews *Echo* by Pam Muñoz Ryan.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books based on historical events or if you have enjoyed reading some of Pam Muñoz Ryan’s other books, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): “Fifty years before the war to end all wars”, a little boy named Otto goes into the forest to hide while playing hide-and-seek and gets lost. Having recently bought a book and a harmonica from a Gypsy, he gets so intrigued by the story in the book that he does not realize how long he had stayed hidden.

The tale is about three sisters who were raised by a witch. The three sisters were in fact the daughters of a king who desperately wanted a son. Upon their birth, the king ordered the midwife to leave them in a forest. The midwife took pity on the babies and brought them to a witch, who named them Eins, Zwei, and Drei in the order they were brought to her. These girls grew up unaware of their royal origins. Years later, when the king died, his son (the sisters’ brother) learned of them. He and his mother were overwhelmed with happiness and sent the midwife to bring them to the kingdom. The midwife came and told the sisters the good news. However, the witch did not want to lose the girls, who had become useful servants to do all the work. She cursed them, saying that they could never leave the forest unless they saved someone’s life.

After tripping and hitting his head, the little boy, Otto, wakes up and discovers the sisters in the forest. The sisters, Eins, Zwei, and Drei, help Otto find his way home but ask for a favor. They each take a turn playing the harmonica, and it appears that they store their spirits in the harmonica. He promises to pass on the harmonica when the time is right.

Seventy years later, Friedrich Schmidt discovers the harmonica in Nazi Germany. Born with an unusual birthmark and a father who dislikes the new regime, Friedrich is not safe. When his father is taken to Dachau, Friedrich’s life turns upside down.

Years later, in Philadelphia, Mike Flannery is living in The Bishop’s Home for Friendless and Destitute Children. His brother, Frankie, is a fountain of enthusiasm. Mike and Frankie must stick together. When a rich woman named Mrs. Sturbridge adopts them both, it seems like all their dreams have come true. Mike soon gets his hands on a harmonica that has an unusually magical sound (and yes, of course, this is the same one Otto and Friedrich had). However, Mike eventually discovers that Mrs. Sturbridge is planning to “unadopt” them and he must figure out a way for him and Frankie to stay together.

Much later, Ivy Maria Lopez in California is excited to play a harmonica solo on the radio. The United States just joined World War II, and Ivy’s brother is off fighting in the army. Ivy soon learns that her family is moving again and she won’t be able to perform her solo. Upon moving, she faces segregation. The Hispanic children are put in a different school from everyone else. Prejudice and hate seem to be everywhere during the war. Can Ivy adjust to her new home?

Marshmallow is reading Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan. — Marshmallow is reading *Echo* by Pam Muñoz Ryan.

Marshmallow’s Review: Echo is perhaps my favorite book by Pam Muñoz Ryan, and I really enjoyed (re)reading it. I especially love the end, and I really love how the separate stories are all tied up in the end. All storylines are set in different time periods, with different characters, and different plots, but they are all connected by the harmonica and wrapped together in the end. Some themes that are started in the beginning are repeated in the end, which makes it feel even more like a conclusion. It is impressive that the author could distinguish all the stories and make each a separate line but put them together in a fashion that was not clunky or confusing.

The characters are all unique, and you come to really care about them by the end of the story. They each have strong connections to music which brings them joy and empowers them to face challenges. The tragedies they face and the events that occur are all based on real history. (For example, while writing the book, Pam Muñoz Ryan researched Roberto Alvarez v. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District (1931), a desegregation case from California with connections to Ivy’s story. The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II also plays a significant role.)

I think another strong point of this book is the fact that it tackles several challenging issues in one place successfully. The author weaves a tale spanning from Nazi Germany to a negligent, abusive orphanage to a war-torn California. The hate, neglect, mistreatment, prejudice, and unfairness the characters face and eventually overcome all make this an even more touching story.

The only flaw with Echo one may find is the contradictory tones of the different parts of the book. The prologue is a major part of the overall plot but has a more fantasy-like, magical atmosphere. Then the vibe of the book changes significantly. The realistic, down-to-earth, historical fiction aspect of the rest of the story does not really follow naturally from the fantastic, magical, surrealist tones at the beginning.

However, I still loved Echo. I would recommend it to all readers. The writing is not particularly difficult to read but the topics and plot make it intriguing to older readers as well.

In short, Echo is a touching, majestic piece of literature that should hold a place on everyone’s bookshelf and everyone’s heart.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Echo* by Pam Muñoz Ryan 100%.

Caramel reviews Wayside School Is Falling Down by Louis Sachar

A couple weeks ago, Caramel reviewed Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar. Today he is talking about the second book of the Wayside School books, Wayside School Is Falling Down, first published in 1989. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you told us a bit about the first book about Wayside School a couple weeks ago. What happens in this second book?

Caramel: Well, there are about thirty more stories about this weird school, which is built sideways, so is thirty stories tall and in each story there is only one classroom.

S: Yes, I remember that. And the first book had thirty chapters, too, each about a specific character, and they all were characters from the classroom on the thirtieth floor.

C: Well, the characters in this book are the same people. And there are really thirty chapters, but three of them are labeled 19 and the three Erics are all together in the chapter numbered 20, 21, and 22.

S: That’s weird. Tell me more about those three chapters labeled 19.

C: They are about this girl named Allison and she gets assigned to the nineteenth floor and Miss Zarves’ class.

S: Wait, but you told me neither of those things exist.

C: Yep.

S: So how is that supposed to happen?

C: I don’t know. But in these chapters there is a Miss Zarves, and some other students of hers. Allison somehow falls into this magical nineteenth story, and then falls back out of it.

S: Maybe it is a dream?

C: Maybe, but it is not really clear.

Caramel is reading Wayside School Is Falling Down by Louis Sachar. — Caramel is reading *Wayside School Is Falling Down* by Louis Sachar.

S: So are the stories just as wacky as they were in the first one?

C: Yes, if not more.

S: So this was funnier?

C: Yes.

S: Isn’t it nice when a sequel is even better than the original?

C: Yep.

S: Okay, so if you were to use three words to describe this book, would “wacky” be one of them?

C: Yes.

S: What about the other two words?

C: “School” because it is about a school and the students and the teachers there. And maybe “confusing” because if a building has thirty stories but the nineteenth is missing, then isn’t the building really twenty-nine stories?

S: I see what you mean. But I guess it is the same with buildings that do not have their thirteenth floors. Anyways, so we can describe this book with the three-word phrase “wacky confusing school”, right?

C: Right.

S: This edition of the book comes with some illustrations. What do you think of them?

C: I’d say they are just as wacky as the book.

S: Agreed. So apparently the author has written a couple other Wayside School books. Do you think you will read those, too?

C: Yep. I want to. Because these are really funny. But also because this book ends kind of in the air. The school is invaded by cows so everybody has to move out. So I want to know if they will get back and what other wacky things they will do next.

S: Okay, let us aim for that then. This might be a good place to wrap up this review. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Wayside School Is Falling Down by Louis Sachar and is ready to move on to the next book in the series. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Wayside School Is Falling Down* by Louis Sachar and is ready to move on to the next book in the series.

Marshmallow reviews Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Marshmallow has been reading some classics on and off. Today she talks to Sprinkles about Lord of the Flies by William Golding, first published in 1954.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, it’s been years since I have read this book. So can you tell me a bit about what it’s about?

Marshmallow: Sure. This book is about a couple dozen British school boys whose plane crashlands on a deserted island. The boys try to set some rules and they use a conch that sort of represents order and civility. One of the boys named Ralph is elected leader, and another boy named Jack takes on hunting duties. The boys start a fire so that there will be smoke for ships to see.

As the story progresses, Ralph tries to encourage the boys to make shelter and keep the fire going. So basically what is essentially logical to do given the circumstances. But most of the other boys do not obey him and start to act like feral animals. At some point they start thinking that there is a beast in the island and they are terrified. Jack promises to hunt it down. And hunting and killing animals makes the boys become wilder and more violent and bloodthirsty, and eventually most of the boys join Jack and his hunters, which becomes a separate tribe than Ralph’s group. And they come into conflict, and things escalate very quickly after that.

S: Okay, I think this is a good summary of the plot and some of what happens in the book. Before saying much about what happens in the end, can you tell me if you thought it was tied up well?

M: I am not sure I’d say it was tied up, but the message of the book was well delivered and the moral is conveyed. The story is probably not really finalized. But it ends in a way that is still satisfying.

S: Though not quite happy, right?

M: Well, I can’t say too much without spoiling everything. But some things happen in the book that make it kind of impossible for a fully happy ending.

S: I do remember some of the book and definitely agree with you there. So what is this message or the moral you are talking about? Can you tell us that?

M: I think the moral of the book is that when humans are left to their devices there is potential for great evil. The children represent untouched innocence, but they eventually go feral and become morally corrupt. I think the author was probably trying to depict the violent side of humans and that it can lead them towards evil. The boys’ hunting leads to further violence and bloodthirst.

S: But how come do human societies ever go beyond violence then if humans left to their devices can easily go feral? There had to be some time that some humans decided to do things differently.

M: I think that the author is not claiming this always happens. I think that he is trying to show that there is a potential in humans for this kind of darkness, that there is a dark side of human nature.

Marshmallow is reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding. — Marshmallow is reading *Lord of the Flies* by William Golding.

S: Okay, that is heavy stuff. Tell me about the writing a bit. Did you think the author made the island visually come alive? Could you see the locations? How about the boys and how they looked and behaved? Could you visualize them?

M: Yes, but I think he focused a lot more on how they felt and their emotions and their transformation through the story. It is more psychological than physical descriptions, I’d say.

S: So would you say the characters were vividly created? Or were they more like archetypes, like Jack representing the violent tendencies and Ralph perhaps representing the inclination for law and order?

M: Well, I am not sure individual characters represented specific characteristics. In fact I think nobody represented a specific vice or virtue, because they all were pretty fleshed out as real people, who were basically mixed in virtue and vice. But you could see some changed in different ways than others.

S: Alright. That makes sense. So how did this book make you feel after you read it? It is a bit of a dark book, don’t you think?

M: Yes. Just as a narrative, just as a story, it is good, maybe like an adventure that has gone bad. But when you think about the ideas behind it, it enhances the reading experience. It definitely made me think about human nature. And I like that. And it is a classic so that is another reason why people should read it.

S: Did you know that about a decade after this book was published, a similar thing actually happened and a bunch of boys were stranded in an island by themselves? They did not become feral however, and they actually built a functioning mini-society.

M: I did not know that before we checked out the Wikipedia article for the book. But again, I think the book is not claiming this has to happen this way, but that there is a possibility that humans might give in to their violent and dark tendencies.

S: I guess so. The story of the Tongan boys makes me a lot more optimistic, but Golding’s book, even though I know it is fiction, is always a reminder for me that civil behavior or a safe and functioning society are not automatic or natural.

M: I’d agree.

S: Okay Marshmallow. Let us wrap this up. How would you rate this book?

M: 100%.

S: Wow! You liked it that much! Cool. I do recall it being one of my favorite books from high school, too, though I cannot bring myself to read it again, because I worry I’d get too depressed.

M: Well, then you can always reread the real story of what happened to those Tongan boys.

S: You are right! Anyways, what do you want to tell our readers?

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

Marshmallow rates Lord of the Flies by William Golding 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Lord of the Flies* by William Golding 100%.