BookBunnies

Caramel reviews Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #1: One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale

Today Caramel is talking to Sprinkles about the 2012 graphic novel One Dead Spy, the first book in the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series, recommended to the book bunnies by one of our friendly readers.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you were talking about finding a new series last week. It looks like you found one!

Caramel: Yup.

S: So tell me about this new series of yours.

C: This is a series called Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales. There are many books in it. They are all graphic novels about some history stuff.

S: Hmm, so why are they called Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales? Do they have something to do with Nathan Hale, the famous American spy?

C: Well, kind of but also kind of not. I mean, the books are written by a guy named Nathan Hale, so it makes sense that the series would have his name on it.

S: I see.

C: But also the very first book in the series, the one we are talking about today, is about the spy Nathan Hale.

S: Oh, that is neat! So a guy named Nathan Hale writing a book about another guy named Nathan Hale.

C: Yep.

S: So this One Dead Spy is the story of Nathan Hale the spy, right?

C: Yep.

S: I see. So tell us about the story a bit.

C: The book starts with him being on the gallows about to get hanged. He says his famous words: “I regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” And then the gallows turn into a history book and then the book eats Nathan Hale.

S: Wait, what?

C: Yup.

S: I’m sure that’s not how it happened.

C: Not in real life. But this is fiction, Sprinkles, don’t forget.

Caramel is reading Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #1: One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale. — Caramel is reading *Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #1: One Dead Spy* by Nathan Hale.

S: Alright, after the book eats Hale, what happens then?

C: Then he comes back and he knows the entirety of U.S. history. The rest of the book is about the American Revolutionary War.

S: Oh, then if he will be narrating the other books, too, I can see why the series would be called Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales.

C: Yup.

S: Did you know about Nathan Hale before reading this book?

C: I learned a little in school. But also remember, in the Spy School series, Ben’s best friend Erica is Erica Hale, and she is a descendant of Nathan Hale. So that is fiction, too, but I think reading that made me remember the school stuff better.

S: Hmm, that is cool, actually.

C: It is. Reading is useful, Sprinkles!

S: I agree! So tell me, this is a graphic novel about history. Did you like this format for this kind of story?

C: Yes. I love graphic novels and I love facts. So this is basically two things I love put together.

S: That is wonderful Caramel. I am so happy you found a new series!

C: Me, too!

S: So maybe it is time for you to move on to the next book. And we can wrap this up then. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #1: One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale and is ready for the next book in the series. — Caramel loved reading *Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #1: One Dead Spy* by Nathan Hale and is ready for the next book in the series.

Marshmallow reviews Enola Holmes: The Case of the Left-Handed Lady by Nancy Springer

Today Marshmallow reviews the second book in Nancy Springer’s Enola Holmes series: The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, first published in 2007. Sprinkles, who loves detective stories and has already read the first book in the series, is asking questions and taking notes.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, tell us about this second book.

Marshmallow: Well, it is another book with Enola Holmes as the main character. This time she is working in London as a detective, or rather a finder of things, under the name of a man. So the man is totally made up ,and she is acting as if she is his assistant because she knows that nobody will hire her if they know she is a woman.

S: I see. That makes sense.

M: Yes. And she uses all these disguises to get answers to questions she could not have gotten otherwise. I thought this was very clever. In fact the whole book is full of clever ideas like this, which made it a very satisfying read.

S: That sounds great Marshmallow! So tell us about the left-handed lady from the title.

M: So there is supposed to be a girl who is “kidnapped” and she is noble so she is a lady.

S: What do you mean by “kidnapped”?

M: Well, people think that she ran away with a guy. So the mystery is not publicized because the family is embarrassed.

S: So they discreetly hire Enola Holmes?

M: Yes, they hire her cover person. And Enola goes to examine the evidence as his assistant, because they would not take her seriously if she were not working for a man. Really annoying!

S: I can see that!

M: She discovers these paintings made by the girl who disappeared. And they lead her to realize that the girl is more interested in socioeconomic issues rather than a man.

Marshmallow is reading Enola Holmes: The Case of the Left-Handed Lady by Nancy Springer. — Marshmallow is reading *Enola Holmes: The Case of the Left-Handed Lady* by Nancy Springer.

S: So that plot sounds nothing like the second Enola Holmes movie.

M: Yes, that is true. They are both about a lost girl but the girl in the movie is not a noblewoman.

S: I understand that the movie version is actually about a real person named Sarah Chapman, who led a women workers’ strike.

M: That sounds really cool! The book is totally fictional, as far as I can tell. But there are a lot of political issues that are mentioned.

S: That sounds neat. I found the first book really easy to read, and it kept my full attention the whole time. Is this second book like that, too?

M: Yes. I did feel the plot was a little bit more complicated however. The other felt more like a game set up, but this was wilder somehow… Still a lot of fun to read!

S: So does that mean you will go on to reading the next book?

M: Yes, I hope to read it and review it next.

S: Sounds great to me! In the meantime, I will happily take this off your hands and read it myself.

M: Sure, you do that, Sprinkles.

S: Okay, so as we wrap this up, how would you rate the book overall?

M: I’d rate it 100%. It is a neat mystery, and the social commentary is very much welcome, too.

S: Great! So what would you like to tell our readers?

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

Marshmallow rates Enola Holmes: The Case of the Left-Handed Lady by Nancy Springer 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Enola Holmes: The Case of the Left-Handed Lady* by Nancy Springer 100%.

Caramel reviews Spy School Goes Wild by Stuart Gibbs

The book bunnies are fans of Stuart Gibbs and his books. While Marshmallow has been an avid fan of Gibbs’ FunJungle books, Caramel has read and reviewed all his Spy School books. So last week, he was delighted to finally get his paws on Spy School Goes Wild, the new Spy School novel that just came out on September 24. In the post below, he shares his thoughts about this book. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, we are at book twelve now. Tell me what is going on with Ben Ripley this time.

Caramel: He is still a spy at the training facility in Alaska like in Spy School Goes North, the previous book. And he is supposed to be sent for a secret mission. The principal of his school takes him on a plane for this mission but betrays him and turns him over to Murray Hill, his arch-nemesis.

S: Well, that sounds awful.

C: It is but it gets much worse. The principal double-crosses Murray as well, and Ben and Murray are stuck in the African wilderness together. And that is not all of it, either. There is an unexpected enemy who is trying to take revenge on both of them, so they are in serious danger.

S: That sounds dangerous!

C: And it is dangerous!

S: But I am assuming our hero Ben will figure things out in the end, as he always does.

C: Ye of course, but the way he gets there is all around awesome! This was again a lot of fun to read.

Caramel is reading *Spy School Goes Wild* by Stuart Gibbs.

S: You have been waiting for this twelfth book for some time now.

C: Yes, it has been more than eight months since I read and reviewed the eleventh book. Then I tried to wait around and read the graphic novels while waiting, but there are only three of those: Spy School: The Graphic Novel, Spy Camp: The Graphic Novel, and Evil Spy School: The Graphic Novel. It is so hard to wait!

S: I know! Especially for a little bunny like you! But the wait is over! You got a twelfth book!

C: Yay! I am excited to have the twelfth book. But-

S: What?

C: You know what I am going to say.

S: Hmm, I think I do. Go ahead; say it then.

C: I am excited to have the twelfth book. But now I read it. So I need the thirteenth book now!

S: Well, you might have to wait a bit. You know it takes some time to write a book. Even a prolific author like Stuart Gibbs will need some time to get a new book out.

C: I know, I know. But you know me, I like to always keep reading my favorite series. I guess I will simply go back and reread some of the earlier books.

S: Sounds like a good compromise to me. And there are other books out there, too. Maybe we will find a new series.

C: Maybe.

S: Okay, Caramel; this is probably a good time to wrap up this review. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Spy School Goes Wild by Stuart Gibbs: he had missed Spy School! — Caramel loved reading *Spy School Goes Wild* by Stuart Gibbs: he had missed Spy School!

Marshmallow reviews The Hunger Games: The Illustrated Edition by Suzanne Collins and Nico Delort

Marshmallow has read and reviewed all three books making up the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. This week she was excited to get her paws on the new and illustrated edition of the first book: The Hunger Games: The Illustrated Edition. Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

[You can check out Marshmallow’s reviews of the three Hunger Games books here: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay.]

Marshmallow reviews The Hunger Games: The Illustrated Edition written by Suzanne Collins and illustrated by Nico Delort. — Marshmallow reviews *The Hunger Games: The Illustrated Edition* written by Suzanne Collins and illustrated by Nico Delort.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow you read the original book and then watched the movie. How did this illustrated edition work for you?

Marshmallow: As far as I could tell, the text was the same as in the original book. But the illustrator added images every now and then, giving the book a fancy fairy tale feel.

S: I saw the illustrations. They look realistic but are all in black and white. I felt like maybe that matches the overall gloomy nature of the world the story is taking place in.

M: I think you might be right. The cover illustrations have other colors, too, but the illustrations inside the book are all in black and white, like you said. And the world of Katniss Everdeen is really gloomy.

S: Okay, maybe it makes sense for us to give our readers a quick recap of the main plot lines of the book. We cannot assume everyone has already read the original book or seen the movie version.

M: Well, I could just repeat what I said earlier: The book is set in a dystopian future, in North America. There are twelve districts and a Capitol city that make up a country named Panem. Katniss Everdeen, the main character, lives in District 12 with her mother and younger sister Prim. Everyone is very poor, except for the people of the Capitol, which hosts the Hunger Games every year. The Hunger Games are a big spectacle: Two children ages 12 to 18 are selected from each district. And they are brought to the Capitol and are to fight to the death in these Hunger Games. Katniss ends up being the girl representing her district in that year’s Games, along with a boy named Peeta. The book is about their trip to the Capitol and their time during the Games.

Marshmallow is reading The Hunger Games: The Illustrated Edition written by Suzanne Collins and illustrated by Nico Delort. — Marshmallow is reading *The Hunger Games: The Illustrated Edition* written by Suzanne Collins and illustrated by Nico Delort.

S: Okay, so the book is basically the same but there are illustrations in this version, right?

M: Yes. The format of the book is also bigger and the paper the pages are made of is much heavier, thicker paper. And there are a lot more words on a page. I think.

S: How many pages is it overall?

M: 357.

S: Comparing with the original paperback edition you read, which is 374 pages, do you think it is abridged?

M: I don’t think so. It seems that the large format allows more words on each page.

S: I see. So if the text is the same, then one could simply read this one instead of the original paperback you read.

M: Yes, and that could be a different kind of experience, I am sure. I mean, when you read the book, especially if you read it before having seen the movie, you completely are free when you are imagining Katniss and visualizing Panem. The illustrations would change that experience a bit. But I do not think it would be in a bad way.

S: So did you think the imagery was consistent with the book and how you imagined things to look like?

M: Yes. They match the movie images too. I mean Katniss is not Jennifer Lawrence in the illustrations, but the world and how every scene looks really resemble the movie images. But I am not saying the illustrations sort of simply copy the images form the movie. I thought the movie imagery was very faithful to the book, and only made the world seem richer and crisper. The illustrator of this book is very faithful to the book too, and the images just fit the mood of the book very well. Even, like you say, the fact that the illustrations are all in black and white adds to the general heaviness of the story.

S: Okay, that sounds like the illustrator did a really good job then.

M: Yes. I think if you want to read The Hunger Games series, this illustrated edition could be a good book to start your journey with.

S: So I am guessing you would rate this book rather highly?

M: Yes. Great story as before and very evocative imagery, so I’d rate it 100% for sure.

S: Thanks Marshmallow, this is all good to know. So maybe this would be a good time to wrap up this review. What would you like to tell our readers?

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

Marshmallow rates The Hunger Games: The Illustrated Edition written by Suzanne Collins and illustrated by Nico Delort 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Hunger Games: The Illustrated Edition* written by Suzanne Collins and illustrated by Nico Delort 100%.