Book Bunnies

Marshmallow reviews How to Be a High School Superstar by Cal Newport

Last week Marshmallow reviewed How to Become a Straight-A Student by Cal Newport. This week, as we dive into the new school year, she is continuing with a similar book, How to Be a High School Superstar, first published in 2010. Sprinkles is asking questions and taking notes.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, it is back to school time, and you are reading all these books about how to be a good student. You just reviewed How to Become a Straight-A Student by Cal Newport last week. And now we are looking at How to Be a High School Superstar, which was written later but is meant for a younger audience.

Marshmallow: Yes, this one is for bunnies who are beginning high school and want to know about how to make the best of it. The other book was mainly intended for college bunnies.

S: I see. So what kinds of advice do you find in this book?

M: The main ides is to be an interesting student so that you can get into college.

S: What does that mean?

M: So Cal Newport thinks that it is not how many As you get in your classes and how many activities you are involved in that matters. He thinks that college admissions folks look at the whole package and want to admit students who look interesting.

S: So what does interesting mean?

M: He suggests that you should leave yourself a lot of free time to explore new directions and find a thing or two that you are really into and you can really advance in, so you can be more than just a good student.

S: So I am assuming he takes it for granted that you will be a good student, or at least a good enough student, and then he tells the reader what else to do to round out one’s college application package. Right?

M: Yes, I think so.

S: So the book is very much directed towards high school students who are looking to get into college.

M: Yep.

Marshmallow is reading How to Be a High School Superstar by Cal Newport. — Marshmallow is reading *How to Be a High School Superstar* by Cal Newport.

S: Okay, so tell me how one can become a more interesting person.

M: According to Cal Newport, doing less is more, so focus on one thing and do that really well. Like, he thinks that doing a sport and doing some volunteering and doing theatre and doing band and so on all at once without really paying any special attention to any one of them makes you dilute your efforts, and while trying to be well rounded you end up being mediocre in all things.

S: That reminds me of something I had heard from a college faculty member I know. He said something like, “while people are looking for well roundedness, I want to find all the sharp knives.”

M: I think I can see what he means by that! I think Cal Newport would agree.

S: Besides this big idea, what other recommendations does he make in this book?

M: Well, I think that is really the main point of the book. He uses the phrase “relaxed superstar”. He thinks that is what one should aspire to be.

S: I see. That sounds nice.

M: I think so, too.

S: So how would you rate this book then?

M: I’d rate it 100%. I think it makes a good point about being intentional about how one goes about doing high school. Wow! I managed to make one sentence with three “about”s!

S: Yes, I give you 100% for that! So this is a good place to wrap up this review, I think. What would you like to tell our readers?

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

Marshmallow rates How to Be a High School Superstar by Cal Newport 100%. — Marshmallow rates *How to Be a High School Superstar* by Cal Newport 100%.

Caramel reviews A Super Scary Narwhalloween by Ben Clanton

Caramel’s first review for this blog was Narwhal: The Unicorn of the Sea! Since then, he has reviewed all the books from Ben Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly series about two wacky oceanic friends. Today he reviews the most recent addition to the series: A Super Scary Narwhalloween, published in 2023. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

[Readers might like to check out the full series by reading Caramel’s reviews of Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Narwhal’s Otter Friend, Happy Narwhalidays, Narwhal’s School of Awesomeness, and Narwhalicorn and Jelly.]

Caramel reviews A Super Scary Narwhalloween by Ben Clanton. — Caramel reviews *A Super Scary Narwhalloween* by Ben Clanton.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, since the beginning of this blog, you have matured a lot. And you have been reading a lot of different books, but whenever you see Ben Clanton publish a new Narwhal and Jelly book, you can’t seem to resist it.

Caramel: Of course not. Narwhal and Jelly make me happy!

S: I can see that. So remind our readers who Narwhal and Jelly are.

C: Narwhal is a narwhal, and Jelly is a jellyfish. And they live in an ocean, and they are good friends. They have a lot of fun adventures together.

S: So what is this eighth book about?

C: Narwhal has a costume conundrum.

S: What does that mean?

C: Meaning he could not think of what to wear for Halloween.

S: Okay. Go on.

C: And he puts on too many costumes at the same time so everyone thinks he is a monster. But he does not realize that they are all scared of him. So when he tries to eat some waffles, he gets all sticky. Jelly helps him out. So all is well in the end.

S: I am guessing that is one of the reasons why you love these books. That they always end happily.

C: Yes. But also I really like Jelly. Narwhal is also funny. I like his jokes.

Caramel is reading A Super Scary Narwhalloween by Ben Clanton. — Caramel is reading *A Super Scary Narwhalloween* by Ben Clanton.

S: I seem to recall that the books in this series also have a lot of facts in them. And you love books full of facts. How about this one? Are there new facts in it too?

C: Yes!

S: Tell me one new fact you learned from this book then.

C: I learned that there is a bat that is the size of a bumblebee.

S: That is neat, Caramel.

C: It is! It is a tiny, tiny thing!

S: So I was thinking we would hold on to this book and review it for Halloween. But obviously you could not wait.

C: It was very hard.

S: That’s alright. I am sure we will find other books for Halloween. But so tell me, if you were to describe this book in three words, what would you say?

C: Colorful, hilarious, and as always, factful!

S: Yes. That is great, Caramel. So then you recommend this book to all little bunnies who have read the previous adventures of Narwhal and Jelly?

C: Yes, they should all read all of them! At least the second book, Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt.

S: Why?

C: Because this one mentions Jelly Jolt, too.

S: I see. Okay, then. Let us wrap up this review. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading A Super Scary Narwhalloween by Ben Clanton and recommends it wholeheartedly to all the little bunnies who love Narwhal and his friends. — Caramel loved reading *A Super Scary Narwhalloween* by Ben Clanton and recommends it wholeheartedly to all the little bunnies who love Narwhal and his friends.

Marshmallow reviews How to Become a Straight-A Student by Cal Newport

Marshmallow is a young bunny who is always curious about how she can improve herself. Today she is talking to Sprinkles about a 2006 book by Cal Newport about being a good student: How to Become a Straight-A Student.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, I know you occasionally read non-fiction books that are full of advice. I remember, for example, that you reviewed Getting Things Done for Teens by David Allen, Mike Williams, and Mark Wallace and The Confidence Code for Girls by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman. So I guess this book makes sense to talk about now because school is starting again, and it might be a good idea to think about how one can be a good student.

Marshmallow: Yes, exactly.

S: So tell me a bit about what this book is about, something more than the title of the book.

M: Well, I should first start with the full title. The full title is How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less.

S: Hmm, so this is about how to be a straight-A student in college actually.

M: Yes, but the strategies can probably apply to other school contexts. Which is why I am reading this. I am not off to college just yet!

S: Thankfully! I am not ready for that!

M: Me neither.

S: Alright, so tell me about the book then.

M: So Cal Newport is a computer science professor today, but when he wrote this book, he had just finished college. And he had sone really well, and he wanted to write a book about how he did so well. But he does not only talk about his own experiences. He interviewed and surveyed a lot of college students asking them about their study habits and time management choices that they made, and put the book together with all that data.

S: That sounds like a good premise for a solid advice book. So tell me about some of the main ideas.

M: One of the main ideas Newport is talking about is efficiency. So for example, he calls it pseudo-work when students are spending all night in a library but not working efficiently.

S: So I can see that there are inefficient study habits. But what are his alternatives? What does he suggest? How should one study efficiently?

M: He suggests making a schedule, taking smart notes, researching better, with big ideas in mind. And there are a lot more. There are a total of three parts in the book. The first part is titled Study Basics. Then there are a series of chapters under the heading of Quizzes and Exams. Finally there are several chapters under the name of Essays and Papers.

S: So basically he talks about a variety of ways to work more effectively and efficiently for different types of assessment tasks. That makes sense to me.

Marshmallow is reading How to Become a Straight-A Student by Cal Newport. — Marshmallow is reading *How to Become a Straight-A Student* by Cal Newport.

S: So the book is intended for college students. As a bunny who is still far too young for college, did you find the book off-putting or somehow inaccessible in parts?

M: No, not at all. Though it did make me a bit worried about how much work one needs to do in college.

S: Do you like Newport’s author voice?

M: Yes, he is confident but very relatable. I also liked that he emphasizes that you need to ensure that you have a social life, that it is possible to have a social life that complements good grades and academic achievement. So I like that. It is hopeful.

S: That’s good. So do you see yourself applying any of this advice in this coming school year?

M: I will definitely try. I have a nice planner now and I want to start with planning. And I want to figure out how I can study more efficiently.

S: These all sound great to me Marshmallow. So all in all, you seem to have enjoyed this book. How would you rate it?

M: I’d rate it 100%.

S: Nice! Okay, I think it is time for us to wrap up this review, which is the last one before schools start in our part of the world. So what would you like to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies! And I hope you all will have a lot of fun if school is starting in your part of the world too!

Marshmallow rates How to Become a Straight-A Student by Cal Newport 100%. — Marshmallow rates *How to Become a Straight-A Student* by Cal Newport 100%.

Caramel reviews The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau

Today Caramel reviews The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau, the second book in the author’s City of Ember series, published in 2004. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Readers may recall that Marshmallow has already reviewed the first book, City of Ember.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, can you tell us a bit about what this book is about?

Caramel: The people of Ember come up to the surface and settle down in a town named Sparks.

S: Wait. Tell us a bit more about Ember. It is the city from the first book, City of Ember, right?

C: Yes. But at the end of that book, most of the people from that city ran away because their generator was failing and the city would soon be uninhabitable.

S: That is a big word, Caramel!

C: Yes, but it is the right word. It would be too dark without the generator, and it would be unlivable for people. And for bunnies of course. Because we like light too.

S: Sure we do. So okay, I remember that the first book had two main heroes, named Lina and Doon. Are they also in this book?

C: Yes, in fact they are again the heroes.

S: Okay, so what is the conflict of this book then? They are out and found a place to live.

C: Yes but the new place Sparks is not big enough or rich enough for all the people living there plus the new people from Ember.

S: I see. So there is some conflict between the two groups?

C: Yep.

S: Hmm, so in some sense it is a bit about immigration and refugees finding a new home but not feeling terribly welcome.

C: Kind of. But also Sparks people do not even have electricity. They do not know about it.

S: Hmm, that is interesting. I remember that in Ember, they had electricity even though they did not understand fully how it worked. So you are saying that they do not even have that much here in Sparks?

C: Yes.

S: So do the Ember folks try to teach them about electricity?

C: Well, only in the end. Doon finally figures it out.

S: Hmm, is that getting too close to spoiler territory?

C: Perhaps.

S: Okay so let us stop here with the plot then.

Caramel is reading The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau. — Caramel is reading *The People of Sparks* by Jeanne DuPrau.

S: Tell me about Doon and Lina next. Are they any different in this book?

C: They are about the same. This book starts quite soon after the other book ends. So they are more or less the same people. They are curious and sometimes make mistakes, but they are trying to help their people.

S: I see. That sounds good. Are there any new characters that appear in this book that you liked?

C: Well, there is a whole new town of people, but I liked only Maddy. She is nice.

S: Who is she?

C: She is the traveling partner of Casper.

S: Who is Casper?

C: He is a person looking around in old ruins and finds things and brings them back to Sparks to trade them for other stuff.

S: So they are not quite from Sparks.

C: No. There seem to be a lot of small settlements all around, and some are abandoned.

S: I see. So this is some sort of a post-apocalyptic world.

C: Yes. It seems like this is a world after a World War Three.

S: Hmm, this reminds me of a quote by Albert Einstein: “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”

C: Yes, that is essentially what is happening in this world. I mean, they are not going to start another big war, but they lost almost all of the modern technology of today and the knowledge behind it.

S: That is interesting. And sobering at the same time. Alright, let us get back to the book. Did you enjoy reading it? Do you think you will read the next book in the series?

C: Yes. And yes.

S: I wonder if Marshmallow will read the third book before you so she can review it.

C: We can wait and see.

S: Alright. Let us do that. So before we wrap up this review, can you describe the book in three words?

C: Happy ending page-turner.

S: Hmm, that is a good description. I might need to read it before Marshmallow gets her paws on it.

C: You probably will.

S: Alright. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau and is keen to read the next book in the series to learn about what happens next to the people of Ember and Sparks. — Caramel enjoyed reading *The People of Sparks* by Jeanne DuPrau and is keen to read the next book in the series to learn about what happens next to the people of Ember and Sparks.