Marshmallow reviews Slow Productivity by Cal Newport

Last year Marshmallow reviewed two advice books by cal Newport directed towards students: How to Become a Straight-A Student and How to Be a High School Superstar. This week she got into Newport’s most recent book Slow Productivity, published in March 2024. Sprinkles enjoyed reading this book immensely, so she wanted to join Marshmallow in this review.

Marshmallow reviews Slow Productivity by Cal Newport while a friendly but slightly annoying little duckling observes.
Marshmallow reviews Slow Productivity by Cal Newport while a friendly but slightly annoying little duckling observes.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, this is your third book by Cal Newport, isn’t it?

Marshmallow: Yes. I find him to present very thought-provoking ideas.

S: I find his books interesting as well. So we both read this one. It is titled Slow Productivity. I think he was inspired by the slow food movement, where you emphasize slowness and quality and community and local ingredients instead of mass-produced generic fast food. I also read a book a while back about slow teaching; it was also cool. So can you tell us briefly what Newport means by slow productivity? 

M: Slow productivity is the idea of decreasing your workload so you can increase the quality of your work to reach certain, specific goals all the while making sure you are living a sustainable life. 

S: That sounds like a very appealing goal. Tell us more. 

M: So his method, Newport promises, will decrease the familiar overwhelming anxiety and stress the modern knowledge worker experiences.

S: Wait, what is a knowledge worker? 

M: According to IBM, a knowledge worker is “a professional who generates value for the organization with their expertise, critical thinking and interpersonal skills.” So someone who uses computers for accounting, writes code to solve specific business problems, works as a professor, or is a freelance writer, or stuff like that. So unlike the previous Cal Newport books I’ve reviewed (which were intended to help students), Slow Productivity is aimed at adults who have already begun their careers.

S: Yes, I think so too. So I was surprised when you picked it up. But you seem to have enjoyed it, seeing how you have finished it already. 

M: Yes! I started reading it so that I could be prepared for when I grow up and have my own career. I think adults are always too stressed. I wanted to go into my career with ideas on how to be productive in a healthy manner that yields professional success. I also thought this book might still have principles and methods that could be helpful to me as a student.

S: That second part makes total sense, but the first part is really interesting and would probably be surprising for most folks. Especially if they do not know you well… I am sure you are one of only a few little bunnies your age who are thinking of reading about how to be a productive well-balanced adult! Okay so tell us a bit more about the book. How do we do this slow productivity thing?

M: Well, there are three principal ideas of slow productivity. And these are: do fewer things, work at a natural pace, and obsess over quality. The book utilizes a plethora of “case studies” (as Newport calls them) to prove the author’s suggestions and theories. From each of these examples, he synthesizes (or reiterates) the related slow productivity lesson. 

S: I think these are good principles for almost anyone. I mean, they are definitely meaningful for me as a working adult and parent, but also for you. You are now a busy kid going to school and doing a lot of extracurricular activities. And these principles seem to agree with the advice he gives students. Do not cram too many activities just to impress. Do fewer things but do those at such a high level that you will be impressive that way. 

M: Yes, I’ve recently seen this idea of his show up in the Atlantic under the name of a spike applicant (one who is exceptionally good at one thing.

Marshmallow is reading Slow Productivity by Cal Newport while the friendly but slightly annoying little duckling is joined by several others.
Marshmallow is reading Slow Productivity by Cal Newport while the friendly but slightly annoying little duckling is joined by several others.

S: I remember a colleague who said, “Everyone talks about well-rounded students; what is wrong with a sharp knife?” I loved his analogy. I think this spike idea is similar. I mean not everyone is or needs to be a sharp knife, but we do need sharp knives, and they often find their niche. But I also think it makes sense for young bunnies to explore different types of activities to see what they enjoy and what they are good at. Those explorations provide a lot of insight and you can be surprised by what you end up liking and being good at. 

M: Yes. In this book though, Cal Newport focuses on maintaining a low, easy workload so you can finish larger goals over long periods of time and build your expertise in your field. 

S: That is a different life stage than the exploration stage I was talking about. Of course, his student advice is also about being selective with extracurricular activities, but one needs to figure out what they like and what they want to productively focus on. There is serendipity, some portion will always be about chance, but one also needs time to try out new things. At least that is what I think. But what do I know? I have not written any productivity books!

M: Well that’s okay! Cal Newport gives you the tips so you can focus on other things you like to do and how you can become a fuller person as a whole by managing your workload. In his book for high school students, he focuses on becoming a more interesting person for the sake of college applications (personal growth too I suppose, but primarily applications). In this book, he focuses more on the idea of growing yourself to be a more complete, content individual. I found his idea of pseudo-productivity being unnatural to be quite stimulating. Cal Newport’s books all have this underlying idea that the general consensus (whether in college apps or in careers) is bad because it has been unnaturally perverted towards pseudo-productivity, or doing things just to seem like you’re productive. His main mission is to convince you that this is not the correct way of things and that the situation can be improved by acting in a more natural, original way. 

S: Yes, I think that is a good way to put his message in these three books together. I too find his books always give me good ideas. And I am glad you appreciated this book too. 

M: Yes! I found his ideas to be very useful, even as a child bunny. 

S: This is already quite a long post. Shall we wrap it up?

M: Sure! In summary, I would really recommend this book for all adults who work in the knowledge sector. Even as a bunny in school, I can see that the current work system is set up in a way that is not sustainable for individuals and society as a whole. I hope the situation improves before I join the workforce for my sake. But for the sake of others, I hope this book is more widely read so more people can enjoy full lives with more success.

S: That is a nice sentiment! So how would you rate this book?

M: I would rate this book at 100%. I really liked it and I found it to be very helpful. Cal Newport’s methods are quite logical. 

S: That sounds just about right! Okay, what do you want to tell our readers as we wrap this up?

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

Marshmallow rates Slow Productivity by Cal Newport 100% and hopes it will provide some cover, while the ducklings continue to amass.
Marshmallow rates Slow Productivity by Cal Newport 100% and hopes it will provide some cover, while the ducklings continue to amass.

Caramel reviews Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #3: The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale

Caramel has read and reviewed One Dead Spy and Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood, the first two books in Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series, a series of historical graphic novels that cover a variety of historical events. Today he talked to Sprinkles about The Underground Abductor, the third book in our Nathan Hale collection.

[We were hoping to go through these books in order, but Caramel happened to first read a three-book sampler which was made up of the first, fourth, and the fifth books! So the numbering of these posts is mainly about the order Caramel is reading them in. The Underground Abductor, reviewed in today’s post, is the fifth ever book in the series, originally published in 2015.]

Caramel reviews Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #3: The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale.
Caramel reviews Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #3: The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, this was the third book in our collection of Nathan Hale books. And now that you have read it, can you tell us a bit about it?

Caramel: Sure. this is about Harriet Tubman, a woman who was a slave but escaped and then she worked hard to help many other slaves escape through a network of secret paths and secret safe houses called the Underground Railroad. She also worked as a spy in the American Civil War. She was very brave.

S: So tell me more. Does the book start from Tubman’s childhood?

C: Yes. And then it goes on to speak about the first time that she ran away. Then she came back and helped her family escape. And then she kept doing it. Then when the Civil War started, she helped with the war, and spied for the Union side.

S: That does sound really brave, Caramel. I am glad you are learning about a historical figure like Tubman. Did you learn about her from this book?

C: I had heard of her before but I learned a lot more about her from the book.

S: So I am assuming this is again a very factful book.

C: Yes. And as you know, I like facts, so I like this book.

S: You also like graphic novels, and this is one, so I am assuming that helps, too. Right?

C: Yes, it does. I like seeing the events as they happen. It adds some humor too.

Caramel is reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #3: The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale.
Caramel is reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #3: The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale.

S: So is the main character Tubman herself narrating the story, or is there a different narrator telling us her story?

C: The narrator is still Nathan Hale, from the other books. The fictitious version of the spy from the first book.

S: I see. That makes sense. After all, these are his tales! Are there any other connections to the other books?

C: Yup. There is the Hangman and the British Commander.

S: Wait, who are they?

C: They are characters from the first book. The Hangman is the one who is supposed to end up hanging Nathan Hale and the British Commander is the one who has ordered his hanging.

S: So wait, we know Hale was hanged. But all these stories, then he is telling them before his hanging?

C: Kind of.

S: Sounds a bit morbid honestly.

C: A little. But it is also funny. Because both the Hangman and the Commander are very funny characters. And they say some really funny things.

S: I see. So they are kind of like the audience?

C: Yes.

S: Okay, Caramel. Thank you for telling me this story. It seems like you really enjoyed the book.

C: Yes. I really enjoyed all three of the books. Maybe I will get to read some more. Hint hint.

S: Okay, we will see. 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 Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #3: The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale and is keen to read more from this exciting and factful series.
Caramel enjoyed reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #3: The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale and is keen to read more from this exciting and factful series.

Sprinkles reviews children’s books about puberty – for boys

A few weeks ago, Sprinkles reviewed a handful of children’s books about puberty written for girls. Today she is writing about children’s books about puberty written for boys.

This review is intended for parents and guardians.

Sprinkles reviews children's books about puberty - for boys.
Sprinkles reviews children’s books about puberty – for boys.

Today’s post is about five books about puberty appropriate for young boy bunnies who are approaching that important time of great change. The first four are written exclusively for an audience of boy bunnies, and at the end of the post, I will mention a fifth book that can also help this particular audience though it is not exclusively targeting them.

The first book I will discuss is What’s Going on Down There? A Boy’s Guide to Growing Up, a 2017 book written by Karen Gravelle and illustrated by Robert Leighton.

Sprinkles reviews What's Going On Down There? A Boy's Guide to Growing Up, written by Karen Gravelle with Chava and Nick Castro, and illustrated by Robert Leighton.
Sprinkles reviews What’s Going On Down There? A Boy’s Guide to Growing Up, written by Karen Gravelle with Chava and Nick Castro, and illustrated by Robert Leighton.

This book makes a neat companion to the author’s 1996 The Period Book which I wrote about in my review on books about puberty written for girls. Published by the same company, the book comes in a small format just like the earlier book. And just like that earlier one, this is a very readable and surprisingly informative book. In thirteen chapters ranging from how boys’ bodies change during puberty to sexual harassment, from sexually transmitted diseases to how babies are made and how they can be avoided, Gravelle’s book offers young readers a ton of useful information, well organized and presented in fluent and compassionate language. There is even a full chapter on how girls change during puberty so boys reading the book will not be totally clueless about what is going on with their female classmates, their sisters, and their female cousins. The goal is not merely to quench curiosities though; I believe the inclusion of this chapter also serves a more compassionate purpose. When a boy understands that girls are changing too, and that boys are not the only ones who are feeling awkward, uncertain, and even perhaps scared, maybe he will be a bit more compassionate towards himself and others. He will also hopefully be able to see the girls in his life more like peers and friends rather than alien, incomprehensible objects.

Sprinkles is reading What's Going On Down There? A Boy's Guide to Growing Up, written by Karen Gravelle with Chava and Nick Castro, and illustrated by Robert Leighton.
Sprinkles is reading What’s Going On Down There? A Boy’s Guide to Growing Up, written by Karen Gravelle with Chava and Nick Castro, and illustrated by Robert Leighton.

What’s Going On Down There? uses explicit and scientifically accurate language about the sexual organs and human reproduction. The illustrations are hand-drawn, and though detailed, would most likely not be viewed as obscene. The author is compassionate and matter-of-fact through the book, and she mentions both homosexuality and transgender individuals and the possible social and religious tolerance limits in relation to both. Being a woman, she explains that she had substantive input from two young boys, Chava and Nick Castro, as well as interviews with fifteen men who told her the most important things they wished they knew when they were boys themselves.

**

The next book I will write about is the 2020 book Everything you Always Wanted to Know About Puberty — and Shouldn’t Be Googling – For Curious Boys, written by Morris Katz and illustrated by Amelia Pinney.

Sprinkles reviews Everything you Always Wanted to Know About Puberty -- and Shouldn't Be Googling - For Curious Boys, written by Morris Katz and illustrated by Amelia Pinney.
Sprinkles reviews Everything you Always Wanted to Know About Puberty — and Shouldn’t Be Googling – For Curious Boys, written by Morris Katz and illustrated by Amelia Pinney.

Everything you Always Wanted to Know About Puberty — and Shouldn’t Be Googling – For Curious Boys is written from the perspective of a “cool older brother”, as the author Morris Katz describes himself tongue in cheek. The pages are colorfully organized and illustrated. The style is informal and perhaps a bit unserious, though the author voice comes across as friendly and helpful: the author is indeed young and has younger brothers, so the tone feels authentic. The main thrust of the book is captured in this little excerpt:

“My advice on this could be applied to puberty as a whole. You can’t control what’s going to happen, but you can control how you react to your experiences. Accepting things as they are and taking it easy on yourself no matter what will make your life a lot less stressful. Don’t drive yourself crazy over things you can’t control.”

Sprinkles is reading Everything you Always Wanted to Know About Puberty -- and Shouldn't Be Googling - For Curious Boys, written by Morris Katz and illustrated by Amelia Pinney.
Sprinkles is reading Everything you Always Wanted to Know About Puberty — and Shouldn’t Be Googling – For Curious Boys, written by Morris Katz and illustrated by Amelia Pinney.

Some sections of the book provide extensive details. The hormonal changes that eventually lead to puberty in boys are described in great detail, for example. Therefore, I was surprised that the male genitalia and the general reproductive system are not described as much in detail as in Gravelle’s What’s Going On Down There? book. The book does cover an extensive list of topics, distributed into three large parts (Part 1. What Looks, Sounds, and Smells Different? Part 2. What Feels Different? and Part 3. The Outside World). There is thoughtful discussion of social media, peer pressure, relationships with parents, thrill seeking and risky behavior, respecting girls and women, avoiding toxic masculinity, and many more.

Parents may or may not feel comfortable with the tone in which topics such as drugs, masturbation, and porn are discussed. To me, the particular tone felt consistent with an older brother, one who knows what is best for you, one who wants you to make the right decisions, and who is trying to support you along the way without sounding preachy. But some parents might wish for a different tone altogether. All in all, I found this to be a good book, but all families are different, and parents would best take a good look at it before sharing with their little ones.

**

The third book from my shelves is Growing Up Great!: The Ultimate Puberty Book for Boys, written by Scott Todnem, illustrated by Anjan Sarkar, and first published in 2019.

Sprinkles reviews Growing Up Great!: The Ultimate Puberty Book for Boys, written by Scott Todnem and illustrated by Anjan Sarkar.
Sprinkles reviews Growing Up Great!: The Ultimate Puberty Book for Boys, written by Scott Todnem and illustrated by Anjan Sarkar.

Growing Up Great is written by Scott Todnem who has been teaching health education to middle schoolers for a long time, and you can read him as a trusted teacher who is telling it like it is. The main thrust of the book is captured in two statements the author makes repeatedly in slightly different forms throughout the book:

“Change is good. And knowledge is power.”

and

“Just be you through it all. No one has ever been you, and no one will ever be you.”

Among the books I have read for this review, this one is perhaps the most “factful”, if I am allowed to use one of Caramel’s favorite words. I have learned quite a lot of things from the book myself (which may not be too surprising, especially given that I did not have brothers or male cousins or even male classmates as I was growing up — having gone to a girls’ high school — and so did not have first-hand experience with male puberty). The book covers the physical changes a boy’s body goes through extensively. There is also much emphasis on the importance of mental, physical, and social health, self-respect, and consent in all situations.

Sprinkles is reading Growing Up Great!: The Ultimate Puberty Book for Boys, written by Scott Todnem and illustrated by Anjan Sarkar.
Sprinkles is reading Growing Up Great!: The Ultimate Puberty Book for Boys, written by Scott Todnem and illustrated by Anjan Sarkar.

Among the books I have read for this review, this one is perhaps the most “factful”, if I am allowed to use one of Caramel’s favorite words. I have learned quite a lot of things from the book myself (which may not be too surprising, especially given that I did not have brothers or male cousins or even male classmates as I was growing up (having gone to a girls’ high school) and so did not have first-hand experience with male puberty). But I did find the book very readable and informative.

**

The fourth book about puberty written for boys that I wanted to talk about in this post is the 2017 book Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys, written by Cara Natterson and illustrated by Micah Player.

Sprinkles reviews Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys, written by Cara Natterson and illustrated by Micah Player.
Sprinkles reviews Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys, written by Cara Natterson and illustrated by Micah Player.

Brought to us by American Girl Publishing, just like Cara Natterson’s earlier book The Care & Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls, Guy Stuff is one of a series of books aiming to help adolescents learn more about themselves as they are going through puberty. It is overall well organized and playfully illustrated. The text is not one long narrative; rather, each page has different text boxes, lists, short subsections, and other organizational tools that allow for skimming and jumping back and forth rather than simply sitting down for an extended time to read through from cover to cover.

The chapters themselves are vaguely organized around the body: the “Heads Up” chapter focuses on hair, ears, eyes, face, and so on, while the “Belly zone” chapter focuses on nutrition, body shape and size. The “Get Going” chapter is about legs and feet but also exercise and physical movement. The “Big Changes” chapter is where we get into the big basics: the subheadings list hormones, pubic area, underwear, erections, shaving, voice, moods. The book begins with a short chapter (“Body Basics”) emphasizing good habits and attitude, and ends with another short chapter (“Your Inner You”) including a discussion under the subheadings: “your feelings”, “being a guy”, “all of you”, where peer pressure and the stereotype of “boys don’t cry”are covered.

Sprinkles is reading Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys, written by Cara Natterson and illustrated by Micah Player.
Sprinkles is reading Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys, written by Cara Natterson and illustrated by Micah Player.

All in all, Guy Stuff is engaging and informative. There are clear illustrations of male body parts. However, the book does not touch some of the topics that might be more uncomfortable for some parents (e.g., masturbation, porn) that some of the other books do mention, at least in passing, so it could perhaps be a safer choice for more parents.

**

The four books I mentioned above are all written for an audience of boys exclusively. And they all do the job quite well, to inform and comfort the young bunny whose body is going through some surprising changes. However, before I wrap up, I would like the readers to also consider the gender-neutral classic, It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health, written by Robie H. Harris and illustrated by Michael Emberley.

Sprinkles has already reviewed It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health, written by Robie H. Harris and illustrated by Michael Emberley. See https://bookbunnies.blog/2024/09/28/sprinkles-reviews-childrens-books-about-puberty-for-girls/
Sprinkles has already reviewed It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health, written by Robie H. Harris and illustrated by Michael Emberley. See https://bookbunnies.blog/2024/09/28/sprinkles-reviews-childrens-books-about-puberty-for-girls/

As I wrote earlier, It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health is a somewhat controversial book as it depicts naked human bodies (in caricature) and certain sexual acts (also in caricature). It also introduces ideas of gender diversity (Chapter 5 is titled “Who You Are: Straight, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, transgender, +”) and discusses masturbation and abortion (Chapter 16: “Perfectly Normal: Masturbation” and Chapter 24: “Laws and Rulings: Abortion”, respectively). So even parents who might find these topics suitable for their young ones might wish to review the book on their own before sharing it with them.

All that being said, I found the book very informative and generous. The laws in the United States are in constant flux in relation to abortion, but other than that, most of the information in the book is up to date and seemed to me to be more than relevant to a young bunny growing into her own body. The generosity I am talking about is in the compassionate ways the book explains differences of opinion about controversial topics like abortion and LGBTQ+ issues, as well as the many ways people can form families by methods such as in-vitro fertilization and adoption. And the bird and the bee that we had met in the other books by Harris and Emberley apparently first made their debut in this book, and they are just the same funny odd couple they were in those other books. Their reactions to the illustrations as well as the content of the text reflect the many types of natural reactions a young bunny may have to them. The bird is often the more enthusiastic one, enthusiastic about learning everything there is to learn, while the bee is often the one who is a little overwhelmed with it all and wants to quit talking about it. Both are natural reactions, and I have seen them in my own children at times when these issues came up. I think therefore that their presence through the book might help a young bunny reading the book to feel seen.

**

It is probably time to wrap up this review. I have already written a lot, and only about five books; there are many other options out there. However, I chose these five because each of these books is clear and informative and supportive. Overall, I am glad there are so many good options for young people these days to learn about puberty. I do hope caring parents and loving guardians will encourage their young ones to read some of these books and use them as a way to initiate conversations and discussions about the many exciting features and challenges of puberty.

Sprinkles has enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to read each and every one of these books about puberty directed at tween boys, and recommends that grownups of young bunnies consider sharing at least one of them with their young ones.
Sprinkles has enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to read each and every one of these books about puberty directed at tween boys, and recommends that grownups of young bunnies consider sharing at least one of them with their young ones.

Caramel reviews Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #2: Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood by Nathan Hale

[We are back! The book bunnies were hit by a mysterious bug in the middle of October so had to take some time off. We are all finally feeling up for some reading and blogging again. Sorry for the disruption!]

Two weeks ago, Caramel reviewed the first book in the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series, recommended to the book bunnies by one of our friendly readers. This week he is talking to Sprinkles about the second book in the series, Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood, first published in 2014.

[We were hoping to go through these books in order, but Caramel happened to first read a three-book sampler which was made up of the first, fourth, and the fifth books! So the numbering of these posts is mainly about the order Caramel is reading them in. Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood, reviewed in today’s post, is the fourth ever book in the series, originally published in 2014.]

Caramel reviews Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #2: Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood by Nathan Hale.
Caramel reviews Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #2: Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood by Nathan Hale.

Sprinkles: So here we are, ready to talk about the second Nathan Hale book. So tell us a bit about the book Caramel.

Caramel: This is about World War One. Apparently it is one of the worst wars ever, in terms of how many people died.

S: I agree. It was also a very impactful event, leading to the fall of many powers and rise of others. But then, is the book a basic history of the war?

C: It is a comic book, like the first book. So it is history, but told in a different way. Many of the people are not people. I mean, they use different kinds of animals to represent all sorts of people. Like there are bird-faced soldiers, lion-faced people, and so on. I think it is called “anthropomorphized animals” because they are supposed to represent humans.

S: So it is kind of like Maus, the book Marshmallow reviewed about the Holocaust, where the humans were replaced by cats, mice, and pigs?

C: Yes! But I have to say that book is so much more depressing.

S: But are they consistent with the animal depictions? Like all dogs are some type of people?

C: Well, kind of. The Russians are bears, the British are bulldogs, the Germans are eagles, the Ottomans are otter, and the Americans are bunnies, like us!

S: That is interesting! I guess in a war with so many different groups involved, it kind of makes sense. It would be really hard to distinguish different nationalities by their uniforms for example.

C: I agree. I think it is clever.

Caramel is reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #2: Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood by Nathan Hale.
Caramel is reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #2: Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood by Nathan Hale.

S: I can see how you would like a book like this. You like facts, so you would of course like historical stuff.

C: Yes, and I really am curious about World War One. The book is full of facts! For example, I learned that the U.S. army did not have enough uniforms to go around at the time when the U.S. entered the war.

S: I did not know that! Interesting! So the book is really a story of the war, you say. Does it start at 1914 and end at 1918? Or does it go back and forward a bit so you get some context?

C: It goes from 1914 to 1918, mostly in the time order. It jumps from one battle to another though, and you learn lots of facts here and there, like I learned about the Unkillable Soldier.

S: I know you like your facts!

C: Yep.

S: So it is pure history?

C: Well, they do make up some dialogue. But they also sprinkle in some well-known quotes, like this one.

S: I see. So all in all, this was a good read for you?

C: Yes.

S: Do you want to read another Nathan Hale book or another book about the War?

C: Yes. Maybe I can take some time off from war stuff. The next Nathan Hale book sounds good though.

S: That is settled then. You read that and we talk about it next week.

C: Unless we all get sick again!

S: I hope we won’t. We should be immune by now.

C: Well, there are always other bugs.

S: You are right, but I do hope we will be able to continue with the blog. This was the first time in five years that we missed our scheduled posting times…

C: I know you are really bummed by that…

S: Yes. But I am glad we were able to start again today. So thank you for talking to me about your book!

C: You are welcome! I always like to talk about books!

S: So as we wrap up this review, what would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews! And it won’t be too long!

S: Hopefully…

Caramel enjoyed reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #2: Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood by Nathan Hale and is ready for more history!
Caramel enjoyed reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #2: Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood by Nathan Hale and is ready for more history!