family – Page 9 – BookBunnies

Marshmallow reviews It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny by Marilyn Sadler

Tomorrow, many people around the world will celebrate Easter. Marshmallow wanted to commemorate this holiday with a cute book about bunnies, so today she is reviewing It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny, a little book written by Marilyn Sadler, illustrated by Roger Bollen, and originally published in 1983. Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Marshmallow reviews It's Not Easy Being a Bunny, written by Marilyn Sadler and illustrated by Roger Bollen. — Marshmallow reviews *It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny*, written by Marilyn Sadler and illustrated by Roger Bollen.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, we are talking about a picture book today.

Marshmallow: Yes. I thought it would be appropriate given that this weekend a lot of people are talking about bunnies and egg hunts and such.

S: I agree. This is a sweet book, so why don’t you tell us what it is about?

M: First of all, I should say that the book is not about Easter at all. But it is a book about a bunny, a bunny named P.J. Funnybunny.

S: That is a funny name for a bunny.

M: Yes, it is not as cool as my name, but it is a funny one. It is definitely fun to say. It just rolls off your tongue.

S: Agreed. So tell us a bit more about P.J. Funnybunny.

M: P.J. is not very happy at the beginning of the book. He does not like the cooked carrots his mommy gives him. So he runs away from home to try and not be a bunny anymore.

S: Aw, that is so sad! A little bunny running away from home…

M: Let me just say that it does not work out great.

S: Well, how could it? But what do you mean? Does he get hurt?

M: No, not really. But he does meet some different animals and he tries to join them. But in the end, he decides that maybe being a bunny is not so bad.

Marshmallow is reading It's Not Easy Being a Bunny, written by Marilyn Sadler and illustrated by Roger Bollen. — Marshmallow is reading *It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny*, written by Marilyn Sadler and illustrated by Roger Bollen.

S: Do you like being a bunny Marshmallow?

M: Well, most of the time. I’m one of the lucky ones though. According to the Humane Society of the United States, “[m]ore than half the world’s wild rabbit species, such as South African riverine rabbits, are endangered or threatened. Domestic bunny species, like Angora or New Zealand White, are subject to the abuses of cosmetics testing, the pet trade and the fur industry.”

S: You are right Marshmallow. Sometimes it can be rough to be a bunny.

M: But at least P.J.’s story ends well. He figures out that he belongs with his family and goes back.

S: Yes, it is in the end a sweet story of coming back home and appreciating it more, maybe for the first time, right?

M: Yes. I think it would be really nice for little bunnies and their grownups to snuggle together and read this book.

S: I agree. I know you are all grown up and stuff, but maybe we can do that too?

M: I think I would like that.

S: Okay, then. Maybe this is 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 recommends It's Not Easy Being a Bunny, written by Marilyn Sadler and illustrated by Roger Bollen, to all the little bunnies around the world and their grownups. — Marshmallow recommends *It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny*, written by Marilyn Sadler and illustrated by Roger Bollen, to all the little bunnies around the world and their grownups.

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%.

Marshmallow reviews Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston

Last year, Marshmallow reviewed Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston. Today she reviews the second book in the series: Amari and the Great Game, first published in 2022. Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, you have just finished this second book in the series. Was it what you were expecting?

Marshmallow: Well, yes and no. I liked the book very much, and I thought the plot was really good, but I was not expecting a cliffhanger for the end!

S: Hmm, so maybe that means we will have to get a hold of the third book when it comes out.

M: Yes.

S: Okay, let us go back to the beginning. Tell us a bit about this book.

M: Well, this is the second book of the Supernatural Investigations series, so readers need to have read the first book or at least my review of it. But the main character is still Amari Peters, but in this book she has some new enemies.

S: Okay, so maybe tell us a bit about the plot.

M: Amari is excited to continue her summer program in the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, which specializes in hiding and protecting the supernatural world from the rest of the human world. Kind of like the Ministry of Magic from the world of Harry Potter.

S: What you are saying reminds me a bit of The Menagerie, too.

M: Yes, a bit.

S: Alright. Tell me more.

M: So Amari is training to become an agent for the Department of Supernatural Investigations. And she is a junior in her second year, in this book. The book starts with her cracking open a fortune cookie which tells her to look out for unseen dangers. Then there is a time freeze, all of Georgia is frozen in time for a short period of time, everyone except Amari is affected. But then most but not all of Georgia unfreeze, and of course that is a problem.

S: Is that the main problem of the book?

M: Yes, the congress is stuck and the prime minister and the major leaders are all stuck in time. So of course in this power vacuum, some bad people take the lead. And then Amari gets kicked out of the Bureau.

S: So a lot happens all at once.

M: Yes. And so Amari and her friends will have to solve the mystery of who froze the congress in time and also try to avoid getting punished by the evil people who take over.

Marshmallow is reading Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston. — Marshmallow is reading *Amari and the Great Game* by B.B. Alston.

S: Sounds like a lot.

M: Yes, but Amari is smart and she is also a magician. She is the most magical person known in the history of the Bureau, so she has all that going for her.

S: So again, kind of like Harry Potter again, no?

M: Yes, but here being a magician is bad, and everyone blames the magicians for the time freeze.

S: So she has to hide her magic a bit?

M: Yes, and that is not the only issue. Her brother is still under a curse and is in a coma. And Amari wants to save him especially because his condition is worsening.

S: So tell me what the great game is in the title.

M: There is a hidden organization of magicians called the League of Magicians, and they are trying to use their powers for good despite the animosity that they face from others. The League wants Amari to be their leader and she declines because she is young and she does not want power of that sort, but then when the League makes the same proposal to a bad magician, Amari has to compete against him to make sure he does not get that power. That is the Great Game. The two magicians competing.

S: Kind of like the games in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire?

M: Yes, but this is not just a game between schoolchildren competing for a championship trophy. The winner gets more than just bragging rights. They get to lead the League of Magicians to war or to peace.

S: I see. So a lot more is at stake.

M: Yes. And Amari is not quite like Harry. Harry is impulsive and does not take advice really well. Amari does not have many adults to trust, so she does what she thinks is necessary.

S: So do you like her as a character?

M: Yes. She is smart and strong-willed. But I have to say this world is kind of limiting. I mean, your skills and your future are more or less determined from birth, and the moment you touch the crystal ball which determines your superpower. And if you have too much magic, then you are a magician, and that is viewed as bad by many people. People label the magicians the UnWanteds, along with some other people whose ancestors were on the wrong side in a long-ago war. Essentially the book world is mirroring our world, where some people are othered based on things they cannot control.

S: So even though this magical world is quite different from ours, it is also similar?

M: Yes.

S: That sounds like a good book to me.

M: Yes. I have to say though that I am disappointed that it ends in a cliffhanger. The next book is not coming out till the end of the summer!

S: Well, maybe you will just have to read other books till then.

M: Probably.

S: Okay, if you were to rate this book…

M: I’d rate it 100%.

S: Great! So let us wrap up this review then. What would you like to tell our readers?

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

Marshmallow rates Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Amari and the Great Game* by B.B. Alston 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

In her second review for 2024, Marshmallow talks about Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, first published in 2017, and awarded the Newberry Honor in 2018.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you are interested in reading books about family, gang violence, growing up against significant challenges, and morality, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Will’s brother, Shawn, was just shot in front of him. They live only a couple blocks away from the territory of the Dark Suns, a dangerous local gang, and Shawn had gone into their territory to get a special soap for their mother’s eczema. Will is sure that he knows who is responsible for his brother’s death: Riggs. And he is going to make sure that Riggs pays for it.

See, Will lives in a hard, tough neighborhood. There are gangs, shootings, murders, and violence regularly. And everyone follows the Rules. Shawn, in fact, was the one who taught them to Will:

Number 1: No crying,
Number 2: No snitching,
Number 3: Get revenge if someone hurts your loved ones.

Will is determined to follow the Rules. He sure is not going to cry or “snitch” to the police, but he is going to try to get revenge on Riggs. He takes his brother’s old gun (which is fully loaded except for missing only one bullet) and heads out of his apartment on the eighth floor, to get to where he thinks Riggs is as soon as possible. He gets on the elevator and presses “L”, for lobby.

Unfortunately for Will, it is a long way down and the elevator stops at each level, a person getting on at each. What is more, these are not normal people. These are dead people who Will knew. First, it’s a friend of Shawn. Next, it’s Will’s old friend who was shot at a playground with him. And so on.

Each person Will meets in this short elevator ride that takes the whole book is important to him in some way. His mindset, originally so focused on revenge, starts to loosen. Once the elevator reaches the last floor, will Will continue with his plan or will he make a different choice?

Marshmallow is reading Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. — Marshmallow is reading *Long Way Down* by Jason Reynolds.

Marshmallow’s Review: I think that Long Way Down is a very successfully written book, in more ways than one.

I, personally, do not always love books written in verse; I sometimes find it hard to discern the plot and I feel like it limits character growth. Before this book, Starfish by Lisa Fipps was the only such book I really appreciated. So when I started reading this book and realized it was in verse, I was a little disheartened. However, I feel like this book was very successful in all the categories most good novels excel in. The narration through Will’s eyes and voice worked well, the characters introduced came across quite clearly, and the events unfolded effectively. The free-style though structured poetry added to the feeling of confinement in an elevator.

Both the plot and the premise of Long Way Down are most intriguing; the whole book takes place in the course of one fateful elevator ride as conversations unfold in front of Will. I do want to warn readers that there is a cliffhanger at the end of the book, and this is not part of a series. However, the journey to that point is worth it. The author did not leave things hanging just for the sake of it of course; the end makes the reader think hard about what will happen next and process the message of the book even more carefully. I can see this book successfully paired with The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton in important discussions young people can have about gangs and violence.

If it is not clear already, let me say explicitly that I think Long Way Down is important for bunnies of all ages to read. There is some slang used, and of course the weight of gang violence might make the book a bit inappropriate for the youngest bunnies. But for bunnies reading middle grades books, it is an important (and quick, breathless) read. Will’s story makes you realize the harsh reality of gang violence if it is not your own actual reality. Many people, pop culture, and the media glorify gangster culture, but this book shows what happens to the people who are affected.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Long Way Down* by Jason Reynolds 100%.