Reviews – Page 75 – BookBunnies

Marshmallow reviews Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

Last week while talking about Flowers for Algernon, Marshmallow and Sprinkles touched upon a book by George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, first published in 1949. This week, Marshmallow thought it might be a good idea if they picked up this book on its own and chatted a bit about it together.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow let us start with a quick recap of the book.

Marshmallow: Okay. Winston Smith, the main character of the book, lives in this weird futuristic world. The year is 1984, but even though 1984 is a long time ago for us today, it was a long time in the future when the book was written. The world Smith lives in is controlled by a government, run by the Party, which has several departments with contradictory names. For example there is the Ministry of Peace which deals with war. The Ministry of Truth deals with information and basically propaganda and the brainwashing of the population. And there is a Ministry of Love and a Ministry of Plenty.

S: I remember the Ministry of Truth and the Ministry of Peace, but I did not remember the Ministry of Plenty and the Ministry of Love. What do they do?

M: Ministry of Plenty deals with economic affairs, and the Ministry of Love deals with law and order.

S: Oh, yes, now I remember the Ministry of Love, of course. It involves the citizens’ love of Big Brother.

M: Yes, it seems that is the main goal of all punishment. It is creepy; everywhere the people are reminded that the Big Brother is watching them.

S: That phrase has now taken on a life of its own; people use the Big Brother to talk about government surveillance, and sometimes even corporate surveillance.

M: Yes, you even have a poster that says “Big Brother Is Watching You” in your office.

S: I think it is a good reminder. Even though we are not living in Winston Smith’s world of Oceania, I think it is always a good idea to remember that everything you do can be tracked, especially these days, especially if you are doing anything online.

M: Sounds a bit paranoid, no?

S: Well, I don’t really mean it quite that way. I mean it is always a good idea to think about what bread crumbs you leave for people out there. And it can always be worse, of course. There are many places in the world today, and there have been many societies throughout the world in all its history, where saying things and doing things that the governing people did not approve of would be met with harsh retaliation. We are quite lucky that we are not living in such a system, but it is always good to keep in mind what could have been or what could eventually come to happen.

M: I guess that is why George Orwell wrote this book, right? To warn us?

S: I think so. He was very concerned about the rise of the totalitarian Soviet regime and wanted to describe what could be its ultimate end point.

Marshmallow is reading Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. — Marshmallow is reading *Nineteen Eighty-Four* by George Orwell.

M: In that way, this book does relate to Orwell’s other book that I reviewed for the blog, Animal Farm. That book, too, was a warning in some ways.

S: I agree. But would you want to open that up a bit?

M: That book was about how power corrupts and how governments can fail to represent their constituents’ needs when they are overtaken by ambitious individuals who manipulate the public to their own advantage. Here, too, power shows up. The Party is very much interested in staying in power. In fact that is part of Winston Smith’s job. At the beginning of the book, he is working at the Ministry of Truth and his job is to change the history and the complete record of things when the Party decides to support an alternative interpretation of the facts or sometimes even alternative facts.

S: That phrase has become quite famous these days too. Right?

M: That’s true! But I am also intrigued by the Party. We don’t ever really know what the Party is. And it is not even clear if there is a rebellious faction or if there is any other country out there, or anything else, any other possibility for the people in this world.

S: The Party’s rule is so complete, isn’t it? When I read this book for the first time, I was flabbergasted by the very end. It shook me, and I could not get over it for a while. I guess the total in totalitarian is real.

M: The thing that really got to me is that everything all goes back to the Party, even the illegal activities seem to be led and facilitated and controlled and crushed by the Party as the Party finds fit. It is so weird.

S: No way out. That is how I felt.

M: Yes, it was pretty hopeless. The overwhelming feeling I got was that if you find yourself in this situation, there is no way of getting out.

S: I guess Orwell wanted to warn us that such a future could happen, and once it did, there would be no way out, so we’d better not get ourselves to that point.

M: Makes sense to me.

S: So having read two of his most famous books, which of Orwell’s two books do you like more?

M: I still like Animal Farm more. I especially liked the fable nature of it. It seems to be about these farm animals, but it is so clearly about humans! And it also showed how even though the animals had good intentions at the beginning, they slowly went astray, in small steps. You could see the development, and it was very depressing, too, but you could see the steps that led them astray and you could see the end result would be pretty terrible. Having read Nineteen Eighty-Four, I think it is basically the end result of Animal Farm.

S: It is also a lot shorter and perhaps a bit easier, right? So would you recommend other bunnies to read either of the books?

M: I think both of them are books everyone should read. They are both heavy, but they point to very important issues. So I’d say to all bunnies that they should read both of the books. Not to depress yourself, but to start seeing possibilities and to try and avoid them. There is some sexual relation stuff in Nineteen Eighty-Four, as we spoke about in my review of Flowers for Algernon (though not as much as there was in that book), so perhaps Animal Farm is more appropriate for younger bunnies. And as you say, that book is shorter than this one, so it would be easier to read for that reason, too.

S: I tend to agree with you Marshmallow. I think we have said enough for one review today. As we wrap it up, tell us how you would rate this book.

M: I’d rate it 95%. Very good book, left me quite disturbed in the end.

S: And what else would you like to say to our readers?

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

Marshmallow rates *Nineteen Eighty-Four* by George Orwell 95%.

Caramel reviews the Endangered and Misunderstood series by Terri Tatchell

Being a young bunny, Caramel loves all small animals, but some he finds more endearing than others. Pangolins are among his favorites, and a search for a book on pangolins is what led him to Aye-Aye Gets Lucky, Adventures of a Pangopup, Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants, and Tarsier Sings His Song, the four books making up the Endangered and Misunderstood series written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima. In this review, he shares his thoughts on these four lovely books that invite the reader to learn about the lives of some of the rarest animals on this planet. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Caramel reviews Aye-Aye Gets Lucky, Adventures of a Pangopup, Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants, and Tarsier Sings His Song, the four books making up the Endangered and Misunderstood Animals series written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima. — Caramel reviews *Aye-Aye Gets Lucky*, *Adventures of a Pangopup*, *Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants*, and *Tarsier Sings His Song*, the four books making up the Endangered and Misunderstood series written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima.

Sprinkles: Caramel, I know you love animals, and you love books with lots of facts in them. So how did these books measure?

Caramel: I liked them! They have some facts that I did not know, even about pangolins, and you know I know a lot about pangolins already. So there are a lot of facts in the books. But also they are all really colorful.

S: Yes, I noticed. All pages are very colorfully illustrated, and each of the books tells a story first. Yes, there are facts, but those are all at the end. The main chunk of each book is a story, right?

C: Yes, that is true. They all tell stories. And they are fun stories too.

Caramel is posing with and then reading *Aye-Aye Gets Lucky*, written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima.

S: So for example, tell us about the first book, Aye-Aye Gets Lucky. What is the story in the book about?

C: It is about an aye-aye who was feared and hated because he always played pranks on people. People thought he brought bad luck. But then he learned from a flying fox that maybe he could help the people and they would like him.

S: That is neat. But apparently the part about people thinking aye-ayes are bad luck is correct.

C: Yes, the facts in the back say that.

S: Did you know about aye-ayes before?

C: Yes, they are a type of lemur, but the story was fun to read, and the pictures were fun to look at. And I did not know most of the facts in the end of the book.

Caramel is posing with and then reading *Adventures of a Pangopup*, written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima.

S: Okay, so the second book in this series is Adventures of a Pangopup. And I know you love pangolins, so I am guessing that you liked this book too.

C: Yes. I think pangolins are really cute and this book was cute too. Can we put a link to that website which has pictures of baby pangolins?

S: Sure, here it is: Pangopups: All About Baby Pangolins. So this book also starts with a story, right?

C: Yes. It is about a pangolin pup who is impatient and wants to go out on his own. His mom thinks he is too young, but he doesn’t listen. And he goes out and has fun and finds friends, but also gets into big trouble.

S: Yes, I can see this might be a good lesson for the pangopup.

C: Yes. And the story rhymes again, and it is funny, too.

S: I know you know all about pangolins. Did the facts pages have anything new for you?

C: I didn’t know they don’t have teeth! I also learned that the dik dik deer mates for life. Which is cool, I think.

S: These are both neat facts, Caramel!

Caramel is posing with and then reading *Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants*, written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima.

S: Okay, on to the third book, Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants. What do you want to tell us about this book?

C: This one is very funny too. It is about an okapi, who is told by a prankster monkey that he is wearing a zebra’s pants. You see, an okapi is an animal whose back legs and behind have stripes like a zebra.

S: Did you know about okapis before?

C: Yes, but I did not know a lot about them. I only knew they had the stripes. But the book tells you ten facts about them, and I did not know any of them!

S: Ten facts about okapis and five about the African Grey.

C: Yes, so all the books have ten facts about the main animal, and five facts about the second animal in the book that the main animal is friends with. So for example, in Aye-Aye Gets Lucky, the aye-aye makes friends with a flying fox, so the five facts are about flying foxes. And in Adventures of a Pangopup, the pangolin baby makes friends with a dik dik deer, so there are five facts about the dik dik deer. So in Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants, the okapi is friends with an African Grey parrot, so we learn facts about them.

S: That is cool!

Caramel is posing with and then reading *Tarsier Sings His Song*, written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima.

S: And finally let us talk a bit about the fourth and last book in the series, Tarsier Sings His Song. I’m guessing this is about a tarsier, whatever that is.

C: Yep. So a tarsier is a primate. And this time, there are eight facts about the main animal. Because there are also five facts each about two other animals: the cuscus bear and the crested macaque. And did you know that the bear cuscus is not really a bear? It is a marsupial!

S: Kind of like how a guinea pig is not a pig?

C: That’s true.

S: Did you know about tarsiers, cuscus bears, or crested macaques before? I did not.

C: I had read about all three of them actually, but I did not know for example that the tarsier is the only completely carnivorous primate.

S: That’s interesting Caramel. I thought primates were omnivorous.

C: Me too. So I learned a lot from this book too.

S: That is cool. What is the story in this book?

C: The tarsier is trying to find a mate by singing, and his friends try to help him sing better. And in the end everyone is happy, so I liked this book a lot.

S: And I liked reading all these books with you! They were long though.

C: Yes, each book is over twenty-five pages long. But the stories are really interesting and funny.

S: They are also very cute and sweet.

C: Those would be my three words for these books: funny, cute, and sweet.

S: I agree with your choices Caramel. Wasn’t it fun to learn about these different animals together?

C: Yep.

S: You know they make up a series together, right?

C: Yes, they are called “Endangered and Misunderstood”.

S: True, everyone loves cute and fluffy animals but these animals are not known or cared for by many people. I know you love pangolins, but you are a pretty special bunny…

C: But these animals are going extinct! That’s what “endangered” means. Apparently, the money they will make from these books will go to conservation efforts for the main animal for each book. That’s what it says on the first page of each book.

S: That is really cool, don’t you think?

C: Yep. I’m glad we read these books. And maybe we can reread them some time.

S: Yes, that would be nice. This is a good time to wrap up this review, I think. What would you like to tell our readers, Caramel?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Aye-Aye Gets Lucky, Adventures of a Pangopup, Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants, and Tarsier Sings His Song, the four books making up the Endangered and Misunderstood series written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima, and he encourages other little bunnies to read them too. — Caramel loved reading *Aye-Aye Gets Lucky*, *Adventures of a Pangopup*, *Okapi Loves His Zebra Pants*, and *Tarsier Sings His Song*, the four books making up the Endangered and Misunderstood series written by Terri Tatchell and illustrated by Ivan Sulima, and he encourages other little bunnies to read them too.

Marshmallow reviews Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

In the last few weeks, Marshmallow and her English class have been reading a version of the classic novel Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, first published as a short story in 1959 and then expanded by its author to be published as a full novel in 1966. Sprinkles was excited to see Marshmallow getting into the story because she remembers it fondly from her own time reading the same book in school decades ago. In the blog post below, the two bunnies discuss the full book.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, why don’t we start with your usual short overview of the book?

Marshmallow: Why not? If you like books about growing up or living through a big change, this might be the book for you.

S: I think that is a good way to describe the book. The main character is originally a mentally challenged adult, so he is not really growing up, but he undergoes an experimental treatment which enhances his mental capabilities immensely, and so he is going through a big change.

M: Yes. The main character is Charlie Gordon, and he is the one narrating the story. The book is written as a series of progress reports, all through his perspective.

S: Yes, the entries are like diary entries, right?

M: Yes, most of them. And at the beginning he is using very simple sentences and basic words and sometimes has very poor spelling. As the treatment takes effect, he begins to write more complex sentences and use bigger words. He also starts to write about more personal and complicated things and has to confront some past emotional trauma. So, for example, I should warn all bunnies that the book does have some explicit descriptions of certain sexual feelings and acts. As Charlie gets more and more mentally capable, he begins to notice his attraction to women.

S: Even before the operation, he might have felt some such feelings, but would perhaps not write about them?

M: I’m not sure. It seems to me that Charlie had the mind of a three year old before the operation, and so he did not have any sexual impulses.

S: Hmm, that sounds somewhat unrealistic to me, given that he has the body of a full-grown man; his hormones and related needs and desires would probably be quite typical.

M: Well, I don’t know, but he seems to become more interested in things like that, and that was quite a bit different from the version we have been reading at school. In that version, we do not see any of this stuff. Which is in some ways easier to read.

S: I can understand that. Perhaps that is why a lot of school districts have had discussions about this book, and apparently some have even removed it from their libraries. The sexual content might be a lot for some younger bunnies to handle, even though I was not bothered by them when I was a young bunny reading the book. Then again, I might have been a little older than you… Or who knows? Maybe I read an abridged version, too, and I do not recall very well.

M: Maybe. I don’t know. But the full book is a bit more adult than my usual reading fare. The only other book I have read that is kind of like this one is 1984 by George Orwell, which also had some explicit scenes.

S: I understand. I’d say that both books have very serious messages, and the sexually explicit scenes in both books play significant roles in clarifying those messages. So for example in 1984, the sexual scenes show us the main character’s difficulties with intimacy and the oppressiveness of the general climate. In this book, I think the sexual scenes are a part of Charlie becoming more aware of his body, his personality, his needs and desires, as well as how the outside world views him.

M: I can see that.

Marshmallow is reading Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. — Marshmallow is reading *Flowers for Algernon* by Daniel Keyes.

S: So who or what is Algernon? Why is the book titled Flowers for Algernon?

M: Algernon is a mouse. He has gone through the same operation that Charlie has, and in some ways, the changes he goes through are similar to what happens to Charlie. So Charlie begins to really like and care for Algernon, because Algernon is more or less the only other creature in the world who is going through the same thing that Charlie is. And then —

S: Wait, don’t give everything away!

M: Okay, no more spoilers. But things do get pretty sad, and the title of the book is in the very last sentence of the book.

S: Yes, that is true. What did you think of Charlie? Did you like him or sympathize with him?

M: I liked him, more at some times and less at others. He is a childlike and kind person at the beginning, and that I really liked. But then as the operation takes effect and he begins to get more and more intelligent, he becomes more arrogant and he does not even realize that. I did not like him that much then. But eventually he does begin to understand other people better, and he remembers and tries to process some of the emotional trauma from his childhood. He justifiably gets angry at some people who mistreated him when he did not know they were being mean. And there I could of course sympathize with him. And he wants to be accepted most of all.

S: I guess that is a very understandable need. We are social creatures and we want to belong.

M: Yes. I think so. So when he becomes too intelligent, that is also isolating. Certain people used to feel better about themselves by putting him down, but now they feel inferior to him and begin to fear and avoid him. In some ways, those people were not good people to have as friends anyways, but Charlie did not know. In any case, in the end —

S: Wait, remember, we don’t want to be giving away too much…

M: Hmm, okay, I guess I should stop here.

S: Alright. Let us do that. Would you recommend this book to other young bunnies? Or perhaps, you’d recommend the abridged version?

M: I think young bunnies might really like the abridged version. Charlie’s story is a lot simpler in it and it is a lot easier to read. And you get to really like him and feel for him, and and the story is still sad but beautiful.

S: Okay. That makes sense to me. Full-blown people are all pretty complex, and I think the original book captures that really well. Charlie is a complex person with a complex story, and the book does give us a lot more to chew on. But the main message can come through quite clearly in the abridged version, too, without the distractions of the sex dimension and the emotional trauma. So how do you want to end this review?

M: I can say my usual: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow appreciated reading Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes and recommends it to her peers but emphasizes that perhaps some might prefer an abridged version. — Marshmallow appreciated reading *Flowers for Algernon* by Daniel Keyes and recommends it to her peers but emphasizes that perhaps some might prefer an abridged version.

Caramel reviews Breathing is My Superpower by Alicia Ortego

Caramel is a young bunny who likes to read books, big and small. In this blog he has been reviewing picture books, graphic novels, chapter books, and even a couple middle grade books, blogging about whatever comes his way and strikes his fancy. This week he reviews a cute little book by Alicia Ortego published in 2020 titled Breathing is My Superpower. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

The book bunnies received this book as a review copy.

Caramel reviews Breathing is My Superpower by Alicia Ortego. — Caramel reviews *Breathing is My Superpower* by Alicia Ortego.

Sprinkles: Caramel, tell us a bit about this book, please.

Caramel: This is about a girl named Sophia. She gets angry and anxious a lot. And so her mom teaches her a technique to calm herself down.

S: What is this technique?

C: Breathing. Like in the title of the book.

S: I see. So Sophia can use breathing as a superpower, because it helps her calm down and not get too angry or anxious.

C: Yes.

S: This kind of reminds me of a book you reviewed a while back, Train Your Angry Dragon by Steve Herman.

C: Yep. I remember that book. It was about a dragon named Diggory Doo who was the pet dragon of a boy named Drew. And Drew was telling us how to help Diggory Doo calm down when he would be about to have a temper tantrum. So, yes, this book is kind of like that one.

S: Yes, you are right. But Breathing is My Superpower focuses exclusively on one technique.

C: Yes! And that is breathing.

S: You know, I tried it the other day, to do exactly as Sophia tells us, to use your hand and breathe five times, once per finger, and it worked really well to slow down my mind and take a break.

C: I tried it too, but I did not have the patience. I stopped at two.

S: Well, you were probably just breathing and counting, and you were not stressed, anxious, or angry, were you?

C: Yes that is true.

S: I think the breathing is a tool for times when you are feeling some of those strong feelings. It does work at those times. At least it did for me.

C: I guess I should try and remember that the next time I get annoyed at things.

S: Yes, I think it takes some practice to remember this kind of thing when you have strong emotions, but it is worth trying.

C: Okay, I will give it a try if you say so.

Caramel is reading Breathing is My Superpower by Alicia Ortego. — Caramel is reading *Breathing is My Superpower* by Alicia Ortego.

S: This book also reminded me a bit of Somewhere, Right Now by Kerry Docherty, which is a newer book that you reviewed this year. That, too, was about being calm in the midst of all the things going on around us.

C: True. Both books are also rhyming. Or at least this one is. I am not sure anymore if that other book rhymed.

S: Yes, the book has a simple rhyme which can make it more fun to read out loud.

C: Maybe we can read it together after the review? And apparently there are three more books in the series. They all have some new superpower in the title. There is Kindness, Acceptance, and Gratitude.

S: Hmm, I am guessing they too are about how kids can learn to manage big emotions. And the gratitude one sounds like it could help people play Pollyanna’s glad game.

C: I did not read Pollyanna, but you mentioned her before.

S: Yes, Pollyanna is a fictional character, a little girl who makes up this game where she tries to find something to be happy about even when bad things happen.

C: That sounds hard.

S: I agree. So maybe breathing is not that hard in comparison.

C: Yes, I agree with that. But apparently I might need some practice with the breathing to remember to do it when I need it.

S: Agreed. So let us wrap this up with your three words for the book.

C: Colorful, rhyming, and smiling, because all the people in all the pictures are smiling.

S: Yes, I like those words. The book has a simple idea but it is an important one. So I am glad we read it. And maybe we can just read it together one more time after the review, like you said. What do you want to tell our readers at this moment?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Breathing is My Superpower by Alicia Ortego, and he recommends it to young bunnies and their adults to read together and discuss relaxation methods, practicing them along the way. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Breathing is My Superpower* by Alicia Ortego, and he recommends it to young bunnies and their adults to read together and discuss relaxation methods, practicing them along the way.