April 1, 2025
Warriors Series
by Erin Hunter
Love them or hate them, we’ve all most likely encountered a cat at some point throughout our lives. But have you ever looked at a cat and wondered, “What if my sweet little Daisy were a part of a warrior clan in the wilderness?” If your answer is yes, then Erin Hunter’s Warriors series may be for you! Spanning nearly 45 novels, 21 novellas, 14 double-length super editions, and 15 manga volumes, Warriors is a tale about bravery, loyalty, and survival.
The first story arc, which consists of the first six novels, begins in Into the Wild. We follow Rusty, a kittypet — cat slang for a house cat — as he becomes bored with his indoor life, eventually choosing to embark on a quest into the wilderness. As Rusty soon discovers, there is more to be found beyond the boundaries of his old home than expected. This discovery comes in the form of a society of wild cats, divided into four rival clans who each inhabit their own territory: ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan.
It doesn’t take long for Rusty to become a member of ThunderClan, known for their bravery and ferocity in combat. Can Rusty, now renamed to Firepaw, along with his trusty friends Graystripe and Sandstorm, protect ThunderClan from their enemies? You’ll just have to read to find out! Warriors can be found on Amazon in physical and digital format, and can also likely be checked out at most libraries as well.
While I haven’t read Warriors since middle school, it is still a series that I hold close to my heart. Following the passing of my family’s cat when I was little, my parents had initially decided that we would never adopt another cat again. That all changed when I read Warriors. I became so obsessed with cats that I pleaded with my parents to let me adopt one. And while it took a few years for my begging to pay off, I can happily report that it worked. So every time I look at my Simba and Nala, I am always reminded of Warriors, and how I likely wouldn’t be snuggling with them if it weren’t for those amazing books.
During World War II, in the English countryside, in the house of Kirke, through the spare room’s wardrobe, you’ll find the gateway — entrance to a fantastical, wintery, glistening, snowy-white town called Narnia! Only here will you find mythical creatures living in a season of everlasting winter. When you visit, you will rub elbows with the likes of centaurs and fauns, giant dwarves, witches, lions, beavers, and other talking animals!
Your next Narnian stop should be to see Mr. Beaver, a most amazing builder of the dams! Mr. and Mrs. Beaver enjoy hosting guests, likely offering up tea and biscuits before giving you a firsthand tour of the dams.
He’s big. He’s green. No, he’s not the Hulk, but he is the hunk! Say hello to the ogre who will make all your romance wishes come true! On this lovely first day of April, how will the legendary Shrek score on the dateability rankings? Keep reading to see!
When thinking of some of the greatest films of all time, there’s no doubt that Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010) comes to mind. Even if you haven’t seen the film, it’s likely you’ve seen countless movies that have taken inspiration from it. The film expertly combines romance and horror, taking you on a whiplash adventure of some of the best acting, special effects, sound design, and writing that cinema has ever seen.
Throughout the first years of my elementary school life, the only thing that would get me to finally stay seated for breakfast before school was an incredible animated Badger named Frances.Frances (2008) is a short-lived TV adaptation of the children’s book series by Russell Hoban. Recently, I was lucky enough to stumble across one of the books in an antique store, which is what reminded me of all the lessons, and nostalgic animation, that this show provides young minds. It is genuinely one of the greatest children’s shows — in my opinion — that demonstrates children’s emotions and how to navigate them at such a young age.
Alfred Matthew, better known as “Weird Al” Yankovic, is one of the world’s best-known parody artists. He has been making silly, joke versions of popular songs since the late ’70s, when his first single, “My Bologna” — a parody of the Knack’s “My Sharona” — was released. Two years after his initial release, he was able to find his spot on the music charts with a parody of the Queen song “Another One Bites the Dust,” which was titled “Another One Rides the Bus.” He has spent the last four-and-a-half decades spoofing our favorite artists and using his unique humor to bring a little more wonderfully dumb goofiness to the world. In 2022, he was also a writer for and subject of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, which is a satirical biopic on the life of the silly songwriter.