Creating Social Superstars: Commonsense Solutions to Help K-12 Kids Exceed Expectations
A Survival Guide for Families and Educators
Suggesting means of fostering environments that are conducive to children’s social development, Creating Social Superstars is an experience- and research-based parenting guide.
School administrator Noel Schmidt’s parenting guide Creating Social Superstars suggests means of increasing children’s likelihood of thriving as adults.
The book begins by naming some of the problems that school-age children face, including bullies, drugs and alcohol, emotional intelligence, mental health issues, and special education. It does so with an eye toward finding solutions, like establishing open lines of communication between children, parents, and schools to establish lifelong habits toward success. Its chapters describe the symptoms of problems within children’s lives and shares tips on what to do about them, working toward an illustration of how sleep, play, exercise, facing adversity, and being clear about one’s goals can prevent problems from arising in the first place.
The problems the book lists are familiar and relevant, and it takes a wide-ranging and objective approach to them. Still, many of its recommendations are familiar—indeed, the book notes that they are common sense. As a resource, it is helpful in defining the terms it draws from other books and studies using context. Thus, its treatments of topics like “cognitive behavioral restructuring” are clear, and its recommendations for handling related problems are supported by ample context.
Addressing what can go wrong before what can go right, the book is aimed at those who wish to expect and be prepared for problems. Its chapters make use of bullet-point lists and summaries of each problem for clarity. Proposed resolutions, also appearing in bullet-point form, have the same impact. It is realistic about setting expectations and anticipating setbacks. Its profiles of children who faced issues including drinking and eating problems, overwhelm, and bullying are illustrative, as is its coverage of how the recommended methods helped in addressing their problems at an incremental rate. Still, these examples are somewhat generic and hypothetical.
Although the language is accessible and the tone informal, the book’s use of dichotomous terms (boys and girls, rich and poor) limits the audience. Further, not enough information is shared about Schmidt himself, though he narrates and references his experiences in the first person. Still, the book progresses toward an encouraging proactive and nonreactive proposal for working toward positive change—a distinguishing conclusion that shows the book’s mantras at work.
An empowering parenting guide, Creating Social Superstars is about nurturing children toward socially healthy adulthoods.
Reviewed by
Mari Carlson
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
