BookBunnies

Marshmallow reviews The 50 States by Kana Kavon

Today Marshmallow reviews a beautiful large-format book, The 50 States by Kana Kavon, first published in 2021.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books with beautiful images and illustrations with fascinating facts, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Given the title, one could likely assume that this book is about the fifty states of the United States of America. And it is exactly that, but also so much more! There are seven sections which divide the states—and territories—up by their geographical location. They are as follows: the Northeast, the Southeast, the Midwest, the Southwest, the West, Noncontiguous States, and U.S. Territories. The Table of Contents itself hints that this book will be full of very aesthetically-pleasing visuals like drawings and photos! There are so many amazing, astonishing images of the natural beauty of the U.S. and almost every page (if not every page) has one such photo. There are also unique facts about state and territory that helps introduce the reader to each one. Every state has a two-page spread, and every territory has about one page. All are like collages with drawings and photos layered in a manner that is easy to absorb and understand for the reader. The state animal and the state flower for every state are shown, and cool historical tales are described. For example, did you know that the first Black, female millionaire (named Madame C. J. Walker) was an entrepreneur based in Indiana? I didn’t…until I read this book!

Marshmallow is reading The 50 States by Kana Kavon. — Marshmallow is reading *The 50 States* by Kana Kavon.

Marshmallow’s Review: I really loved reading this book! It is beautifully written with simplicity and clarity. But it is also beautifully designed and decorated! I found it very calming to read and also very eye-opening. I never knew how unique each state is. They all have their own character, their own history, and their own quirks that make American history even richer. I especially loved the images of the natural beauty found in each state. Being from only one, I’ve only ever been most able to appreciate the beauty of one. But this book showed me how there is beauty to be seen and appreciated in each and every state and territory. It was really nice that the territories were included as well, and the way each grouping of the states / territories was labelled by geography helped me place them better on a mental map.

I think books like these are eye-opening and help humanize people. During a time of unprecedented polarization, tensions between the American people are higher than ever. State lines have begun literally dividing us as a populace and animosity is growing as states become identified solely by which way they vote. This book helps show us that every state has something beautiful to offer to the great American Experiment and that is something we all need to appreciate in order to truly be able to come together as one indivisible nation with freedom and justice for all.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates The 50 States by Kana Kavon 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The 50 States* by Kana Kavon 100%.

Caramel reviews All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

Today Caramel reviews All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, written in 2017 and the winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novella in 2018. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, today we are talking about All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries.

Caramel: Yep.

S: So tell us a bit about this book.

C: Sure. All Systems Red is about a SecUnit, a security oriented robot who is an augmented human.

S: What is an augmented human Caramel?

C: A person that is a mix between a robot and a human.

S: They used to call that a cyborg, I think. I guess “augmented human” makes it sound more like you begin with a human and modify them. Kind of scary to think about. Like the Cybermen of Doctor Who.

C: Yeah kind of, but this one is more, docile

S: Docile but he is called Murderbot! That sounds a bit violent.

C: Yeah, I think he calls himself that, as an ironic name, I think. Apparently, he went out of control and killed a lot of people some time ago, but now humans trust him again. He just calls himself Murderbot because he has dreams of being scary and powerful and so on.

S: Wait, so he has dreams or aspirations?

C: Yes, he is sentient. He also realizes at some point that he has free will. So he can override the commands he is being given, but chooses not to, because he does not want others to know.

S: Ooh, that is so interesting! So many questions! Is his free will coming from his human part? Or maybe the machine part is somehow capable of sentience and free will?

C: I don’t know, but I think it has something to do with some other SecUnits who attacked and one of them installed an override module to its neck.

S: So if nobody else knows of this, are we reading his own thoughts?

C: Yes. He is the narrator. I guess that is why it is called a diary after all.

Caramel is reading All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. — Caramel is reading *All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries* by Martha Wells.

S: So what does he do with his free will? What does he want to do?

C: He mainly watches TV in his free time.

S: Oh, that is hilarious! Kind of like how when TV and the internet first came to be, people thought about all the amazing things we would do with these new tools, but almost everyone uses these to watch soap operas or post cat photos or funny dance videos.

C: Yes, it is sad in a way. He could be planning to rebel or build a free world for his kind or something grand like that, but all he wants to do is watch soap operas without being bothered.

S: But also realistic. I mean not everyone wants to be a leader or a revolutionary, but everyone enjoys funny cat videos.

C: Almost everyone. I’d rather watch funny bunny videos.

S: You are right of course. Bunny videos are so much better! Anyways, do you like Murderbot? Is he likeable? Funny?

C: Yeah, he is very funny. And he is laid back and he does not take himself seriously.

S: That is cool! Did you know that they are making a TV show about Murderbot?

C: No! But that sounds awesome! Can we put the trailer on this thing?

S: Sure, here we go:

C: Thank you! That does look cool! I think it is not only the book I read though.

S: Yes, there are a few followup books about Murderbot.

C: Ooh, can I read them?

S: Hmm, I am not sure if they were published as paper books but we can definitely look into it.

C: Yes, please let’s!

S: Okay, sounds like you did enjoy reading All Systems Red.

C: Yep, it was super cool.

S: Okay, then, we will figure something out. It seems like this is a good place to end our review. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells and is wondering if he can read the sequels as well. — Caramel enjoyed reading *All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries* by Martha Wells and is wondering if he can read the sequels as well.

Marshmallow reviews Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B.B. Alston

Marshmallow had already reviewed Amari and the Night Brothers and Amari and the Great Game, the first two books of the Supernatural Investigations series by B.B. Alston. Today she reviews the third book, Amari and the Despicable Wonders, which was published in 2024.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about family, friends, and magic with a strong, smart female protagonist, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): The supernatural world is on the brink of war with their risk of being revealed to the human world increasing by the minute. The Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, which functions as this world’s government and has been responsible for keeping the supernatural unseen by humans, has recently been taken over by Elaine Harlowe. Harlowe is a faun who has the ability to control others with her voice and now is the Director of the Bureau. The previous head of the Bureau was the one and only Merlin; unfortunately, he had to freeze himself along with all of the other leaders of the magical world in order to protect them from an unseen attack. Amari Peters, a Junior Agent training to work in the Bureau who is our protagonist, discovered this in the last book. However, the world’s leaders are still stuck in this time freeze, leaving Harlowe in charge. Unfortunately, Harlowe is very biased against magicians, which is not a great perspective to have during a time of great tension between the Bureau and the League of Magicians. The Bureau is the government of the supernatural world, but in this world, magicians and all their creations are viewed as UnWanteds. Unlike in the world of Harry Potter, being told “You’re a wizard, Harry” is something that would cause different reactions: first, self-loathing and fear of being discovered, and second, confusion at being called Harry.

Amari is a magician, but so far, she’s been sort of viewed as a good one, in comparison to the evil Night Brothers or Dylan Van Helsing. Unfortunately, the League of Magicians has been corrupted by Dylan, who wants to use foul magic to make magicians respected through fear and intimidation. Amari and her friends (Elsie, Jayden, and Lara) have been fighting against Dylan’s magician movement, but they also need to worry about what the Bureau is doing too. Magician-hating Harlowe fears that Amari will reveal to the public how she rose to power so quickly (with her mind-controlling powers), so Harlowe declares Amari an enemy of the Bureau which many believe because she is a magician.

In this book, Amari, Elsie (who is extraordinarily smart and can transform partly into a dragon), Jayden (a boy who can talk to animals, though I predict he will be talking to Amari a lot more soon 😉), Lara (Dylan’s non-magician sister who has recently allied herself with Amari), and Quinton (Amari’s famous Bureau Agent brother) are now working against the clock to prevent the Bureau and the League from going to full-on war—especially since the stakes have never been higher.

Amari learns that Dylan plans to use anti-magick to fight the Bureau and all those who oppose magicians. Just like anti-matter, anti-magick destroys all things with magic, which includes just about everything and everyone in the supernatural world. In order to utilize and then control this power, Dylan must find the Despicable Wonders: eight ancient items made long ago by the first magician. The only thing that can save the supernatural world from complete ruin is if Amari, her family, and friends can find the Wonders first and stop Dylan. The clock is ticking though, and he has a head start.

Can Amari catch up and should she? Perhaps this is all according to his plan… dun dun dun!!!

Marshmallow is reading Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B.B. Alston. — Marshmallow is reading *Amari and the Despicable Wonders* by B.B. Alston.

Marshmallow’s Review: This was a very good book. I will say there are a lot of parallels to be drawn between Amari’s world and that of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Throughout this series, I definitely felt a lot of nostalgia because of the similarities to previous fantasy books for young adults and children. However, I would like to focus on what makes this series unique.

The world is definitely Alston’s own and it is not in any means identical. The premise starts off similarly, with a young child being told they are part of a magical world, and that they are exceptional even there. But this story evolves in a different direction. It focuses a lot more on equality, and fighting bias and hate. Amari is a magician, a group of supernaturals who are looked down upon. There is a lot of mistrust towards all magicians, and most live in hiding their whole lives. Amari’s perspective sheds light on the inequities in both the supernatural and natural world. This is clearly a statement, shown by the not-so-stark contrast between our world and theirs. This makes the story of Amari a lot more compelling and connects the reader more to her magical world.

That said, the characters are also very compelling. They develop in very human ways, even though not all of them are human. Even the enemy is clearly a thinking, breathing, feeling person and doesn’t start off as the embodiment of evil. The progression of the plot is both calculated and unexpected. It never feels slow though it is always very thoughtful. B.B. Alston is definitely, undoubtedly a very good author.

I really enjoyed reading Amari and the Despicable Wonders, and I am waiting excitedly for the fourth book to come out. The ending was bittersweet (because all the characters were so well-developed!), and while there was not really a defined cliffhanger, there are still unanswered questions.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B.B. Alston 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Amari and the Despicable Wonders* by B.B. Alston 100%.

Caramel reviews What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? by Julie Ellis

This past week Caramel’s class was learning about the Pythagorean Theorem so he thought that this was just the perfect week to talk about What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure, written by Julie Ellis, illustrated by Phyllis Hornung, and first published in 2004. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Caramel reviews What's Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure, written by Julie Ellis and illustrated by Phyllis Hornung. — Caramel reviews *What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure*, written by Julie Ellis and illustrated by Phyllis Hornung.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, today we are talking about a math book.

Caramel: When you say it like that, it sounds like we are talking about a school book.

S: True, this is not quite a school book, though, in some sense, we are talking about it because of school.

C: Yep. We were learning about the Pythagorean Theorem at school, so you gave this book to me.

S: That I did. So what did you think?

C: It was not that bad.

S: Hmm, that is faint praise.

C: Yep.

S: So did you not like the book then? We do not review much that we do not like.

C: No, I was kind of joking. The book is actually pretty good as a story, and the pictures are nice, too. There are some real mathematical diagrams, but they fit right into the story and it seems like they just show up naturally. But I do not think this is how Pythagoras came up with his theorem.

S: I see. So it is the fiction part that you did not find most appealing. I do know you like your books with facts in them, so this had some facts, like the theorem itself, but a kind of a made-up story about how it came about, right?

C: Yes. Pythagoras is a boy living in ancient Greece, and he is trying to figure things out about distances, and he discovers the theorem all by himself. I mean it could have happened that way, but …

S: But you are not convinced?

C: Yeah, not really.

S: But it could have happened that way; we do not exactly know how Pythagoras came to his result. And don’t you think it might be fun for young bunnies to imagine themselves coming up with such an important result on their own?

C: Yeah, I guess you’re right, but still…

S: Are you a little envious perhaps? A bunny might have more difficulty playing with ropes and such like the boy in the story and so might have more difficulty coming up with such a result maybe.

C: No, I am not envious! And I like my paws and I can still do quite a lot of fun things with them!

Caramel is reading What's Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure, written by Julie Ellis and illustrated by Phyllis Hornung. — Caramel is reading *What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure*, written by Julie Ellis and illustrated by Phyllis Hornung.

S: Okay okay, so you did not like the fictional part of the story. I get it. Did you think the math was explained well at least?

C: Yeah, it made sense. I think I will not forget the theorem ever after that. So in that sense the book did its job well.

S: Oh, that’s good!

C: Yeah, and I think my math teacher would like this book, too. She likes the Pythagorean Theorem a lot.

S: I am sure she will be at least happy that you now know the Pythagorean Theorem really well. Can you tell our readers what it is?

C: a²+b²=c². You say it like “a squared plus b squared equals c squared.”

S: Okay, that is an equation. It does not mean much before you tell me what a, b, and c are.

C: So you have a right triangle and these are the side lengths. c is the hypotenuse, that is the side across from the right angle. b and a are the legs, or the sides that are the part that from a right angle. And the cool thing is that this equation I said is always true, for any right triangle you can find.

S: Yes, it is pretty neat actually! In the book the boy Pythagoras is trying to solve another problem and somehow figures out that this theorem works for all right triangles. So what is his angle then? The angle in the title, I mean?

C: They have a wordplay there. So the right angle is the one you need to look in the right way to find your answer… But also the right angle is the angle between two lines that splits the space between them into equal halves, and Pythagoras’s theorem is about right angles. So there are two meanings.

S: Kind of clever!

C: Yep, I thought so, too. I do like wordplay.

S: So maybe this is a good place to wrap up our review Caramel. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading What's Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure, written by Julie Ellis and illustrated by Phyllis Hornung, and expects that he will never ever forget the Pythagorean Theorem! — Caramel enjoyed reading *What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure*, written by Julie Ellis and illustrated by Phyllis Hornung, and expects that he will never ever forget the Pythagorean Theorem!