Caramel reviews Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne

Caramel has reviewed quite a few Magic Tree House books for the book bunnies blog before. Today he wanted to talk about one that he had not mentioned here before: Lions at Lunchtime. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

This is the eleventh book in the series. For Caramel’s earlier reviews of books in the series, see  Night of the Ninjas (Magic Tree House #5), Afternoon on the Amazon (Magic Tree House #6), Sunset of the Sabertooth (Magic Tree House #7), Midnight on the Moon (Magic Tree House #8), Dolphins at Daybreak (Magic Tree House #9), and Ghost Town at Sundown (Magic Tree House #10). For his reviews of books in the accompanying Fact Tracker series, see Knights and Castles (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #2) and Sea Monsters (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #17).

Caramel reviews Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne.
Caramel reviews Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne.

Sprinkles: Caramel, you are reviewing another Magic Tree House book!

Caramel: Yep. I like them!

S: So tell us about this one.

C: As you can tell from the title, it is about Jack and Annie having an adventure with lions around lunch time. They never actually see the lions until the very end, but it is a pretty cool story. They are trying to solve some riddles again, and this book is about the third riddle.

S: Do they solve it?

C: Yup. Of course! How else would they move on to the next book?

S: I guess you are right. So where do they go this time?

C: Africa. And the time is not very clear, maybe it is the present.

S: So the riddles are so that they become librarians, right?

C: Yes, I think they want to join Morgan Le Fay’s library and be Master Librarians.

S: That sounds intriguing. Would you like to be a Master Librarian and travel around with these books and the magic tree house?

C: Possibly. As long as I could get back home whenever I wanted to.

S: I know, right? They go to all these different places and travel to different times, but thankfully they always get back home safe and on time.

C: Always in time for the next meal!

Caramel is reading Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne.
Caramel is reading Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne.

S: What else would you like to tell us about this book?

C: In the beginning of the book Annie is talking about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and peanut butter and honey sandwiches. I never had a peanut butter and honey sandwich before but it definitely sounds good. Maybe we can try it some time?

S: That sounds good to me. I don’t really like peanut butter with sweet things, but I know you do.

C: You do like peanut butter with bananas and that is kind of sweet!

S: You are right, I guess I just don’t like it with chocolate or jelly. But with honey, it sounds like it would work well together. Alright, maybe you can have a peanut butter and honey sandwich tomorrow.

C: Okay. I really want to try it.

S: Sure. So other than food ideas, did you learn anything else from this book?

C: Yes, the riddle was cool. It goes:

I'm the color of gold,
and as sweet as can be!
But beware the danger
That's all around me. 
What am I?

S: That is a good riddle Caramel, but we should not give away more. Tell me instead your three words to describe the book.

C: Funny, adventurous, and facts! There are a bunch of facts about animals. About gazelles, wildebeest, lions, and so on.

S: And we all know by now how much you like facts about animals! So this was a good read, then.

C: Yes. As usual. I always like the Magic Tree House books.

S: So maybe you will review a few more in the coming weeks. What do you want to tell our readers in the meantime?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne, and is looking forward to reading more about the adventures of Jack and Annie.
Caramel enjoyed reading Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne, and is looking forward to reading more about the adventures of Jack and Annie.

Marshmallow reviews Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Today Marshmallow reviews Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, published first in 2002 and awarded a Newberry Honor in 2003. Sprinkles read the book, too, and is asking questions to Marshmallow and taking notes as they go along.

Marshmallow reviews Hoot by Carl Hiaasen.
Marshmallow reviews Hoot by Carl Hiaasen.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, let us start with an overview of the book. What is the book about?

Marshmallow: It’s about this boy named Roy Eberhardt who has recently moved to Miami, Florida. One day while he is on the school bus, he sees a strange boy running outside without shoes. And the book is about him trying to find out who that boy is.

S: That sounds like the beginning of a good mystery. Would you say this is a mystery story?

M: Yes. It takes a while for Roy to figure out who that boy is and what is going on with him.

S: And then, the book is not yet over, though, right?

M: There is a second mystery in the book. There is a second narrator, besides Roy, who sees some other events happening, and he is also trying to figure out just what is going on. This one is a police officer named David Delinko.

S: And the two events end up being intertwined, right?

M: Yes. And things are tied in and resolved quite well at the end.

Marshmallow is reading Hoot by Carl Hiaasen.
Marshmallow is reading Hoot by Carl Hiaasen.

S: It sounds like you enjoyed reading this book Marshmallow.

M: Yes, I did. I thought the two mysteries being related was really neat, like a typical Nancy Drew story. Or like in the FunJungle series.

S: And I know you really liked both Nancy Drew stories and all the FunJungle books. So that is a compliment, coming from you!

M: Yes. I especially thought the plot was very interesting.

S: You wanted to add “bullying” to the tags for the post. Why is that?

M: Because there is an older boy at school who bullies Roy, and that is actually why Roy comes to notice the running boy. And then the bullying is related to how things evolve and are resolved, too.

S: The bully gets his comeuppance, right?

M: Yes, but I don’t want to give too much away.

S: I know. Okay, let us not say much more about that then. What else do you want to tell us about this book?

M: When you interview Caramel about books, you ask him for three words to describe the book. So I think three words that could describe this book are animal-friendly, fast-paced, and mystery. Or maybe I’d describe the book as “animal-friendly, fast-paced school mystery”. That’s not three words, but then again, I am not Caramel.

S: That makes sense to me, Marshmallow. And that is a good description of this book. We did not say much about the animal-friendly part but I suppose our readers might guess that from the title.

M: Yes, “hoot” is the sound owls make. So the readers might already guess there will be some owls somewhere.

S: Yes, I think that is quite reasonable. We rabbits may not like owls much, but the owls in this book are cute and lovable. Right?

M: Yes. They are nothing like Mr. Ocax in Poppy. They’re more like Rufus in Of a Feather.

S: Okay, Marshmallow, I think it is time for us to wrap up this review. What would you rate this book?

M: I’d rate it 95%. It is a good read and the two mysteries keep you wanting to read it fast.

Marshmallow rates Hoot by Carl Hiaasen 95%.
Marshmallow rates Hoot by Carl Hiaasen 95%.

Caramel reviews How To Break A Dragon’s Heart (Book #8 of How to Train Your Dragon Series) by Cressida Cowell

Caramel is on a roll, reviewing all the books in Cressida Cowell’s How To Train Your Dragon series one by one; you can check out his reviews of  How To Train Your DragonHow to Be A Pirate,  How To Speak DragoneseHow to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse, How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale, A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons, and How To Ride A Dragon’s Storm if you wish. Today he is reviewing the eighth book titled How To Break A Dragon’s Heart. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Caramel reviews How To Break A Dragon’s Heart (Book #8 of How to Train Your Dragon Series) by Cressida Cowell.
Caramel reviews How To Break A Dragon’s Heart (Book #8 of How to Train Your Dragon Series) by Cressida Cowell.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, this is book 8. What do you want to tell us about it?

Caramel: There is a big storm and Camicazi gets lost. So everyone in Berk begins to look for her.

S: So is the book about Hiccup and his friends trying to find Camicazi before it is too late.

C: Yes. First they find her ship which is destroyed completely, and they are really worried. They think she must be somewhere on Broken Heart Bay, which is supposedly haunted.

S: Oh, that name sounds like it is related to the title; how to break a dragon’s heart.

C: Not really.

S: So what is that supposed to mean? Which dragon’s heart are we talking about being broken?

C: It is Furious’s heart. He is a huge dragon, and he was a blood brother of an ancestor of Hiccup’s and when Hiccup’s relative (and namesake) was killed, the dragon’s heart broke.

S: Oh, that sounds like we will find out a lot more about Hiccup’s family history in this book, right?

C: Yes.

Caramel is reading How To Break A Dragon’s Heart (Book #8 of How to Train Your Dragon Series) by Cressida Cowell.
Caramel is reading How To Break A Dragon’s Heart (Book #8 of How to Train Your Dragon Series) by Cressida Cowell.

S: So you have been enjoying these How To Train Your Dragon books Caramel. Is this eighth book as good as the previous ones?

C: Yes. But it is a bit sadder. But we do meet Alvin the Treacherous again. He had been swallowed up by a giant dragon and going into a volcano, but somehow he survived all that.

S: That was a bad guy, right?

C: Of course. He is one of the villains of this book. And he is also a cousin of Hiccup…

S: So we are back to that family history again. What three words would you use to describe this book? Try to come up with new words if you can.

C: Sad. I never used that before. And, believable bad guys.

S: Hmm, that is not quite a single-word descriptor but it will do. What would be your third word to describe the book?

C: Strange reunions?

S: Hmm, that is a bit mysterious. I’m intrigued…

C: You should read it! Seriously!

S: Hmm, I might just do that… Well did you read the next book yet?

C: No.

S: You know Marshmallow has already reviewed that. So you need to read books #9 and #10 and review that tenth book next for us.

C: Happy to do so!

S: That’s great! So what do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading How To Break A Dragon’s Heart (Book #8 of How to Train Your Dragon Series) by Cressida Cowell, and is ready for book #9 and whatever follows.
Caramel loved reading How To Break A Dragon’s Heart (Book #8 of How to Train Your Dragon Series) by Cressida Cowell, and is ready for book #9 and whatever follows.

Marshmallow reviews David Massie and the Quantum Flux by Andrew M. Nehring

Today Marshmallow is reviewing a recently published book by Andrew M. Nehring: David Massie and the Quantum Flux. She received this book as a review copy and appreciated the opportunity to read it.

Marshmallow reviews David Massie and the Quantum Flux by Andrew M. Nehring.
Marshmallow reviews David Massie and the Quantum Flux by Andrew M. Nehring.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about school, or if you enjoy science fiction and adventure stories, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): David Massie has been having the same dream for the last two months. In his dream, he is standing in the dark. A strange slithering sound comes from behind him, but in the distance there is a glow. A ghostlike girl reaches out for him, but then he falls down to Earth while everything around him shatters.

At school, a bully named Mike tells David that if David allows him to cheat during an upcoming test, he won’t “beat him up”. David gives him wrong answers and Mike punches him. The principal worries about Mike hurting David further and so asks David’s friend Rory to walk him home. On their way back home, a dark, armored figure presses some buttons, and a purple sphere of light envelops David, barely touching Rory; however neither of them notice.

The next morning, when David wakes up, he notices that the radio announcer is acting strangely, making many religious statements. His parents are dressed in priest-like robes. Everyone he meets is somehow different from how they used to be, and everyone is extremely religious. The only other person who notices this is strange is Rory.

David Massie’s brother Morgan, who had disappeared five years ago on a stormy night, had talked to David about different realities and had been working on a way to travel between them. David and Rory realize that they must have jumped through different realities. David promises he’ll fix it.

Marshmallow is reading David Massie and the Quantum Flux by Andrew M. Nehring.
Marshmallow is reading David Massie and the Quantum Flux by Andrew M. Nehring.

The next morning, everyone has to work in construction, including children. School is just labor now. The following morning, the radio announcer is speaking German. When the radio announcer stops in mid-sentence, David notices a man in his room who is wearing blue armor. When David talks to him, the man is surprised that David can see him because he had just stopped time. He tells David that he is a Time Cop David is glad that someone has come to fix the switching realities, and he asks the officer for his badge. The officer says he doesn’t have one but his ID is CP1399457. David decides to call him CP.

David and CP now have to try to find a way to fix the realities, but the mysterious, dark-armored figure is following them. Through his adventure, David uncovers more about his brother, both good and bad.

Marshmallow’s Review: I think that David Massie and the Quantum Flux is a good science fiction book. It is the first book of a new series, The David Massie and the Corrupted Light Chronicles, and as a result, the ending is a bit of a cliff hanger, but the book is still satisfying on its own.

I think that the author created an interesting world with realistic characters. The way they travel through different realities reminded me of a classic I reviewed before: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. Also a missing brother is somewhat similar to the missing dad in that book and how Meg tries to save his brother is similar to how David Massie is looking for his brother. However this is definitely a different story and I am not sure how things will turn out (though I have some guesses). It will be interesting to see what David Massie does in the following books.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 95%.

Marshmallow rates David Massie and the Quantum Flux by Andrew M. Nehring 95%.
Marshmallow rates David Massie and the Quantum Flux by Andrew M. Nehring 95%.