Caramel’s reviews – Page 13

Caramel reviews Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

Both Caramel and Marshmallow have enjoyed reading many books by Katherine Applegate through the years. And they have reviewed them for the book bunnies blog. (Readers might enjoy Marshmallow’s reviews of The One And Only Ivan, Willodeen and Crenshaw, and Caramel’s reviews of The One and Only Bob, The One and Only Ruby, and The One and Only Family.) Today Caramel is talking to Sprinkles about Wishtree, first published in 2017.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, today we are talking about a new-to-us book by Katherine Applegate.

Caramel: Yep. It is named Wishtree and it is about a wishtree. A wishtree is a tree that people tie things to its leaves and branches to make a wish. A tree for making wishes. So It’s kind of like the name of the book.

S: Yes, I suppose it is very descriptive. So this is a book about a tree. How does that work? Wouldn’t that be kind of boring?

C: No, it is a tree that can talk, so it is interesting. And it is the tree telling its own story so you learn that the inside story of trees is really not boring at all.

S: Wait, the book is narrated by a tree? I have to read this book; it sounds fascinating!

C: Yes, it really is.

S: Okay, so please tell me more.

C: Okay, so, in this town there is this oak tree that has been there for two hundred years, and at some point the people who live there have started to think that if they write a wish on a piece of paper and tie it to the branch of the tree, it will grant their wishes.

S: Does it actually work?

C: Yes, but not because of magic or anything. The tree is not magical, but it can still help sometimes, because it has animal friends that help it to grant wishes.

S: So the tree has friends? That is cool. And they are not all other trees.

C: Oh no. It has many animal friends. There is a crow named Bongo, for example, that is the tree’s best friend.

S: Cool. So is the whole book about the tree and its friends then?

C: Yep, but this person whose garden the tree is in wants to cut it down, and its friends try to save it.

S: The tree’s animal friends?

C: Yes. And they do manage to save it in the end.

S: That’s good.

C: Yes. Then there is a child named Samar in town who is bullied because she is different from the others, because her family is Muslim and some of the other children do not treat her very kindly. So Samar is very lonely and she wishes for a friend. And then things get really tense but the tree and its animal friends find a really kind way to solve all the problems. Samar gets a friend and the person who wanted to cut the tree down remembers her great-great-grandmother’s first wish which came true and made the wishtree become a wishtree.

S: So all ends well then?

C: Yes, and you know I always like happy stories.

Caramel is reading Wishtree by Katherine Applegate. — Caramel is reading *Wishtree* by Katherine Applegate.

S: I do. Did you know that the author wrote this book after The One and Only Ivan, thinking that after writing through the eyes of a gorilla, writing through the eyes of a tree could also be fun?

C: No, but that is really cool!

S: I agree. Did you also know that some people tried to ban this book? Apparently because the tree says that it is both female and male so it has both genders, so people thought this was inappropriate for young readers. Here is an interview with the author about one such event.

C: Oh, well, that is interesting, but I disagree. It is a scientific fact that oak trees have both male and female flowers on them.

S: Apparently it is called monoecious. Even Wikipedia has an article on monoecy.

C: Hmm, I did not know the word, but I knew the concept. Some trees can reproduce just by themselves.

S: Of course Caramel, you and your facts! I am just happy I at least found a word that you did not know.

C: No I knew the word monoecious, the tree calls itself that in the book. I just did not know the word “monoecy”.

S: You continue to amaze me Caramel.

C: Yep, I am amazing, aren’t I?

S: Yes, but I would not call you very modest. Anyways, do you think this is a good place to end our review?

C: Yep, I think that would be a good idea.

S: Would you recommend Wishtree to other little bunnies?

C: Yes. It is a really nice story about friendship and kindness and also trees and how cool they are. And it has a happy ending. What is not to like? So yes, every little bunny should read it!

S: Okay, that is great Caramel. So let us wrap things up. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Wishtree by Katherine Applegate and recommends it to all little bunnies who like the quiet of trees and find happiness in friendship. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Wishtree* by Katherine Applegate and recommends it to all little bunnies who like the quiet of trees and find happiness in friendship.

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.

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!

Caramel reviews The Extraordinary Book That Eats Itself by Susan Hayes, Penny Arlon, and Pintachan

Caramel reviews The Extraordinary Book That Eats Itself, a book of eco-friendly activities that encourage environmental conservation through creative projects.

Today Caramel is talking to Sprinkles about a fun activity book first published in 2021: The Extraordinary Book That Eats Itself: Every Page Turns Into An Eco Project That Helps You Save The Planet, written by Susan Hayes and Penny Arlon and illustrated by Pintachan.

Caramel reviews The Extraordinary Book That Eats Itself, written by Susan Hayes and Penny Arlon, and illustrated by Pintachan. — Caramel reviews *The Extraordinary Book That Eats Itself*, written by Susan Hayes and Penny Arlon, and illustrated by Pintachan.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, today you have another activity book for us.

Caramel: Yep, I really like the activities in this book.

S: That is great! I hope we can talk about some of them in a bit. But let us start with the title. Why is this book called The Extraordinary Book That Eats Itself?

C: It is because the book has an activity on each page that allows you to use that page to create something that benefits the environment. You are supposed to use each of the pages, and even the cover pages, so in the end, when you are done with the book, the book has eaten itself up!

S: I see! That’s clever!

C: Yes it is. And I want us to finish this review so I can get started with the activities!

S: Alright, we will hurry then. When I hold the book I can feel that the cover is hard card stock, and the pages are also relatively thick and very colorful. So they could make good material for crafts and such.

C: Yeah, they suggest that you use all of them for a project. As I said, each page introduces a project and you are supposed to use that page, and sometimes some of the cover pages, for the activity.

S: I understand. So tell me about the activities then.

C: Well, there are sixty pages and an activity on every two pages, so there are a total of thirty activities. There is a handy table of contents at the beginning and they list all the things.

S: Okay, have you tried any of them yet?

C: No!! I am trying to finish this review so I can start pulling apart the pages and actually do the activities!

S: Okay, sorry, yes, let us get on with the review then, so you can get to help the book eat itself soon.

Caramel is reading The Extraordinary Book That Eats Itself, written by Susan Hayes and Penny Arlon, and illustrated by Pintachan. — Caramel is reading *The Extraordinary Book That Eats Itself*, written by Susan Hayes and Penny Arlon, and illustrated by Pintachan.

S: Once we are done, which activity are you going to start with? Are you going to go page by page from the beginning to the end? Is there some kind of an order to the activities?

C: I think they mean it that way, but I am not sure if I want to go in the order they put the book together.

S: Which activity will you start with then?

C: I don’t know.

S: Well, then why don’t you begin at the beginning? That is the advice the King gave to Alice in Alice in Wonderland.

C: Yeah, that might be the right train of thought there.

S: So what does that mean? What is the very first activity?

C: To build a worm bin and to throw food into it like a composting bin.

S: Hmm, I like the idea in theory, but when we tried composting, we just got a lot of little flies in the house. But maybe we can try again. We probably did not do it right the first time.

C: I remember the flies! But yes, maybe we should try again.

S: Okay, that is an interesting idea and we will talk about it. What is the next project?

C: To just share things.

S: Instead of buying things new and so on?

C: Yep.

S: Hmm, so I can see why the book has the subtitle “Every Page Turns Into An Eco Project That Helps You Save The Planet”. They are trying to have you do things that will help you with environmental conservation, by encouraging you to try recycling, composting, and so on.

C: Yep, remember you are supposed to recycle every scrap left over from the projects, so the book won’t create any trash. So it is truly a book that eats itself. Everything will be used up!

S: Like they say: ““Reduce, reuse, and recycle”.

C: Yes, that’s the spirit!

S: Okay, what other projects seem especially enticing to you?

C: I guess the first, the worm bin, is my favorite. But I also liked the twelfth one, which is about planting a tree. I also want to make my own pizza, which is the twenty-sixth activity.

S: Hmm, pizza sounds yummy! And I love trees, and that sounds wonderful, too, Caramel. So maybe we should wrap this review up so you can get started!

C: Yep!

S: What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunnies reviews!

Caramel is excited to have finished reading and reviewing The Extraordinary Book That Eats Itself, written by Susan Hayes and Penny Arlon, and illustrated by Pintachan, so now he can get started with the activities! — Caramel is excited to have finished reading and reviewing *The Extraordinary Book That Eats Itself*, written by Susan Hayes and Penny Arlon, and illustrated by Pintachan, so now he can get started with the activities!