friendship – Page 10

Caramel reviews Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

A couple weeks ago Caramel reviewed Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky: The Graphic Novel by Kwame Mbalia. Then he decided he would check out the original book. Today he talks to Sprinkles about the book that started it all: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, first published in 2019.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you ended up reading the whole book!

Caramel: Yes.

S: It is a very long book!

C: Yep. It is 482 pages!

S: Wow! This might be the longest book you have ever read!

C: I don’t know. It might be. Wait, maybe some of the Harry Potter books were actually longer.

S: You might be right. Still, I’m guessing you must have liked this book a lot to be able to read such a long book.

C: Yep, I did.

S: Okay, so tell us a bit about the book then. Maybe assume we have not read the graphic novel version or your review of it.

C: Okay. Tristan Strong is a boy going to seventh grade. His best friend Eddie dies in a traffic accident, and he is sent to live with his grandparents in Alabama for a month. There, a creature named Gum Baby steals Eddie’s journal and runs to a tree called a Bottle Tree. The journal is the only thing Tristan has left from his friend so he is really attached to it. So he punches the tree, releasing an evil spirit named a haint, and tearing a hole to a world in which all the African folk tales and gods and heroes are real.

S: That sounds very scary but also very exciting!

C: Actually it is not very scary, but yes, it is very exciting.

Caramel is reading Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia. — Caramel is reading *Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky* by Kwame Mbalia.

S: Okay, so who are the main characters?

C: Well, Tristan Strong, obviously. Then there is the Gum Baby, who is very annoying. Then there is Ayanna, who lives in this other world and becomes a friend of Tristan. And then there is Chestnutt, who is a rabbit from this other world, and so of course she is very important. Because, you know, we are rabbits, too, so it is good to find another fellow bunny in a book.

S: I see. So the characters are not all humans or ghosts or gods.

C: No, there are all sorts of beings in the book. A lot of fun!

S: Are there any differences you noticed between this book and the graphic novel version? Other than length and that this one does not have pictures of course.

C: The graphic novel version removed some of the scenes from the real book.

S: Of course, that makes sense. They would need to have much less content in a graphic novel.

C: Yes. And the characters act a little bit different in the two versions.

S: How so?

C: They seemed a bit more serious to me in the original book somehow.

S: I see. What did you like most about this book?

C: There are a lot of descriptions.

S: But sometimes the descriptions in some books get a bit too boring, and many people will skip them…

C: No, these are good. You won’t want to skip them. Because they provide a lot of pennies for the mind.

S: What do you mean?

C: I mean they give you a lot to think about.

S: I see. Can you describe the book using three to five words?

C: Yes, I can: captivating, adventurous page turner.

S: That will work! So does this book make you want to continue to read the rest of the series?

C: Yes, absolutely.

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

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia and is keen to read the second book soon. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky* by Kwame Mbalia and is keen to read the second book soon.

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%.

Caramel reviews Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky: The Graphic Novel by Kwame Mbalia

Both of the little book bunnies love reading books by Rick Riordan, and both enjoy graphic novels. So Caramel jumped on the opportunity to read and review the graphic novel version of Kwame Mbalia’s Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, published in 2022 as part of the “Rick Riordan Presents” series. Today he is talking to Sprinkles about this neat book.

Caramel reviews Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky: The Graphic Novel, written by Kwame Mbalia, adapted by Robert Venditti, and illustrated by Olivia Stephens. — Caramel reviews *Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky: The Graphic Novel*, written by Kwame Mbalia, adapted by Robert Venditti, and illustrated by Olivia Stephens.

Sprinkles: Okay, Caramel, can you tell us a bit about this book?

Caramel: Yes. The book is about a kid named Tristan Strong. Tristan’s best friend Eddie dies in a bus accident, so Tristan goes to Alabama to stay with his grandparents for a bit.

S: Okay, so what happens in Alabama?

C: In the middle of the night, a baby named Gum Baby comes into his room and steals Eddie’s journal. That was the last thing Tristan had of Eddie, so he does not want to lose it. So he pursues Gum Baby and punches something called a Bottle Tree, and so opens up a hole into another world.

S: So is that how he “punches a hole in the sky” as the title says?

C: Yes, because he punches a hole in the sky of this other world.

S: Hmm, that is really interesting! Tell me more about this other world.

C: All the African folk tales are real and they exist on that other world.

S: So it is a world of African mythologies.

C: Yes, African and African American.

S: I see. So Tristan goes into this world and …

C: So he tries to mend the world he kind of broke, but he also meets a lot of interesting characters. There is Anansi the storyteller and Nyame, the sky god. And there are folk tale heroes, like John Henry and Brer Rabbit.

Caramel is reading Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky: The Graphic Novel, written by Kwame Mbalia, adapted by Robert Venditti, and illustrated by Olivia Stephens. — Caramel is reading *Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky: The Graphic Novel*, written by Kwame Mbalia, adapted by Robert Venditti, and illustrated by Olivia Stephens.

S: Some children might have read or heard about these characters before, but I think you met them only in this book, right?

C: Yes.

S: So was it a book full of strange characters you did not recognize? Or did the author and the illustrator introduce them to you effectively?

C: Yes! I think they both did an amazing job. I think I got a really good sense of them just by reading this book. Of course if I knew about them beforehand, maybe the book would be even more fun. But it was great fun all the same.

S: So I think fun would be one of your words to describe the book then?

C: Yes. I really like how it ends too. It ends with a bang, I liked it, but also they left a door open for a followup. And I think there are two more books about Tristan.

S: Yes, I saw that too. But I am not sure those are in graphic novel form. Would you like to read them?

C: Sure, I would.

S: Okay, then Caramel. Tell me how you would describe the book in three to five words.

C: Fun, funny, and action-packed.

S: I can see it! I flipped through the pages. The pictures are very dynamic and there seems to be a lot of action.

C: Yes!

S: Okay, then, let us wrap up this review so we can figure out how you can move on to the next book in the series. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky: The Graphic Novel, written by Kwame Mbalia, adapted by Robert Venditti, and illustrated by Olivia Stephens, and eager to read more. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky: The Graphic Novel*, written by Kwame Mbalia, adapted by Robert Venditti, and illustrated by Olivia Stephens, and eager to read more.

Caramel reviews Spy School Goes North by Stuart Gibbs

Today, Caramel is finally ready to talk about the eleventh and currently last book in Stuart Gibbs’ Spy School series: Spy School Goes North, first published in 2023. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

[Before diving into this review, readers might like to check out Caramel’s reviews of the earlier books in the series: Spy School, Spy Camp, Evil Spy School, Spy Ski School, Spy School: Secret Service, Spy School Goes South, Spy School: British Invasion, Spy School Revolution, Spy School At Sea, Spy School: Project X.]

Caramel reviews Spy School Goes North by Stuart Gibbs.

Sprinkles: So, Caramel, we are finally at the last book of the series, right?

Caramel: Hopefully not for long.

S: I know you want the author to write more books in this series, but for now, this is the eleventh and last book.

C: Yes, unfortunately.

S: But do not sound so glum. The book is good, no?

C: Yes, of course. But I wish it never ended. I wish there was another one.

S: I can see that. And maybe there will be a twelfth book soon. But let us focus on this book right now. So what is this book about?

C: Ben and his friends including Cyrus Hale, who is Erica’s grandpa and a very good spy, are all training up north in Alaska.

S: Oh, so that is the going north part. I was wondering if it would be Canada.

C: Nope. It is not Canada. It starts in Alaska and then it goes over to Russia.

S: I see.

C: So a Russian spy kidnaps Cyrus, and Ben and his friends have to save him. And along the way there is a lot of spy stuff about U.S. and Russia.

S: I see. I wonder if it is historically accurate at all.

C: Well, Alaska was owned by the Russians, and the United States bought it from them, so that part is accurate. I don’t know about the spy stuff of course. They do mention KGB, the Soviet secret service.

Caramel is reading Spy School Goes North by Stuart Gibbs.

S: So is Ben finally dating Erica in this book?

C: Yep. I think they are boyfriend and girlfriend at this point.

S: I see. Does that make the book too mushy?

C: No. It is just as funny as before. For example, Ben does not speak Russian well and there is a lot of funny misunderstanding and miscommunication with the Russian spy. Obfuscate the jitterbug, for example.

S: I am not sure what that means.

C: Neither is Ben. And I am quite sure that was not what the Russian guy was trying to say.

S: I can see how that can be hilarious in some contents, but aren’t they all in mortal danger?

C: Yes, but I read enough Spy School books to know that Ben and friends will get out of this alive. So I can just enjoy the book.

S: Makes sense to me. Do you think these books are getting somewhat too similar or formulaic?

C: No. I mean yes, in each book Ben is facing mortal danger and in each book he figures out some way out of it. But other than that, I think Stuart Gibbs keeps us on our toes, he always comes up with new ways to make things exciting and fun.

S: That is good. So you still like this series?

C: Yes!

S: Okay, so if you were to describe this book using three to five words, what would they be?

C: Funny page turner, as always. That’s five words.

S: Yes, that will do nicely.

C: So can we wrap this up so I can begin to reread the book?

S: Sure Caramel. Let us do that. What do you want to tell our readers as we end this review?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Spy School Goes North by Stuart Gibbs and now does not know what to do with himself as there is as of yet not a twelfth book in the series.