change – BookBunnies

Caramel reviews Will the Pigeon Graduate? by Mo Willems

All the book bunnies love Mo Willems and his books about the Pigeon. Caramel even reviewed a couple of them for the book bunnies blog. See, for example, his reviews of The Pigeon HAS To Go To School and Be the Bus. Today he talks to Sprinkles about a brand new Pigeon book: Will the Pigeon Graduate? As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, today we are talking about a new book about the Pigeon!

Caramel: Yep, the best pigeon in the world is back!

S: You have read quite a lot of the other books about the Pigeon. You also reviewed two of them. What is this one about?

C: This one is about how the pigeon is growing up, and he is scared about the future after finishing school.

S: He is already graduating? How exciting!

C: Well, he had to go to school back in 2019 so I suppose it is time.

S: You are right of course. At some point school ends and the rest of life begins.

C: Yep, but I don’t like that idea.

S: Why not?

C: I like being a young bunny going to school. I like it too much.

S: Why do you like it so much? I know you learn a lot of things at school every day and I know you like learning. But you can continue to learn outside of school. too.

C: True, I guess you are right. But at school you have friends–

S: You can make friends after school, too.

C: Yes, but school friends are the best! And at school, people tell you to do things, and you do them, and that is all the work you have. You do not have to earn money, save money, buy or rent a house, and all that adult stuff.

S: I get that, Caramel. Growing up can be hard. And this is exactly what this book is about, isn’t it?

C: Yeah, I guess that the Pigeon is very smart.

S: How so?

C: Well, he knows finishing school means he has to start making important decisions and taking care of more things and being careful about all kinds of details and so on.

S: That is very much true Caramel. But in the end he gathers up his courage and decides he is ready for whatever is coming his way, right?

C: Yes.

Caramel is reading Will the Pigeon Graduate? by Mo Willems. — Caramel is reading *Will the Pigeon Graduate?* by Mo Willems.

S: I am thinking this could be a really nice gift for someone finishing high school or elementary school or even college. What do you think?

C: Yep, I think in a couple of years, Marshmallow might like it. There is even a little place in the inside cover of the book for a photo of someone graduating. We could put Marshmallow’s picture there.

S: We could definitely do that. But we could also save it for you. You will also be graduating soon yourself.

C: Yes, but I am going to go to another school right after.

S: That still counts as moving to a bigger new world. That new school is bigger than your current one. And there will be a lot of changes.

C: Hmm, I am not sure I am ready for a lot of changes.

S: I know. We are not always ready but they come nonetheless. Anyways, there is still some time, but by the time that change comes, you will be ready. I am quite sure.

C: Hmm, I hope you are right, Sprinkles.

S: Remember how many years ago, you were about to change classrooms and get a new teacher and you were kind of anxious about it? We talked about it when we were discussing My Teacher Is A Robot.

C: Yeah, that was a good book. And I did end up liking my new teacher a lot. Okay, maybe you are right. Maybe I can handle some changes, just like the Pigeon.

S: Yay! That’s the right attitude Caramel! I think this is a perfect place to end this review.

C: Alright by me!

S: Okay, what would you like to tell our readers then?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Will the Pigeon Graduate? by Mo Willems and thinks this book would be a great gift for new graduates. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Will the Pigeon Graduate?* by Mo Willems and thinks this book would be a great gift for new graduates.

Marshmallow reviews All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson

The book bunnies are quite fond of Renaissance fairs and have been to a few in the last few years. So when Caramel brought home a library book about a young person growing up around these festivals, Marshmallow had to devour it, too. And today she is talking to Sprinkles about All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson, first published in 2017.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, you just had to read this book!

Marshmallow: Yes! But I did wait until Caramel finished it first. You know, he was the one who brought it home, so it is only fair.

S: Agreed. So tell me a bit about the book.

M: It’s about a girl named Imogene whose parents work at a Renaissance Fair. She occasionally works there, too. The book starts with her being nervous about starting middle school. She has always been home-schooled before, so she is not sure what to expect.

S: I see. So why is she going to middle school then? Why is she not continuing with home-schooling?

M: I am not sure. I think she wants to go because she thinks it is a brave thing to do.

S: I see. So how does it go?

M: She is not sure how school works, so she has difficulty understanding what the rules are.

S: Can you be more specific? What kinds of rules?

M: There are some unsaid social rules about who hangs out with whom, and she does not know how to read any of the social cues.

S: Okay.

M: Then she makes friends with a group of girls who seem nice at first, but then they are actually kind of toxic.

S: This is reminding me of the movie Mean Girls. There is a new version of the movie too, but we only saw the original one from 2004.

M: Yes, actually it is kind of similar. The main character there was also home-schooled and had some trouble fitting in with the kids in her high school. And just like the main character there, Imogene also makes a huge mistake.

S: She is unkind to some people so she can fit in with the “cool” kids?

M: Kind of. But of course this is middle school, so it is a bit different than the movie.

Marshmallow is reading All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson. — Marshmallow is reading *All’s Faire in Middle School* by Victoria Jamieson.

S: Okay, so tell me a bit about the graphics. Did you like the drawing of the main character?

M: Yes.

S: The color scheme kind of reminded me of some of the books you reviewed from Raina Telgemeier.

M: There are some similarities I think. But I do not think one artist was necessarily influenced by the other. I think they are both neat illustrators. They both manage to draw very expressive faces and bodies with only a few strokes of their pen.

S: Sounds like you liked the book!

M: Yes. I’d rate it 100%.

S: Wow! That is great! I am glad Caramel found this in his school library.

M: Me too.

S: Okay, let us wrap this up then. It is getting late. What would you like to tell our readers as we finish this up?

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

Marshmallow rates All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson 100%. — Marshmallow rates *All’s Faire in Middle School* by Victoria Jamieson 100%.

Caramel reviews Oliver’s Great Big Universe by Jorge Cham

Caramel loves science and all sorts of factful books and documentaries. Today he is talking to Sprinkles about Oliver’s Great Big Universe by Jorge Cham, just published a couple weeks ago.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, tell us a bit about this book.

Caramel: This book is about a kid named Oliver. He is eleven and is starting middle school. He really likes science.

S: Kind of like you then, right?

C: Yes.

S: So is he anxious about starting a new school?

C: Yes he is. But he really really likes science, and he keeps talking about things he is learning. He talks about the universe, for example.

S: Tell me a fact he talks about that you did not know before.

C: He says the sun is squish-ploding.

S: What does that mean?

C: Essentially it means that the sun is squished by its huge gravity and then it explodes.

S: It keeps doing this?

C: Yes.

S: I wonder what the technical term for it is. Squish-ploding does not sound terribly technical. Anyways, what else did you learn?

C: If you lived in Mercury, you would be able to celebrate your birthday every three months!

S: I see. It is because the planet Mercury rotates around the sun much faster than our planet Earth?

C: Yep. Much faster.

Caramel is reading Oliver's Great Big Universe by Jorge Cham. — Caramel is reading *Oliver’s Great Big Universe* by Jorge Cham.

S: Okay, so I am guessing you like this book because it is full of facts.

C: Yes.

S: But it is not just a book of facts, is it? It is also about Oliver and how he is adjusting to his new school.

C: Yes.

S: Do you like Oliver?

C: Yes, he is cool. He knows a lot of scientific facts. In fact he wants to become an astrophysicist.

S: That is cool. So besides the science facts, is Oliver’s own story interesting, too?

C: Yes. He makes a friend eventually.

S: So I am guessing that this means the book has a happy ending.

C: Yep. Another reason why I liked the book!

S: I see. So if you were to describe the book in three words or so, how would you do that?

C: Factful, hilarious, science fun.

S: I think those work! So do you think any bunny could read this book and enjoy it?

C: I think so. There are many many funny pictures on each page, and I think the science is fun, but getting to know Oliver is really funny, too.

S: Yes, the author is the creator of a very successful web comic called Piled Higher and Deeper (also called PhD Comics). He was working on his doctoral degree at Stanford University when he began to publish these comic strips about graduate student life. Some of them are more like inside jokes than others, but a lot of them are really really hilarious.

C: I didn’t know that! But I can see he knows how to draw very funny things.

S: So I was curious about this book and now I know it is good. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about it. I will definitely want to read it myself too.

C: You should Sprinkles. I think you will really like it too.

S: I bet. So let us wrap up this review so I can grab the book from your paws and get started. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Oliver's Great Big Universe by Jorge Cham and recommends it to all young bunnies who are curious about the world (and the universe!) around them. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Oliver’s Great Big Universe* by Jorge Cham and recommends it to all young bunnies who are curious about the world (and the universe!) around them.

Marshmallow reviews The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan

Marshmallow already reviewed the first three books of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series for the book bunnies blog. Then Caramel took over and reviewed the graphic novel versions of the full series. The two little bunnies through the years reviewed many many more books by Riordan. This week, The Chalice of the Gods, the much awaited new Percy Jackson book, hit the bookstores around the country, and Marshmallow managed to get her paws on a copy. Today she writes about her thoughts on this book and on revisiting the world of Percy Jackson.

[Through the years, the book bunnies have reviewed several of Rick Riordan’s series, such as Heroes of Olympus, Trials of Apollo, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, and Kane Chronicles. Here are Marshmallow’s three reviews from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series: The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, and The Titan’s Curse. And here are Caramel’s five The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian.]

Marshmallow reviews The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow reviews *The Chalice of the Gods* by Rick Riordan.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about Greek mythology or have enjoyed reading other books by Rick Riordan, then this might be the book for you. Just make sure you have read at least some of the Percy Jackson books before.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Percy Jackson is now a senior in high school. We meet him in this book just when he is trying to survive his first day of school. (So in terms of chronology, this book is happening after all the books of Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus but I believe it is before the events of Trials of Apollo.) But as any Rick Riordan fan would know, things never go according to plan for Percy Jackson. Being called to the office, Percy finds out that his guidance counselor happens to be a Nereid, or (sort of) a spirit of the sea.

Percy wants to go to New Rome University (in Camp Jupiter) with his girlfriend Annabeth. Unfortunately, he learns that, since he was not supposed to be born (his father was not supposed to sire any more demigod children), he is ineligible for it. It turns out, however, that if he goes on three quests for the gods and acquires three letters of recommendation in return from those gods, he may apply to New Rome University.

Luckily the Greek gods never tire of finding new things to have the heroes take care of. And in no time, Ganymede, cup bearer to the gods, seeks Percy’s help in finding the stolen Chalice of the Gods. This chalice is extremely valuable, because if a mortal drinks from it, they become immortal.

Percy and Annabeth want to fulfill their college plans, so together with their friend Grover, they set out to complete this first quest. Ganymede needs Percy, Annabeth, and Grover to find the chalice quickly, before Zeus calls for “a toast!” or hosts a feast in which case Ganymede’s cup bearing skills, as well as the special chalice, will be needed. In order to find the thief, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover must question several suspects and investigate to find out where the chalice is.

Marshmallow is reading The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow is reading *The Chalice of the Gods* by Rick Riordan.

Marshmallow’s Review: I really liked reading this book and found it to be a very nice visit back to the world of Percy Jackson, from Percy Jackson’s perspective. I enjoyed reading about these familiar characters again. Riordan’s writing style was again hilarious and touching.

That said, I don’t recommend reading this book before reading the previous Percy Jackson books or some other book written by Rick Riordan. If you’ve never read about the world of Percy Jackson before, many references and the overall experience will be lost and possibly confusing.

I felt like The Chalice of the Gods is aimed for older readers. Maybe Riordan wants his readers to grow up along with Percy and his friends. That said, there is nothing inappropriate or violent (there is just one bad word: c@$p). But the book grappled with coming to terms with change (e.g. going to college, big life changes, etc.) and had a lot of deep topics.

I really enjoyed The Chalice of the Gods and found it to be a worthy addition to my Rick Riordan book series collection! Fans of Percy Jackson will be very much satisfied.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Chalice of the Gods* by Rick Riordan 100%.