BookBunnies

Marshmallow reviews The Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook by Media Lab Books

Marshmallow began this blog with a review of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling. So it was only natural that eventually she would come back to one of her favorite fictional worlds: the magical world of Harry Potter. This week she tells us about a fun book she has been carrying around with her for a while now: The Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook: A Complete Guide to Every Spell in the Wizarding World by Media Lab Books.

Marshmallow reviews The Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook: A Complete Guide to Every Spell in the Wizarding World, by Media Lab Books. — Marshmallow reviews *The Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook: A Complete Guide to Every Spell in the Wizarding Worl*d, by Media Lab Books.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you liked the Harry Potter series, or more generally if you like books about magic, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary: This is not really a typical book. It is an amazing guide to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Every single spell that you heard in the movies or read about in the books, even the ones that are barely mentioned, are included in this book. It also lists where the spell or charm was used or mentioned, whether in the books, the movies, the video games, or somewhere else. Each entry describes the gestures you need to perform the spell and how to pronounce the incantation. On top of that, it also has the different wand cores and woods. Also it tells you which wand types the main characters had. It also informs the reader about Enchanted Objects like the Goblet of Fire and Candy.

The Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook is great for bunnies who want to learn the spells that are used by the wizards and witches in the Harry Potter world. It also teaches the reader more about the World of Harry Potter. My favorite spell in the book is “Dragonifors”.

Dragonifors
Type: Transfiguration
Use: Turns small objects into dragons
Etymology: In Latin, draco means “dragon” and forma means “shape”
Magic Moment: Minerva McGonagall teaches this spell in third-year Transfiguration class
Note: This spell is only seen in the Prisoner of Azkaban video game.
Produces much smaller, less powerful creatures than true dragons.

Marshmallow is reading her favorite spells in The Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook: A Complete Guide to Every Spell in the Wizarding World, by Media Lab Books. — Marshmallow is reading her favorite spells in *The Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook: A Complete Guide to Every Spell in the Wizarding World*, by Media Lab Books.

Marshmallow’s Review: This is a very good book that is meant for Harry Potter fans. The comments in the book like “Swish and Flick” remind you of the movies. It has every spell and is very interesting to read. The comments on the back are also very interesting.

Who needs The Standard Book of Spells when you have this?
–Horace Belby, former Hogwarts student

The book does not tell us a new story from the Harry Potter world, but it is a book you would expect to see at Hogwarts, similar to the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander (which was of course actually written by J.K. Rowling). This book also contains incantations from that story.

Readers of this blog might recall that my very first review was of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. So obviously I am a Harry Potter fan. Years ago, I began trying to write a notebook on the Wizarding World. I wrote down a lot of things, but I got stuck on the spells. This book was exactly what I needed!

Marshmallow’s rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates The Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook: A Complete Guide to Every Spell in the Wizarding World, by Media Lab Books, 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook: A Complete Guide to Every Spell in the Wizarding World*, by Media Lab Books, 100%.

Caramel reviews The Bad Guys in The Furball Strikes Back by Aaron Blabey (Bad Guys #3)

A few weeks ago, Caramel reviewed the first book in Aaron Blabey’s Bad Guys series. Then soon after that, he reviewed the second book in the series: The Bad Guys in Mission Unpluckable. Today he reviews the third book: The Bad Guys in The Furball Strikes Back. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking followup questions.

Sprinkles: So we just finished reading the book together. But you had read and reread the book several times before already. Why don’t you tell our readers a bit about this book Caramel?

Caramel: Sure. Do you remember what happened at the end of the second book?

S: Yes, but maybe you can remind our readers.

C: Ok. In the very end of the second book, we meet a guinea pig named Marmalade, and he is really angry at our bad guys for saving the chickens.

S: So let’s track back a bit. Who are our bad guys?

C: A shark, a wolf, a snake, a piranha, and a tarantula, who joined the team in the second book.

S: So these are animals that people are usually afraid of, and they usually are villains in stories. And in this series of books, they want to become good, and do good deeds. Right?

C: Actually, only the wolf wants to do that, at least in the first book. But then the others like the idea too, after they save the puppies there. And in the second book they save ten thousand chickens.

S: And this Marmalade is angry at them for saving the chickens?

C: Yes.

S: Why?

C: Because the chicken farm was apparently his. And he is evil. He is a billionaire mad scientist, and is tired of people thinking he is cute and cuddly.

S: So he doesn’t want to be cute and cuddly anymore?

C: No. I don’t know why.

S: Well, that is kind of funny actually, right? The bad guys don’t want to be bad anymore and the cute cuddly animal doesn’t want to be cute and cuddly.

C: Yes.

Caramel is reading The Bad Guys in The Furball Strikes Back by Aaron Blabey (Bad Guys #3). — Caramel is reading *The Bad Guys in The Furball Strikes Back* by Aaron Blabey (Bad Guys #3).

S: So what happens in this book? in the last one there was also a mysterious ninja. Does that ninja show up in this third book?

C: Well, actually the ninja did not really show up in the second book, only on the last page, they tell us there will be a mysterious ninja. And in this book she shows up.

S: She? The ninja is female? That’s cool!

C: Yes, she is awesome!

S: So what really happens in this book?

C: We learn that Marmalade (“that’s Dr. Rupert Marmalade to you!”) has plans to take over the world. He has a “secret weapon”.

S: And do we learn what this secret weapon is in this book?

C: Yes and no. We see them in this book but we learn how dangerous they are in the next book. Marmalade is trying to turn every single cute and cuddly animal into zombies!

S: Wow! That is not so nice, is it?

C: Nope. Marmalade is evil! All he cares about is having power.

S: So this book also ends in a cliffhanger then?

C: Sort of. So I will end my review with my usual words: Stay tuned for more book bunnies adventures!

Caramel really enjoyed reading The Bad Guys in The Furball Strikes Back by Aaron Blabey (Bad Guys #3) and is looking forward to reading more about their adventures. — Caramel really enjoyed reading *The Bad Guys in The Furball Strikes Back* by Aaron Blabey (Bad Guys #3) and is looking forward to reading more about their adventures.

Marshmallow reviews Panda-monium by Stuart Gibbs

Marshmallow has already reviewed a book in Stuart Gibbs’ Teddy Fitzroy / FunJungle series: see her review of Belly Up, the first book of the series. Today she reviews the fourth book: Panda-monium.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you liked Belly Up or any of the other books by Stuart Gibbs (or if you just enjoy a good mystery), then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with spoilers): Teddy Fitzroy lives in FunJungle, the world’s most elaborate zoo, owned by the billionaire J.J. McCracken. Living in FunJungle is not boring but it is dangerous. First Henry Hippo is murdered (see my review of the first book of the series where this happens), then Kazoo the Koala is koala-napped (in the second book), and then someone tries to kill the park’s rhinos (in the third book). Now, the most expensive animal that the zoo features, the giant panda Li Ping, gets kidnapped.

This is a big deal and the FBI steps in. Since the Chinese government lent Li Ping to J.J. McCracken, when he loses the panda he not only has to deal with the angry Chinese government but also the many people who wanted to see Li Ping. The guard who accompanied Li Ping, Marge O’Malley (who Teddy calls Large Marge because she is determined to send him to juvenile hall), is blamed. To make matters worse her sister who works in the FBI works on the case. Large Marge is determined to solve this case first, and since Teddy has a record of solving crimes (see FunJungle books), she blackmails him into solving the case. As he learns more and more, it becomes clear that not everyone is as innocent as they look.

Marshmallow is reading Panda-monium by Stuart Gibbs, the fourth book in the FunJungle series. — Marshmallow is reading *Panda-monium* by Stuart Gibbs, the fourth book in the *FunJungle* series.

Marshmallow’s Review: This is not your standard mystery book. It is a book that makes you want to find out who committed the crime so much that you will want to skip to the end.

This one is like the other books in the FunJungle series in the way that it is very suspenseful. There are many suspects but you don’t know who the real culprit is.

Though the book has no pictures, Stuart Gibbs puts an image in your mind. When you read his books, it seems like you know the characters. You admire Teddy Fitzroy and Summer McCracken, J.J. McCracken’s daughter, for their incredible detective skills and have a natural suspicion of Large Marge.

Gibbs does a great job of writing these stories that only Fitzroy could solve. In the end, you realize that all of the clues were in front of you the whole time but you never thought of it that way. J.J. McCracken’s character is interesting because he is very sly and sometimes seems to be nice but then sometimes he is not. The plot is very well written.

Panda-monium is as good as the previous books in terms of the suspense and the plot. And it is one of the funniest books in the series.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Panda-monium by Stuart Gibbs, the fourth book in the FunJungle series, 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Panda-monium* by Stuart Gibbs, the fourth book in the *FunJungle* series, 100%.

Caramel reviews The Crayons’ Christmas by Drew Daywalt

Both Marshmallow and Caramel loved The Day The Crayons Quit, written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. They also very much enjoyed reading The Day The Crayons Came Home. Unfortunately, neither of them had gotten around to reviewing either of the books for the book bunnies blog. But the crayons are forgotten no more! Today Caramel reviews the third book in this amusing series: The Crayons’ Christmas. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking followup questions.

Caramel reviews The Crayons' Christmas, written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. — Caramel reviews *The Crayons’ Christmas*, written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, what is this book about?

Caramel: This book is about the crayons in Duncan’s house and a candy cane that wants desperately to be eaten.

S: Wait, you need to tell our readers who Duncan is.

C: Duncan is a boy. We read about him in the other crayons books. The crayons are his.

S: So what about this candy cane? Why does it want to get eaten?

C: Because it is extremely old and it is supposed to be eaten, not put on Christmas trees!

S: So it wants to live the life it is meant to live in some sense, right?

C: Sort of.

S: So what happens in this book?

C: It’s Christmas time, and the crayons keep on getting postcards, or boxes, or games.

S: Kind of like you, right? You got this book for Christmas.

C: Yes, I did. I was so happy to get my paws on another book!

S: This is not just a book, though, right? The letters and such for the crayons are all on separate pages, inside envelopes. And you get to open them and read the cards inside.

C: Yes. It’s awesome! It is really fun to read the cards. And there is even a game in one of the packages.

Caramel is reading The Crayons' Christmas, written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. — Caramel is reading *The Crayons’ Christmas*, written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers.

S: What is it called?

C: Let me see. Ok, I found it. It’s called The Great Crayon Race.

S: Did you play it yet?

C: No. Can we play it today?

S: Maybe. Right after we finish the post.

C: Ok.

S: Do you think this was a good Christmas gift?

C: Yes. It’s a nice book, and if you have lots of crayons, then it is fun to think of them as people.

S: Yes, people with distinct characters. And strange things have happened to them in the earlier books.

C: Yes, for example the peach crayon is naked because Duncan pulled off his wrapper. And in this one, the peach crayon receives a card from his mom, and she writes “Oh Peachy-Pie! You always were my shy one, so I’ve sent you some clothes! Now you can give Duncan back his underwear! Have fun playing dress-up, my naked baby, and Merry Christmas! Love, Mom.”

S: That is funny! And it is neat that the threads from the other books come up here too.

C: Yes. The orange crayon and the yellow crayon are still fighting in this book too!

S: That is funny too! Ok, maybe it is time to wrap this up?

C: Sure, just like a Christmas gift! Stay tuned for more book bunnies adventures!

Caramel really enjoyed reading and exploring all the goodies within The Crayons' Christmas, written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. — Caramel really enjoyed reading and exploring all the goodies within *The Crayons’ Christmas*, written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers.