Reviews – Page 85 – BookBunnies

Caramel reviews Moon Rising (Book Six of the Wings of Fire series) by Tui Sutherland

Caramel reviewed the graphic novel versions of the first five books of Tui Sutherland’s Wings of Fire series: you can see these reviews here: The Dragonet Prophecy, The Lost Heir, The Hidden Kingdom, The Dark Secret, and The Brightest Night. He also reviewed the original version of the first book (The Dragonet Prophecy). Then he jumped ahead a bit and reviewed Book Eleven: The Lost Continent. At first this made some sense as the eleventh book starts a new story arc, the Lost Continent Prophecy arc. But it seemed very likely that skipping the second story arc (the Jade Mountain Prophecy arc) all together might lead to some difficulties. So he finally decided to go back and read the Jade Mountain books from the beginning. This is the review of the first book of that series: Moon Rising. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking followup questions.

Caramel reviews Moon Rising (Book Six of Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland. — Caramel reviews *Moon Rising* (Book Six of Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, we are back in Pyrrhia, the continent of the dragons in the Dragonet Prophecy books, right?

Caramel: Yes.

S: Are any of the characters from the first five books in this sixth one?

C: Yes, in fact Tsunami is more or less the principal of Jade Academy. Remember that she was the main character in The Lost Heir, the second book of the series. Now she is the headmistress of the new school they founded in Pyrrhia, to protect the peace they built in the first five books. And apparently she has thirty-two brothers. That is a lot of siblings!

S: I see. And I agree that is a lot of siblings!

C: But the main characters are actually new dragonets, who we have not met before. And the real main character of this book is Moonwatcher. She is a NightWing and she does not want to go to school.

S: Wait, so the “Moon” in the title “Moon Rising”, is that this dragonet?

C: Yes. I think so. The book is definitely about her, and she has some powers that she is trying to keep hidden.

S: That sounds intriguing.

Caramel is reading Moon Rising (Book Six of Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland. — Caramel is reading *Moon Rising* (Book Six of Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland.

C: There is an attempted murder which ends up killing someone else and Moon tries to help find the killer. And she is the one who receives the new prophecy: The Jade Mountain Prophecy.

S: Ooh, of course this is a new story arc, and there’s got to be a new prophecy. Can you tell us what it is?

C: Sure. Here you go:

Beware the darkness of dragons,
Beware the stalker of dreams,
Beware the talons of power and fire,
Beware one who is not what she seems.

Something is coming to shake the earth,
Something is coming to scorch the ground.
Jade Mountain will fall beneath thunder and ice
Unless the lost city of night can be found.

S: Oooh, that is kind of creepy!

C: Yes, I’m not sure about what any of this means.

S: I am really curious to see how the author will make these things happen. Do you think Moonwatcher is the one who is not what she seems?

C: I don’t think so. I think it is probably someone else, because I think the person who is not what she seems is probably not a good person. And I think Moon is a good person.

S: Hmm, that is an interesting conjecture Caramel. So tell me, was this book as exciting as you hoped it to be?

C: Yes. I can’t wait to read the next one.

S: Okay, then let us wrap up this review so you can dive right into Book Seven. But before that, tell me three words you’d use to describe this book.

C: It is exciting, and thought-full.

S: What do you mean by “thoughtful”? How can a book like this be thoughtful?

C: Well, it is full of all kinds of thoughts of all kinds of dragonets, and Moon can hear all of them! So thought-full, you see?

S: I see. I’m not sure I’d call that thoughtful, but okay. What is your third word then?

C: It’s funny too.

S: Okay, that is cool. Alright, maybe it is time to say your usual closing words then.

C: Yay! Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Moon Rising (Book Six of Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland, and is excited to move into the next book. — Caramel loved reading *Moon Rising* (Book Six of Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland, and is excited to move into the next book.

Caramel reviews How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury (Book #12 of How to Train Your Dragon Series) by Cressida Cowell

Caramel loves all things dragon, and he has been an avid reader of Cressida Cowell’s How to Train Your Dragon book series. Most recently he reviewed for the book bunnies blog How to Betray A Dragon’s Hero (Book #11 of How to Train Your Dragon Series). Today he is talking to Sprinkles about Book 12: How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

If you would like to check out our reviews of the earlier books, here is a list: How To Train Your Dragon (book 1), How to Be A Pirate (book 2), How To Speak Dragonese (book 3), How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse (book 4), How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale (book 5), A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons (book 6), How To Ride A Dragon’s Storm (book 7), How to Break A Dragon’s Heart (book 8), How to Steal A Dragon’s Sword (book 9, reviewed by Marshmallow), and How to Seize A Dragon’s Heart (book 10). Caramel also reviewed How to Train Your Viking by Toothless the Dragon by Cressida Cowell, a related book that might appeal to those who enjoyed the original books in the series.

Caramel reviews How to Fight a Dragon's Fury (Book #12 of How to Train Your Dragon Series) by Cressida Cowell. — Caramel reviews *How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury* (Book #12 of How to Train Your Dragon Series) by Cressida Cowell.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, tell our readers a bit about this twelfth book of the series.

Caramel: Hiccup wakes up not knowing who he is, what his name is, and so on. It is kind of scary actually.

S: I can see that, forgetting who you are would be really scary.

C: But eventually he does remember, because Toothless speaks to him and helps him remember.

S: Alright, is that the main thing that happens in this book?

C: No. There is a big war between humans and dragons.

S: That’s bad!

C: Yes. And you can tell who is losing.

S: Who?

C: Humans obviously. Dragons can fly! And they have flame weapons. Some have lightning. And others can turn invisible. And then shoot lightning. So they are pretty bad to have as an enemy.

S: I can see that! So what happens?

C: They eventually make a truce. Some of the dragons go into hiding and so on, but Toothless and some of the other dragons who are friends of the friends of Hiccup stay.

S: Hmm, so it is kind of like in the movies, and the TV series, too.

C: Yes, the dragons leave in the movie as well. And I don’t like that. Because I like the dragons.

S: But some stay?

C: Yes, I guess the epilogue is nice. They all live happily ever after, kind of.

S: Hmm, our attempt to provide a review with no spoilers has failed utterly. I can see that.

C: Yup. But I think it is alright. People who read this far in this series will want to finish it anyways.

S: I agree.

Caramel is reading How to Fight a Dragon's Fury (Book #12 of How to Train Your Dragon Series) by Cressida Cowell. — Caramel is reading *How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury* (Book #12 of How to Train Your Dragon Series) by Cressida Cowell.

S: So if you were to find three words to describe this book, what would they be?

C: Exciting, funny, and also sad, because this is the end of the series.

S: I know you are sad that it is over, but you have really enjoyed this series, haven’t you?

C: Yes. I really like Hiccup and how he can talk to dragons.

S: Would you like to be able to talk to dragons?

C: If they existed. But unfortunately they don’t exist.

S: Well, how about creatures that do exist? Would you want to be able to talk to other animals?

C: Yes! I think they could tell me that animals don’t like to be hunted, and they could tell me a lot of other interesting things about their lives, so I’d know even more than I can learn from documentaries.

S: That is correct, you’d have very reliable and inside information!

C: I could also ask a dog how they know people are scared, and why they chase us bunnies…

S: Those would be good to know, for sure! So as we are wrapping up this series, what is next for you?

C: I think I will go back to reading the Wings of Fire books. There are still many of those that I haven’t read.

S: So I can see there will be more reviews about books with dragons in them!

C: Yes! So now, can I tell our readers to stay tuned?

S: Yes, I think it is time.

C: Great! Stay tuned for more book bunnies reviews!

Caramel liked reading and talking about How to Fight a Dragon's Fury (Book #12 of How to Train Your Dragon Series) by Cressida Cowell, though he is sad the series is over. — Caramel liked reading and talking about *How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury* (Book #12 of How to Train Your Dragon Series) by Cressida Cowell, though he is sad the series is over.

Marshmallow reviews Marley Dias Gets It Done And So Can You! by Marley Dias

Today Marshmallow reviews Marley Dias Gets It Done And So Can You, the 2018 book by Marley Dias. Sprinkles is asking questions and taking notes.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, tell us about this book.

Marshmallow: Marley Dias Gets It Done And So Can You! is an inspirational book that encourages the readers to be active and to make a difference in the world. The author is a teenager who was 14 when this book came out. She started a campaign called #1000BlackGirlBooks when she was a sixth grader because she noticed that not many books had protagonists who were black girls like herself. Maybe we can put the publisher’s video here for our readers?

S: Sure. Here it is:

Marley Dias Gets It Done – And So Can You! by Marley Dias – YouTube video by publisher.

M: I think readers might find it interesting to see the author and it gives a sneak peek into the book.

S: It seems like a pretty colorful book.

M: Yes it is. There are many pictures, a lot of photos of Marley Dias herself, and her family, and a lot of other people doing good things to improve the world. The pictures make the book a lot more engaging and much easier to read.

S: So does she talk about how she started her campaign?

M: Yes. She talks about that in the first couple chapters. The first chapter is called Herstory: Who I Am, How This All Began. The first few chapters of the book are about what she has done with the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign. Then she talks about how to properly use social media and other internet resources to make a difference in the world. The last few chapters are about how to make a difference more generally. She talks about how important it is to read a lot and learn about the world. She uses the phrase “woke” in the sense of “politically aware”, and writes about how the readers can become that way.

S: That term has been used and abused a lot in a lot of different ways in the intervening years (Wikipedia tells a bit about the evolution of the word.) But you are right, she uses it in the meaning you point out, and it would be a good thing for young bunnies to be politically aware and think about what is happening in the world.

Marshmallow is reading Marley Dias Gets It Done And So Can You! by Marley Dias. — Marshmallow is reading *Marley Dias Gets It Done And So Can You!* by Marley Dias.

S: You said this was an inspiring book. Can you open that up a bit?

M: It’s inspiring because it shows that children can make a difference. It also gives you ways to make such change, and Marley Dias herself is an example of doing this. So you see her example and she explains all that went into how she was able to make a difference, and you can think about your own context, your own community, your own resources, and your own passions. What you care about, what you wish were different, and so on.

S: That sounds really inspiring. Did you think about something you would like to work towards changing?

M: I am worried about climate change, and I would like to be able to do something about helping the world’s many species that are going extinct.

S: This reminds me of the last book Caramel reviewed: The Aquanaut.

M: Yes, I think I might need to read that one some day. I also would like to help children around the world who do not have access to fresh and clean drinking water and enough food.

S: So did reading Marley Dias’s book help you think about how you could help in either of these causes?

M: A little. It has motivated me to do more, because I have always thought you had to grow up first to make a difference, but maybe I don’t have to wait.

S: I think this is wise Marshmallow and indeed inspiring. So if you were to rate this book, what would you rate it at?

M: I rate it at 95%.

S: Okay, then what would you like to tell our readers as we wrap up this review?

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

Marshmallow rates Marley Dias Gets It Done And So Can You! by Marley Dias 95%. — Marshmallow rates *Marley Dias Gets It Done And So Can You*! by Marley Dias 95%.

Caramel reviews The Aquanaut by Dan Santat

Caramel loves graphic novels and he loves all books by Dan Santat. So when he heard about The Aquanaut, the new (2022) graphic novel by Dan Santat, he knew he had to read and review it as soon as possible for the book bunnies blog. This is that review. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: Please tell us about this book Caramel.

Caramel: The book starts with a ship sinking, and someone’s brother dies. And then four sea animals convert the man’s diving suit into a walking suit so they can move on land. They go on land with this suit to find Aqualand, the dead man’s marine reserve.

S: That is an interesting premise for a story. What are the four animals?

C: There is a dumbo octopus, who is the engineer, a hermit crab, a blanket octopus, and a Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle.

S: I had never heard of these animals before, except hermit crabs, who I know take over shells abandoned by other animals. So in some sense taking over a diving suit is perfectly appropriate for a hermit crab. But I had never heard of a blanket octopus.

C: Apparently the males are as big as a walnut but the females can get as large as six feet!

S: That is very interesting!

C: But I had heard of the dumbo octopus before, too.

S: That is neat. You do know a lot about ocean animals! You have read all the Narwhal and Jelly books, and reviewed The Magnificent Book of Ocean Creatures by Val Walerczuk and Tom Jackson for the blog too.

C: Yes. But I learned from this book that Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles are the rarest and most endangered sea turtles in the world. And the others think the ocean is getting a little too dangerous so they think Aqualand should be safer.

S: How do they learn about Aqualand?

C: They find the notebook of the man who died. His name is Michael and he wrote about Aqualand in his notebook.

Caramel is reading The Aquanaut by Dan Santat. — Caramel is reading *The Aquanaut* by Dan Santat.

S: So Aqualand is a marine life reserve, right?

C: Michael and his brother Paul founded it to be a reserve, and Michael’s daughter Sophia still thinks it is one, but when the aquanaut crew, that is the four animals using the diving suit, come to Aqualand, they find out that it is now just an amusement park. And the animals there are not happy. So they set free an orca and …

S: Hmm, that reminded me a lot of the FunJungle books Marshmallow reviewed. In particular, Belly Up.

C: I can see that! Belly Up was also in an amusement park, but it was supposed to be a zoo where the animals would live their lives as naturally as possible.

S: So in The Aquanaut, the animals that steer the diving suit meet Michael’s daughter Sophia, right?

C: Yes. And both Sophia and Paul help the four animals escape and get back to the ocean.

S: That sounds like a sweet story Caramel.

C: Yes definitely. Can we put here the video that Dan Santat recorded for the book?

S: Yes, sure. Here it is.

The Aquanaut by Dan Santat – YouTube video by Scholastic, the publisher.

S: So what would your three words be to describe this book?

C: Colorful, exciting, and sweet. You said that word and I think it works for the book, too.

S: Sounds good to me. So do you think Marshmallow would like this book?

C: Yes, I think so. She loved the FunJungle books and she likes graphic novels too. I think actually that any bunny who likes the ocean and who likes the environment would like this book.

S: That is a solid endorsement Caramel. So what do you want to tell our readers as we wrap up this review?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading The Aquanaut by Dan Santat and recommends it to any bunny who loves graphic novels, the ocean, and other living creatures. — Caramel loved reading *The Aquanaut* by Dan Santat and recommends it to any bunny who loves graphic novels, the ocean, and other living creatures.