book review sites for children's books

Where to Find the Best Children’s Book Reviews

There's more great children's books being published than ever before — this is how to find the best children's book reviews online.

Sarah S. Davis

Sarah S. Davis holds a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master's of Library Science from Clarion University, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Sarah has also written for Electric Literature, Kirkus Reviews, Audible, Psych Central, and more. Sarah is the founder of Broke By Books blog and runs a tarot reading business, Divination Vibration . Twitter: @missbookgoddess Instagram: @Sarahbookgoddess

View All posts by Sarah S. Davis

There are more great children’s books being published than ever before, but how do you know which ones to read? Fortunately, today there are so many ways to access children’s book reviews. Here are some of the best places to find reviews of children’s literature.

Part 1: General Children’s Book Reviews

In this first section of our roundup of the best children’s book review websites, I’ll discuss publications that cover all things kid lit.

The Children’s Book Review

As its name implies, The Children’s Book Review is all about book reviews of children’s literature. With huge coverage of all kinds of kid lit, The Children’s Book Review is simple to browse books by subject and books by age, along with buzzy “trending” books and “showcase” books. Your typical book review lays out the specs (intended age, page count, etc.) and provides a medium-sized review with information about the author and/or illustrator. The Children’s Book Review is definitely one of the most comprehensive book review sites for kid lit, and it supplements its reviews with author interviews and curated lists.

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Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media is an organization that reviews media (books, TV, movies, apps, games) with a special focus on educating parents and other adults on “What Parents Should Know,” vis-à-vis content warnings and age appropriateness. Some of the qualities Common Sense Media covers include “Educational Value,” “Positive Messages,” “Positive Role Models and Representations,” and “Language.” Especially notable is Common Sense Media’s focus on diversity, with an invitation to reach out if they’ve “missed anything on diversity.” Also of note, Common Sense Media is one of the few children’s book reviews websites that rates books using a star system. If you just want to know quickly how good a book is, navigate over to Common Sense Media and find a book’s star rating.

The Horn Book

Children’s book review magazine The Horn Book takes its name from”horn books,” which were some of the earliest books made to educate children. The Horn Book is a leading publication in print and online for finding children’s book reviews. This treasured magazine’s website is well-organized, and you can find all the reviews in an easy-to-search database . For the best of the best, browse by The Horn Book ‘s starred reviews . If you buy a paid subscription, you’ll have access to the huge, searchable archive of more than 70,000 reviews, known as “The Guide.” There, you can browse book reviews by Authors/Illustrators, Subjects, Series, and Reviewers. Though some reviews cost a subscription to view, some content, like the “Book Bundles” (check out the one on “Our Bodies, Our Selves” for an example), which group together like-minded books based on themes and include bite-sized reviews, are available for free.

Kirkus Reviews Children’s Books

One of the leading book review sites for all genres and age levels, Kirkus has plenty of kid lit content. Kirkus lets you easily sort by different categories like age, format (picture book, chapter book, etc.), sub-genre (biographies and memoirs, historical fiction), and category (e.g. fiction vs. nonfiction). You can also filter by what books get a coveted Kirkus star. What’s great about Kirkus’s unique format is each review is brief and to the point. If you don’t want to go digging for the bottom line, Kirkus’s kid lit reviews are a good place to start.

Publishers Weekly Children’s Bookshelf

If you’re looking for the buzziest kid lit books, check out Children’s Bookshelf, the free weekly newsletter from Publishers Weekly . This publication is known for its up-to-the-minute chatter about the publishing industry, including children’s books, which are reviewed in roundups, as well as all kinds of bookish content. Subscribing to Children’s Bookshelf is one of the best ways to stay current with kid lit.

School Library Journal

Leave it to the librarians to guide you on what children’s books to read. The long-running School Library Journal has tons of reviews of every kind of kid lit book imaginable. With a special focus on advising libraries whether or not to purchase a book, School Library Journal dishes out bite-sized takeaways (known as a “VERDICT”) at the end of each review. School Library Journal also has tons of non-review content, getting you caught up with the latest news in the world of children’s literature.

Part 2: Special Focus Children’s Book Reviews Websites

In this section, I’ll highlight the places to go for more specialized kid lit coverage.

American Indians in Children’s Literature

This phenomenal site concentrates on promoting the best children’s literature by Indigenous authors and illustrators. Search the site for specific topics or skip right to the “Best Books” for the books most worth celebrating.

The Brown Bookshelf

The Brown Bookshelf is dedicated to featuring book reviews of kid lit by Black authors and illustrators. Start by searching the site or filtering for book reviews . The Brown Bookshelf also compiles great resources for finding more children’s books by Black voices. You’ll find the most up-to-date coverage on the blog .

Disability in Kid Lit

Although no longer updated, the book reviews on Disability in Kid Lit are worth consulting if you’re looking for children’s book reviews about disabled protagonists. You can use the well-indexed search function and browse by different disabilities depending on what condition or identity you’re looking for. Also of note, the “Honor Roll” puts the spotlight on the best representation of disability in kid lit.

Hijabi Librarians

The reviewers and writers at Hijabi Librarians set their lens on children’s and YA books with Muslim representation. Along with author interviews and book discussion guides , Hijabi Librarians includes book reviews and resources for Muslim voices in children’s literature.

Latinx in Kid Lit

Looking for coverage of Latinx authors and illustrators in children’s literature? Definitely be sure to check out Latinx in Kid Lit. This resource compiles reviewed books that feature Latinx representation. You can search by age range — for example, middle grade books — and find that each review includes “Teacher Tips” for educators. The Latinx in Kid Lit blog also has tons of great content, including interviews, Latinx book deals, and publishing industry news specific to Latinx creators.

Social Justice Books

Social Justice Books is focused on…you guessed it, social justice in children’s literature! This site has loads of great guidance on the best social justice topics in kid lit, like the carefully curated booklists by theme . Check out the book review database , which aggregates reviews and is organized by themes like “Activism,” “Asian American,” and “Bullying.” Each book is given a star rating, making for an easy browsing experience if you’re just looking for the best reads.

Special Focus: Can’t-Miss-It Resources for Diversity in Children’s Literature

Cynthia leitich smith’s cynsations.

Bestselling and award-winning author Cynthia Leitich Smith maintains a website all about children’s and young adult books. On Cynsations you’ll find a broad array of content, including diverse author/illustrator interviews and news roundups.

Social Justice Books’ Sources for Book Reviews and Recommendations

Already highlighted above, Social Justice Books is a terrific resource for finding diverse children’s book reviews with a social justice focus. But I also wanted to shine a light on their list of sources for diverse kid lit book reviews if you’re looking for even more sources of diverse children’s literature.

We Need Diverse Books Resources

We Need Diverse Books is a non-profit alliance to further diversity in children’s and YA literature. Although We Need Diverse Books does not publish book reviews, they do have an outstanding roundup of resources for diversity in kid lit that should be a stop on everyone’s journey to find more diverse children’s literature.

Part 3: Children’s Book Review Social Media Accounts to Check Out

Instagram is a great resource for finding children’s book reviews. A diverse range of educators, Bookstagrammers, librarians, and more all highlight great children’s books. Here are some of Book Riot’s favorite children’s book review influencers to follow on Instagram.

@babylibrarians — Margaret and Jen

Run by Book Riot writers Margaret Kingsbury and Jen Sherman , Baby Librarians will get you up to speed on the best and latest in children’s literature.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Baby Librarians (@babylibrarians)

@hereweread — Charnaie Gordon

Charnaie Gordon is a huge book influencer focusing on diversity in children’s literature. You won’t want to miss the books she loves.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Charnaie Gordon | Diversity (@hereweeread)

@leeandlowbooks — Lee and Low Books

The POC-owned Lee and Low Books is a children’s book publisher dedicated to diversity. They feature the best of the best books on their Instagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lee and Low Books (@leeandlow)

@lgbtqkidlit — Laurie and Julie

This account is managed by two moms and showcases children’s book reviews with queer themes.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Laurie(s/h) Julie(s/h)disabled (@lgbtqkidlit)

@littlefeministbookclub — Little Feminist Book Club

As its name implies, Little Feminist Book Club is dedicated to sharing the best children’s books with feminist themes.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Little Feminist Book Club (@littlefeministbookclub)

@noodlenutskidsbooks — Jenn S.

Jenn S. writes book reviews of new picture books focused on diversity.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jenn S. (@noodlenutskidsbooks)

@readwithriver — Alessandra Requena

This Bookstagrammer promotes the best children’s books.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alessandra Requena (@readwithriver)

@shelvesofcolor — Saranya & Ishaan

Saranya and Ishaan review diverse children’s books on Bookstagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Saranya & Ishaan (@shelvesofcolor)

@thebookwrangler — Mike

The Mike behind this popular bookstagram account is a K–5 librarian who shares his favorite recent reads.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mike (@thebookwrangler)

@thetututeacher — Vera Ahiyya

Educator Vera Ahiyya shares diverse book reviews on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vera Ahiyya (@thetututeacher)

Still hunting for more great children’s books? Check out our Children’s Books archive , as well as these helpful posts:

• 50 Children’s Books About Diversity That Celebrate Our Differences
• The Best Children’s Books By Age: A Guide To Great Reading
• 13 Places To Find Free Children’s Books Online

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Browse reviews by:

• School/Group

Spaghetti Book Club - Book Reviews by Kids for Kids

A fun & engaging literacy program, committed to

Developing confident readers and writers, learning reading and writing skills through, writing and publishing book reviews, giving kids a place for, sharing insights and opinions with readers around the world, the spaghetti book club is, the largest site of book reviews written and illustrated by kids for kids.

Review of the week

How to help the earth, written by tish rabe.

Reviewed by Dev P. (age 6)

The Lorax is sending messages to the children about keeping the Earth clean. He shows them ways to dispose of the trash and how to recycle things. The Lorax tells the children to reuse plastic bags, use both sides of paper, and donate old clothes, toys, ... more

Featured Reviews

After the fall - how humpty dumpty got back up again, written by dan santat.

Reviewed by Sebastian E. (age 8), Jack P. (age 7) & Luke P. (age 7)

This book is about Humpty Dumpty who is afraid of heights because he fell off from a big, gigantic wall. We’re sure you’ve heard about it. Humpty Dumpty loved watching birds but because he was afraid of heights he could not go up on the wall and watch ... more

Avocado Baby

Written by john burningham, reviewed by aaron s. (age 6) & william l. (age 7).

There was a family that wasn't very strong and the mom was having a baby. They were expecting it to be stronger, but the baby wasn't very strong. The children decided to give him avocado pear. Every day the baby would eat avocado pear. He got stronger ... more

A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Written by david a. adler, reviewed by logan w. (age 9).

Do you want to learn about Martin Luther King Jr.? If you do, then look for A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. You will also learn a lot of history from this book. My favorite part in the book is the March on Washington when Martin said these ... more

Abel's Island

Written by william steig.

Reviewed by Michelle P. (age 10)

Abel is a mouse who has a wife named Amanda. She is a mouse, too. Abel and Amanda went on a picnic. Abel went to play a joke on Amanda when a hurricane started to form. They left their picnic where it was and started to walk home. Abel and Amanda didn?t have ... more

Esperanza Rising

Written by pam ryan, reviewed by breanna d. (age 10).

From rags to riches! Esperanza is a loving and rich 13-year-old girl. She lives with her Mama, Papa, Abuelita and many servants on a ranch in Mexico. Esperanza's life seems to be perfect. However an unbelievable event tears her family apart. In the beginning ... more

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Written by michael rosen, reviewed by rachel 1 (e. k.) (age 6) & ray a. (age 7).

Four kids went on a bear hunt with a man. They said they're not scared. We think it is funny because they go through all sorts of things. They fall in all kinds of things like a river and a mud puddle and a forest and other things. Every time the four kids ... more

The Black Pearl

Written by scott o'dell.

Reviewed by Marissa B. (age 10)

The book, The Black Pearl, is about a man named Senor Salazar and his son Ramon Salazar. Senor Salazar owns a pearling business where they go scuba diving for pearls. When Ramon goes to the lagoon on business, he ends up going after the pearls--against ... more

Hiccups for Elephant

Written by james preller.

Reviewed by Justin T. (age 7)

“Hiccup!” “Hiccup!” This book is about an elephant that gets the hiccups and wakes up the other animals that are his friends and they try to cure the hiccups, but it doesn’t do it. They tell him to drink a lot of water really fast. They tell ... more

Staying Nine

Written by pam conrad.

Reviewed by Zishan Q. (age 11)

Staying Nine is about a girl named Heather. She wants to be nine years old forever and doesn't want to change. She didn't want to have a birthday party because she thought she could stay nine if she didn't have a party. One day Heather looked at ... more

Valentine's Day Disaster

Written by geronino stilton.

Reviewed by Abby H. (age 7)

Geronimo Stilton is the main character in the story. One day Geronimo wakes up. He was so busy the night before setting up decorations that he forgot to set his alarm. So, on Valentine’s Day he he sleeps in and he’s late for work. That might not seem so ... more

Risky Friends

Written by julie anne peters, reviewed by haley c. (age 10).

Kacie Shannon thinks she's going to have a bad day and wonders if things could get any worse. Just then she spills grape juice on her new white silk blouse. Now she's sure it's going to be a horrible day! Problems start when Skye Collinsworth, her least ... more

So You Want to Be President?

Written by judith s. george, reviewed by brandon a. (age 8) & steven h. (age 9).

Being President is hard, but picture yourself as president and having your own swimming pool, movie theater, and bowling alley in your home! This is a book about past presidents and what their life was like while living in the White House. The book is hilarious ... more

George Washington's Mother

Written by jean fritz, reviewed by lindsey e. (age 8).

Hey! This book is awesome. It is about George Washington's mom, and a little bit about George. Mary had to raise five kids on her own after her husband died. Mary doesn't want George to get hurt in the war. She begs him not to go, but he's twenty-one ... more

Amelia's Notebook

Written by marissa moss, reviewed by stacey f (age 10).

This book is about a girl named Amelia. Her mom brought her a notebook. They were going to a new house to move but Amelia did not think it was a good idea because she liked her old house. When they go to the new house they stop in all kinds of restaurants ... more

The Snowy Day

Written by ezra jack keats.

Reviewed by Kaytlin M. (age 6)

The Snowy Day is a picture book about a little boy who wakes up one day and looks out his window and sees lots and lots of snow. He is so excited and after he eats his breakfast, he gets into his snowsuit and goes outside to play in the snow. He doesn't have ... more

The Big Pets

Written by lane smith, reviewed by marley s. (age 8), samantha b. (age 7) & evan d. (age 8).

The Big Pets is about a girl and her humongous cat. Together they went to the milky pools and after when the girl comes out, the cat would lick her feet. They joined other kids and go to other places like Scratching Post Forest and String Vine city and a milky ... more

The Catcher in the Rye

Written by j.d. salinger.

Reviewed by Sam L. (age 14)

A young Holden Caulfield, fresh from being kicked out of prep school, thinks that he is an adult. After wondering around New York City for days, however, he begins to think otherwise. He feel lonely without his friends from school. When he sneaks into his ... more

Written by Hans Wilhelm

Reviewed by Donovan J. (age 6)

If you wander off from your parent or if you go somewhere that you have not told your parents about, you might get lost. This book helps you with a way to find your way back home. I think the author was trying to help us with being lost. I liked this ... more

All About Sam

Written by lois lowry.

Reviewed by Amelia G. (age 9)

Do you have a younger brother or sister? If you do, you should consider reading this book. In this book there is a silly little boy named Sam that really doesn’t get the world and does silly things. Sam’s sister, mom and dad don’t really get him either. ... more

Carl and the Meaning of Life

Written by deborah freedman.

Reviewed by Ryan A. (age 9), Jack P. (age 8), Sebastian E. (age 9) & Hudson B. (age 9)

Have you ever wondered why you are here? We all have meaning in our life. This book is about an earthworm named Carl that wants to know the meaning of his life. He wants to know why he does what he does and why he’s here. He goes and asks all the animals ... more

Wilma Unlimited

Written by kathleen krull.

Reviewed by Brewer A. (age 9)

Have you ever given up on yourself? If you have then Wilma Rudolph is not like you. Wilma was a small young girl when at the age of 4 she was diagnosed with polio and scarlet fever. Her leg was paralyzed. That did not stop Wilma. One Sunday, the Rudolphs were ... more

Thanksgiving Cats

Written by jean marzollo.

Reviewed by MB5 (age 11)

In this story, cats grew corn, potatoes, peas, pumpkins and apples. They got milk from cows to make cheese and butter. They also made bread. The cats cooked some food and ate it. Then they took a nap and rested because they were so full and tired. When ... more

Written by Kathryn Stockett

Reviewed by Lauren P. (age 14)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett is about the black maids and white employers in Jackson Mississippi. This novel covers the racist and segregated ways of Jackson during the 1960’s . Ms Skeeter Phelan (a 23 year old white female) decides, in order to pursue her ... more

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Written by mo willems, reviewed by zachary p. (age 5).

This is a very funny story about a pigeon who really wants to drive the bus. All he could think about was driving the bus. He says "please" and cannot stop thinking about getting to drive the bus. He keeps making funny faces as he tries to get ... more

Abuela's Weave

Written by omar s. castaneda.

Reviewed by Ivan A. (age 10)

Once upon a time a girl named Esperansa was helping her grandma make clothes for la fiesta del pueblo (the town's party). Esperansa and her grandma worked day and night. The day came and Esperansa had to go to the town. She got on the bus, but when she ... more

Tending To Grace

Written by kimberly fusco.

Reviewed by Mecca J. (age 14)

Cornelia Thornhill's world seems to be slowly closing in on her. Problems from her past permanently damage her ability to show her inner-self and to express any feelings toward the world. In her mind she's a "bird tethered to the ground." With her ... more

"Here I Am!" said Smedley

Written by simon puttock, reviewed by jackson g. (age 8).

Smedley is a chameleon who is very shy and is almost always blending in. Then there is a new girl in class named Sally Skinky. She tells Smedley that he could enter the Big City Art Exhibition and win the big prize! You'll have to read the book to see what ... more

The Littles Get Trapped

Written by john peterson.

Reviewed by Yandeiris D. (age 9)

Imagine being only six inches tall! In this book The Littles are a family that is very small and they live in a house with humans called the Biggs. The Biggs don't know that the Littles live in the house. Tom and Lucy feel sorry for the Biggs cat because ... more

Smoke Screen

Written by amy goldman koss.

Reviewed by Lyndsay L. (age 11)

Have you ever told a big lie that keeps getting bigger and bigger? The girl in Smoke Screen did. It all started with a piece of cotton. Instead of telling the truth about her watery eye to the boy she has a crush on, Mitzi tells a lie about her mom that grows ... more

Here Comes the Strikeout

Written by leonard kessler.

Reviewed by Casey B. (age 7)

This story is about working hard every day. Bobby is a baseball player. He strikes out 21 times. Willy gives Bobby a bat to help him. Bobby begins to cry at home, so Willy helps him with his hitting. Bobby works hard and gets the game winning hit. My ... more

Written by David Green Burg

Reviewed by Armani B. (age 9)

Bugs is a funny book by David Greenburg. It is funny because it has people riding on spiders and jumping on spider webs as a jump house. The book Bugs shows things that you will never see a bug do in the real world. This book includes different types of bug. ... more

Military Planes: Flying Machines

Written by kelly baysura, reviewed by eiji r. (age 8).

The book Military Planes is about when the first war planes were made. In World War 1, the observer who sat in the back of the plane had to watch for enemy planes. Some planes had only one seat and others had two. There were many different kinds of war ... more

Angel in Charge

Written by julie delton, reviewed by gigi y. (age 10).

Do you believe a ten year old girl can be in charge of her brother and the house independently while her mother is away? An interesting fiction book Angel in Charge will tell you more about lovable siblings. Angel, a ten-year old girl, lived with her ... more

Anastasia at Your Service

Reviewed by Shae D. (age 10)

Anastasia at Your Service! The book that I read was Anastasia at Your Service. It was about a girl named Anastasia, of course. Anastasia wanted something very badly, but her parents said that from now on when she wanted something, she had to earn it. Anastasia ... more

The Girl Who Hated Books

Written by manjusha pawagi, reviewed by jamie l. (age 8) & duval m. (age 8).

This book is about a girl who hated books. Her name is Meena. There are books all over her house! Her parents read and read and READ! But Meena always said, "...I HATE BOOKS!" One day Meena called for her cat, Max. He didn't come, so she went ... more

Down On The Funny Farm

Written by p.e. king.

Reviewed by Matthew T. (age 6) & Courtney L. (age 7)

We picked this book because it looked funny. The story is about a farmer. The farmer said hello to the old man and then the old man sold a farm to him. The farmer went to the farm. The animals on the farm are acting like other animals. The chicken acts ... more

Henry and Mudge Take the Big Test

Written by cynthia rylant.

Reviewed by Raphael D. (age 6)

This book is about Henry and Mudge. Mudge is Henry’s 180-pound dog. Mudge wasn’t such a good listener, so Henry decided to send Mudge to day school. Henry got the idea from another man walking down the street with his dog. Henry tried to train Mudge, but ... more

Little Bulldozer

Written by beverly randell, reviewed by v.s. (age 7).

The Little Bulldozer went to look at the fire engine. The fire engine told him to go away. Little Bulldozer went away. He went to look at a big truck. He told the big truck that he likes helping. The big truck told him to go away. Everyone thought he was too ... more

My Louisiana Sky

Written by kimberly holt.

Reviewed by Emma G. (age 10)

"My Louisiana Sky" is about a girl named Tiger. But before I say anything you must know that Tiger's parents are mentally challenged and they are always embarrassing her. She is named Tiger because when her mom was little she had a cat named Tiger. ... more

Bat in the Waiting Room

Written by elana arnold.

Reviewed by Gabrielle L. (age 10)

Do you like fiction books? Then you would like a wonderful book called Bat and the Waiting Game it is about an autistic kid named Bixby Alexander Tam, also known as "Bat". He has a baby skunk has a pet named Thor. Bat has an older sister "Janie" but when ... more

Chasing Redbird

Written by sharon creech, reviewed by miranda p. (age 10).

Zinnia (Zinny) Taylor is an ordinary 13 year old girl who is just getting over her Aunt Jessie's death. When she uncovers an old and lost trail, she knows that looking for this trail is her new summer project. Working on the lost trail gave Zinny a place all ... more

How to Make Four Million Dollars by Next Thursday

Written by stephen manes.

Reviewed by Emily M. (age 9)

"Can a book really teach you how to make four million dollars by next Thursday?" Jason Nozzle thought so one day when he was walking home from school. He reached into his pocket and found that he had lost his allowance money! He searched EVERYWHERE ... more

Beezus and Ramona

Written by beverly cleary.

Reviewed by Olivia N. (age 9)

This book is so good I would give it four thumbs up! It is a funny book because Ramona is an impossible little sister and she ruins everything. The story is about two sisters fighting all through the book. Ramona is always getting on Beezus's nerves. ... more

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Latest Kids Book Reviews

Featured books & reviews.

By Cece Bell

New York Times Bestseller A 2015 Newbery Honor Book Going to school and making new friends can be...

Mexikid: (newbery Honor Award Winner)

By Pedro Martín

Pedro Martín has grown up hearing stories about his abuelito—his legendary crime-fighting, grandfather who was once a part of the Mexican Revolution! But that doesn't mean he is excited at the news that Abuelito is coming to live with their family. After all, Pedro has 8 brothers and sisters and the house is crowded enough! Still, Pedro piles into the Winnebago with his family and ..

Huda F Are You?

By Huda Fahmy

Huda and her family just moved to Dearborn, Michigan, a small town with a big Muslim population. In her old town, Huda knew exactly who she was: She was the hijabi girl. But in Dearborn, everyone is the hijabi girl.   Huda is lost in a sea of hijabis, and she can't rely on her hijab to define her anymore. Until she realizes that it'll take finding out who she isn't to figure out who she is.

The Last Comics on Earth

By Brallier, Max, Pruett, Joshua

Jack, Quint, June, and Dirk are about to face a challenge unlike any they’ve faced before . . . At their local comic book store, the kids make a startling discovery: they’ve read every last issue of their favorite comic, Z-Man, and no new issues are coming...ever! (Thanks a lot, apocalypse.). Nooo!

Yes! No? Maybe So...: Amazing Answers to More Than 250 Mind-Blowing Questions

By Julie Beer, Paige Towler

Some questions have simple answers. And other questions? Well, it’s complicated. That’s where this book comes in. We’re tackling head-scratching—sometimes serious and sometimes totally wacky—questions whose answers aren’t so black and white. We’ll dig into the possibilities, analyze the what-ifs, and give plenty of science to back it up.

One-Handed Catch

deafgirlhistory

Norman Schmidt who is also known as just Norm along with his friends; Leon Schneider and Carl Oberndorfer who are also baseball players. Norm, who always dreams of making the baseball team of the summer league. One day in the summer, when Norm was just working at the family business meat shop, when he was just using the meat grinder until suddenly his hand went in that machine, causing him to lose his left-hand. Norm, who feels like he had to give up his dreams of being a baseball player until he decided to work super hard on the skills, even though Norm actually almost gave up but didn't. This is based on mixed true story and historical fiction story of WWII. - Happy Reading!

The Giving Tree

By Shel Silverstein

victoria_wise

I often heard my teacher read this book to us and it always left a warm feeling. It's the start of a touching story, beautifully crafted and illustrated by the talented Shel Silverstein. Each day, the boy would visit the tree to enjoy her (apple tree)apples, play on her branches, and slide down her trunk... and the tree was content. However, as the boy matured, he desired more from the tree, and the tree continued to give without reservation. Happy reading! ~ Victoria

By Eleanor Estes

Connie Ives, a young girl who live in the Alley. You would often find her, swinging in her yard, either swinging solo or with a friends. She also often hang out with her friends; Billy Maloon, Judy Fabadessa, Laura Fabadessa, etc. There's another girl, Katy Starr who is well-known for her "Katy's Laws" in the Alley among the children. Things just going on until suddenly one day, Connie was with her mother, out doing the errands, when the Ives' home got burglarized. Then, there's a mystery uprising all through the Alley. Will Connie Ives with Billy Maloon solve this mystery in the Alley of the burglars? Read on and find out of what will happen in this book! - Happy Reading!

Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep

By Liz Kessler

dogo23irene

I LOVE this book! It's about Emily, who is half mermaid half girl, went exploring with her best friend Shona. They accidentally awoke Neptune's sea monster, the kraken. They are the only ones who can calm it. On the other hand, Mandy, a human, was lost on an island. They discovered the world of mermaids and wanted to catch Emily. Emily had to face all those problems. Luckily, she found a way and saved everyone. I really recommend this book. Remember to read the first book. I hope you enjoy it!

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

By Chris Grabenstein

deborahchien

In the book Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, 12 kids have been selected to go to a library built by Mr. Lemoncello, the master game maker. They are locked in the library as part of a game and have to escape the library to win the game. This book is very thrilling and contains puzzles you can solve, so you should get your puzzle solving skills out when reading this book!

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Children's Literature is a respected review source helping literature professionals and children’s and YA book lovers find valuable titles. Since 1993, we have published over 100,000 reviews. Our review team comprises reviewers who are professors, teachers, librarians, authors and other specialists in the children’s literature field. Reviews are published as part of Children's Literature and added to CLCD, also known as the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database, used by thousands of librarians and educators. We also enrich the MARC record data for various library industry vendors. Our reviews are fair, and we do not insist that our reviewers provide only positive reviews. We believe that an honest assessment of the work is critical to children's reading.

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The Picture Book Review

Reviews of children's board books, picture books, activity books, and graphic novels.

Giveaway May 15th to May 23rd: Bubble Wrap Girl by Kari van Wakeren and Illustrated by CA Nobens

May 15, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

Bubble Wrap Girl does a great job with the wish to protect our kids and runs with it in the best of ways.

Categories: Picture Books , Picture Books about Bravery , Picture Books about Overcoming Obstacles • Tags: bubble wrap , Children's Books , Picture Book , Picture Books

Interview with Toni Buzzeo on her personal mission, how research drives her writing process, and what’s essential for her creative life.

May 13, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

Toni Buzzeo author of many, many excellent picture books was kind enough to talk to me about her new book When Sue Found Sue and a bit about writing in general. I’m thrilled and so grateful she was able to take some time and answer my questions. I hope you enjoy!

Categories: 2019 , Biography , Nonfiction , Nonfiction Picture Books , Picture Books , Picture Books about Careers , Picture Books about Women • Tags: Interview , paleontologist , Picture Book , Picture Books , sue hendrickson , women

What Are You Doing, Benny? by Cary Fagan and Kady Macdonald Denton

May 10, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

In What Are You Doing, Benny? author Cary Fagan and artist Kady MacDonald Denton join together to tell the story of two brothers, their power dynamics, why NO is a limiting word, and why YES is such a better word to use instead.

Categories: 2019 , Canada , Picture Books about Behavior , Picture Books about Siblings • Tags: Canada , Picture Book , Picture Books , Recommended Picture Books , siblings

Giveaway May 8th to May 16th at Midnight! POP-UP SHAKESPEARE by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor and Amazing Pop-Upness Artwork by Jeannie Maizels

May 8, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

POP-UP Shakespeare contains an incredible amount of information and tons of interesting facts. Our authors have a great sense of humor, respect, and irreverence for Shakespeare. It’s a non-fiction book completely, but the guys are not afraid to give their opinion — and I love it all.

Categories: Biography , Humor , Nonfiction Picture Books , Picture Books , pop-up picture book , Shakespeare • Tags: Picture Book , Picture Books , Shakespeare , theater

The Cook and the King by Julia Donaldson and Illustrated by David Roberts

May 7, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

The Cook and the King pokes fun at itself, at people, at authority, at the excuses we make, at how the obvious thing can be so hard to see, and how we so easily give others credit for things we do ourselves — but that’s all secondary. The first and foremost agenda of this book is to have fun with language, to show us gorgeous illustrations, to make us laugh, and to enjoy the magnificence that is the picture book medium.

Categories: 2019 , Fantastic Read Alouds , Picture Books about Cooks , Picture Books about Kings • Tags: Picture Book , Picture Books , Recommended Forensics Piece for Storytelling

Out Now: I AM HERMES! Mischief-Making Messenger of the Gods by Mordicai Gerstein

April 22, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

I truly cannot recommend I AM HERMES! highly enough. The energy, the pacing, the illustrations, the twists and surprises, the length of the book, that it’s told from Hermes’ perspective, the graphic-novel-in-a-picture-book format, the fact that it is completely hilarious, and how much you learn when reading it — is all brilliant.

Categories: 2019 , Humor , Picture Books , Picture Books about Greek Mythology • Tags: Books , greek myths , myths , Picture Book , Picture Books

Out Today! Trees: A Rooted History by Piotr Socha and Wojciech Grajkowski

April 9, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

In Trees: A Rooted History, the illustrations on each page are so carefully and delicately crafted that they give us a transcendent-like visual experience that evokes a sense of wonder and awe.

I’m deeply impressed with how this book uses the picture book format to translate the beauty and magnificence of trees in such a way that gives us a new perspective and new appreciation. The art deftly indulges our eyes and focuses our attention on how incredible trees are.

Categories: 2019 , Children's Books , Nonfiction , Nonfiction Picture Books , Nonfiction Picture Books about Trees , Picture Books , Picture Books about Nature • Tags: Nonfiction , Picture Books , Polish , trees

Animal Noses by Mary Holland

April 5, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

In Animal Noses, readers will enjoy the large, clear, and enchanting photographs of a wide range of animals and the interesting facts about animal noses and their sense of smell that are placed alongside them. Engaging questions are dotted between facts that have children looking, guessing, and excitedly calling out what they think the answer might be.

Categories: 2019 , Nonfiction , Nonfiction Picture Books , Nonfiction Picture Books about Animals • Tags: animal noses , Animals , Books , Nonfiction , Picture Book , Picture Books

The Beauty of My Skin by Cecily Cline Walton and Illustrated by Alyssa Liles-Amponsah

April 4, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

Like a deep breath, this book is short but puts you in the right frame of mind by gently reminding its readers that they, and the skin that envelopes them, are truly beautiful.

Categories: Picture Books , Picture Books about Beauty , Picture Books about Self-Acceptance , Picture Books about Skin tone • Tags: beauty , Picture Book , Picture Books , self-acceptance

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How to Get Book Reviews (15 Places Free)

Whether you realize it or not, you likely use reviews in your day-to-day life. they can help you make decisions about the things you’re curious or unsure about. It’s why we listen to our friends when they recommend a movie, or why we scroll through Yelp before we try a new restaurant. Before you invest your hard-earned time and money, you want an idea of what you’re about to get yourself into. Book reviews are no different, and this is why the information we are covering here will help you find where to look.

Sure, you know your book is amazing, but what about everyone else? Readers are on the search for reliable and trustworthy people to review the books they may be interested in reading. Unfortunately, as the obviously biased author, they’re not interested in hearing from you. That means you need someone else (hint: you need a book reviewer!).

The fact is, book reviews are a necessity for every author looking for an unbiased opinion on their book baby. So, if you don’t think you need book reviews, think again. Book reviews boost the credibility of your book. Not to mention that reviews are a great way to bring in new readers through word of mouth.

Often, the success of your book will depend on the reviews you receive. Think about it: if your friends keep recommending the latest book, TV show, or movie, aren’t you more likely to check it out? That’s why you can’t afford to ignore the power of getting reviews for your book.

Table of Contents

How to Find Book Reviews

As much as we’d love for readers to come flocking to our books on their own, the reality is that usually, we have to spread the word ourselves in order to bring in new readers.   Still, don’t stress too much about finding readers! In most cases, readers are more than happy to review your book and eager to read something new.  If you scour the internet for reviewers, you will find that some of the best places to easily find book reviewers are on sites like Goodreads, Amazon, and different social media.

But here is a word of caution: most of the reviewers have stipulations when it comes to reviews so here are some dos and don’ts for you to be aware of:

Dos and Don’ts of Getting Book Reviews

There are a few rules when it comes to asking for and receiving book reviews. Think of these dos and don’ts as helpful guidelines that can make the process simpler for both the author and book reviewer.

Do understand the reviewer’s specifications. Learn what they accept and what does not interest them. This will save both you and the reviewer any future frustration. 

Don’t waste their time. Reviewers are busy people, so get straight to the point in your query message. Don’t forget to share how your book can benefit them. Do send a free book copy. It’s a courtesy to send the book to your reviewer for free!

Don’t be unprofessional. It’s okay to be friendly, but remember not to overstep your bounds. Instead, include your full name and your website and social media links.  

Do be considerate. Learn about the reviewer by reading their website or past reviews. If you want them to make time for you, it helps to know a little about them. 

Don’t request that the reviewer purchase your book. This looks bad and inconsiderate to the reviewer, who is already taking the time to read your book. 

Don’t assume a reviewer will accept your book based on a quick conversation on social media. They may have liked your Instagram or Twitter post, but that doesn’t mean they’re interested in your book. 

Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to a promising relationship between author and book reviewer!

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Where can i get book reviews.

A few years ago, I wrote an article, where I discuss the dos and don’ts of requesting reviews in more detail. Having written several reviews and sent many requests to reviewers, I know how hard it can be to get them.

As I worked on my first non-fiction, Book Reviews: Understanding the Psychology Behind Them and How to Get Readers to Leave a Review , I went deep to curate a list of legitimate ways to get book reviews (in the manuscript, you will get access to a bonus 200+ websites).

When researching the review outlets, I focused on places where indie publications have a voice—although this list may serve traditionally published books as well.

Some of these outlets may be familiar to you. Others may provide a broader perspective on how to approach reviews. The choices range from free editorial reviews to paid reviews and social media. Whatever the case, I hope this can be a starting point for you, indie authors, in different genres.

With that said, let’s get down to business.

You may also like: How to Self-Publish Children’s Books Without Crushing Your Spirits (A Comprehensive Guide)

Free book review sites, affaire de coeur.

Affaire de Coeur is a bi-monthly literary magazine that has been around for 34 years. Based in the San Francisco Bay area, it reviews works from a variety of genres, including historical, contemporary, paranormal, erotica, young adults, non-fiction novels, and more.

Accepted reviews might be featured in the next available print issue based on the book release date. Keep in mind, though, that availability is limited. Here are Affaire de Coeur submission guidelines .

American Book Review

The American Book Review is a bimonthly publication that has been around for more than 30 years. It reviews disregarded works of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction from small presses. It gives strong emphasis to literary and cultural pieces. And although it critiques non-fiction pieces, it does not review self-help and how-to books. Here are ABR submission guidelines .

Booklife by Publishers Weekly

The “Booklife” is the section of Publishers Weekly dedicated to self-published authors. Submission is competitive because it evaluates submissions for traditional and self-published books following the same standards. Here are the Booklife submission guidelines .

Compulsive Reader

This is a must-check. The Compulsive Reader has been around the block since 2001 and counts on an extensive portfolio of prolific reviewers. For the most part, it emphasizes works of poetry and literary fiction but also features in-depth reviews on a variety of book genres and music. Here are Compulsive Reader submission guidelines .

Rain Taxi Review of Book

A quarterly print committed to championing high-quality literature, Rain Taxi Review of Books reviews work neglected by the main media, including fiction, poetry, nonfiction (except self-help, business), art, graphic novels, and on occasion, children, young adult, and audiobooks. This one is worth consideration. Here are RTRB submission guidelines .

Readers’ Favorite Book Review and Award Contest

Readers’ Favorite is another must-see resource. With more than 1,000 reviewers, it reviews published and unpublished books, ebooks, and other manuscripts in more than 100 genres. Once you submit your book, it is uploaded to a database where reviewers can choose what they want to read. There is no guarantee that all books will be picked for review, but for the author that needs a guarantee, it offers a service called “expedited review,”  for a fee.

Authors also have a chance to participate in the book giveaway program and other neat and exclusive features from the site.

Furthermore, different from other services, Readers’ Favorite doesn’t give reviews below 4 and 5 stars. If reviewers read a book they feel is not worth an outstanding rate, they write a constructive note to the author. The idea is to help the author improve their craft, instead of bringing down the book.

Here are Readers’ Favorite submission guidelines .

The Los Angeles Review of Books

The Los Angeles Review of Books is a non-profit organization, with a mission to recreate a new concept of book reviews for the digital era. It welcomes any long-form of authoritative, captivating writing and accepts works of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction.

Here are LARB submission guidelines .

The New York Review of Books

The New York Review of Books is an independent literary magazine that has been around since 1963. Highly regarded for bringing a critical and substantial perspective of the arts, the journal counts on a diversified roster of writers, and it reviews books in multiple genres.

Here are the NYRB submission guidelines .

Celebrating art and authenticity, The Rumpus showcase reviews of the most diverse genres as well as essays, interviews, music, film, and comics. It also champions the work of unknown authors or those overlooked by the mainstream media.

Here are The Rumpus submission guidelines .

Barnes & Noble Review

The Barnes & Noble Review is an online magazine that evaluates works of fiction and non-fiction and gives voice to a wide range of essays, interviews, and other topics. Here is the B&N Review information .

Paid Review Sites

Kirkus reviews.

Kirkus Reviews has been around since 1933, and it is possibly one of the most regarded review services around. This magazine covers reviews from big houses to small presses and indie authors in all genres and gets millions of impressions a month on its website.

The best about Kirkus’ process is it gives the same attention, respect, and unbiased review regardless of which way you published your book. The reviews are done by professional reviewers and writers in diverse industries including librarians, journalists, and literature experts, among others.

Reviews get an extra boost when editors choose 40 of them to be featured in the bi-monthly issue of the magazine and one to the weekly email newsletter—potentially reaching more than 50,000 readers. All of this comes at a price, though. A standard picture book review (7–9 weeks) starts at $350, a standard review (7–9 weeks) in other genres costs $425- $575, and an express review (4–6 weeks) runs between $425-$725.

Here are Kirkus submission guidelines .

YourNewBooks

YourNewBooks is a book marketing website (a network site of Choosy Bookworm), providing a range of tools for authors. Among the services, it offers a popular reading and review program that abides by Amazon review standards. The books are reviewed by readers/subscribers of  YourNewBooks.

Once you sign up, you choose between standard ($149) and premium services ($299)—the packages include advertisement space on YourNewBooks’s site and newsletter—and submit your ebook file. Depending on the package you choose, your book is submitted to a certain number of “interested readers,” who will leave their honest opinion about the material.

The program is so popular that some of the features are fully booked for months. It is worth checking out because some genres are more popular than others, so your book might have a better shot of getting a fast turnaround. Also, it accepts both published and pre-released books.

Here are the YNB submission guidelines .

Reading Deals

ReadingDeals is another popular book-promotions site, and it is operated by Book Marketing Tools. It offers a book-review service starting at $79 (Classic), going up to $129 (Featured). Both packages include promotion add-ons through social media and/or special placement. The books are reviewed by members of its Review Club, and reviews comply with Amazon and FCC guidelines.

Here are Reading Deals submission guidelines .

Enas Reviews

Enas Reviews offers a more affordable option for your review needs. For a maintenance and listing fee of $29.99, you will receive a thorough critique of 400-500 words written by professional writers. The site currently accepts all genres.

Here are  Enas submission guidelines .

Additional Book Review Outlets (Free)

Looking for Amazon Top Reviewers is a smart way to get reviews for your book. Why? Because Amazon incentivizes reviewers who write quality, helpful reviews to customers—top reviewers receive special badges and Hall of Fame placement. The higher the rank, the better for the reviewer. And this will depend on the number of “upvotes” the reviewer receives. In other words, the more quality reviews they write, the higher the chances of upvoting.

When you go to the Amazon Top Reviewers page, you scroll through the list and look for the reviewers’ requirements. Many will have their information, including email or website, and what they review on the page. Although some only review products, many review books as well. As a side note, it is beneficial to focus on genre-specific reviewers.

As I mentioned in a previous post, get familiar with their requirements and reach out. Although it might be tiresome to navigate the list, you may find people who are sincerely interested in your genre who will become a fan and be willing to review your future releases.

Who doesn’t know Goodreads? This is might be one of the most obvious places.

According to Goodreads , its mission is “to help people find and share books they love.” In other words, it is almost a social network for books. There you find many readers, book lovers, and reviewers connecting with each other (and their favorite authors) and sharing their passion for books—through reviews, discussions, polls, and blogs.

Without mentioning that as an author, you not only have a platform to build relationships with readers and fellow writers but also receive plenty of tools to revamp your book marketing strategies .

Social Media

Social media is another powerful way to get book reviews because there are all types of readers interacting and discussing the latest on their readings or favorite authors.

I particularly find LinkedIn valuable to reach out to book reviewers and receive a quick response. Maybe because of the nature of the network (business-like), the probability of finding professional reviewers increases.

At the same time, you can be successful at finding reviewers in Facebook groups. There are groups where not only writers can promote their work, but there are also readers willing to give authors feedback. The more active groups you participate in, the better.

Twitter is another helpful source. If you go to the search toolbar and enter the hashtag for #bookreview or #bookreviewer, a list of entries will come up. You click on “people” and there you can find many to choose from, according to your genre.

The same principle you used on Twitter, you apply for Instagram. The difference is that on Instagram, you will have to click on each image that pops up in order to reach the user profile.

Tiktok has proved to be another useful choice not only for reviews but also for book marketing purposes. The hashtag # booktok is very popular among writers who want to market their books and bring visibility to their work.

Writing & Book Bloggers Sites

Reaching out to book bloggers and writing services is also an excellent way to get your book reviewed. Still, keep in mind that those people also receive a lot of requests and might have limitations with time (as happened to me). So follow their requirements closely and be patient with response time.

Mommabears Book Blog

This site focuses mostly on historical fiction, contemporary fiction, paranormal, dystopian, horror, thriller, steampunk, legends & mythology, and most fantasy.

Here are Mommabears submission guidelines .

XterraWeb Books & More

It accepts most genres except comic books, graphic novels, and textbooks.

Here are XterraWeb submission guidelines .

Bonus Book Review Website

Litpick book reviews.

LitPick is one of those hot book review sites I came to know and fell in love with. That is because the platform tries to get students involved with the literary world while improving their reading and writing skills.

As part of a mentoring program, students receive free copies of the books they want to read (middle grade, teen, and young adult) and write book reviews for free. Their work is evaluated by a staff of underwriters, who provide pupils with feedback. Once everything is set and done, the review is published on the website.

While in the beginning, LitPick used to review only kid lit, now it also reviews adult literature.

Isn’t it neat?

This is an excellent way for authors and publishers to get their books reviewed and out in the world through a wide unbiased audience—teachers and librarians also partake in the programs they offer.

LitPick Book Reviews offers packages ranging from $50-125, and some even include social media promotion. As an author of youth literature, it is so worth checking out.

Better yet, sign up to receive the newsletter and be the first to know about our updates .

Final thoughts on getting book reviews.

Please note that some of these places have distinct submission guidelines and given the high volume of requests, you might or might not get a response.

The silver lining is the selection is broad enough for every taste and some venues crave your craft.

What are your thoughts about this list? What other places do you usually get book reviews? Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram .

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Best Children's Book Review Blogs in 2024

Showing 65 blogs that match your search.

http://bookpage.com/

BookPage reviews almost every category of new books, including literary and popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, audiobooks and gift books. We rarely review poetry or scholarly books, and we do not give review consideration to self-published books, print-on-demand titles or books from presses that lack major distribution.

Blogger : Book Page Contributors

Genres : Children's

🌐 Domain authority: 67

👀 Average monthly visits: 135,000 p/mo

💌 Preferred contact method: Mail

⭐️ Accepts indie books? No

Children's Book Daily

http://www.childrensbooksdaily.com/

We are happy to receive books and products suitable for Children's aged 0-16 years old (approximately). If you would like to submit a book or a child related product for review with Children's Books Daily, please bear in mind the following policy points, which you can find on our book blog.

Blogger : Megan Daley

🌐 Domain authority: 40

👀 Average monthly visits: 7,000 p/mo

💌 Preferred contact method: Email

⭐️ Accepts indie books? Yes

Bookbugworld

https://bookbugworld.com/

Bookbugworld stays true to its promise. A fun and niche virtual space where you can discuss the books you love or find new ones to add to your TBR.

Blogger : Rejitha

🌐 Domain authority: 12

👀 Average monthly visits: 250 p/mo

Bob's Books

http://www.bobsbooksnz.wordpress.com/

After twenty years with the National Library I am now out on my own promoting reading and literacy in schools. I offer my knowledge and passion for Children's's Literature to promote reading and literacy in your school using your own library resources plus new books sent to me by authors and publishers.

Blogger : Bob

🌐 Domain authority: 25

👀 Average monthly visits: 3,000 p/mo

BookWritten

https://bookwritten.com

BookWritten is a platform where you can learn more about books, literature, poetry, and much more. We believe in connecting people through the art of reading.

Blogger : Pradeep Kumar

🌐 Domain authority: 20

👀 Average monthly visits: 75,000 p/mo

💌 Preferred contact method: email

Bookishloom

https://bookishloom.wordpress.com/

Bookishloom is a blog about books and all things bookish. Come and read an interesting post on your favourite Classic or a New Release.

Blogger : Ninu Nair

🌐 Domain authority: 3

👀 Average monthly visits: 2,000 p/mo

Armed with a Book

https://armedwithabook.com/

Hi, I am Kriti and I write at Armed with A Book. I am an avid reader and I view all my interactions with authors about their books as a relationship. I have much to learn from you and your stories and hope that I will be able to get across the message you are conveying with your work. Please review my ‘Work with Me’ page for more information.

Blogger : Kriti Khare

🌐 Domain authority: 29

👀 Average monthly visits: 8,500 p/mo

💌 Preferred contact method: Website contact form

Chouett Blog

https://chouett.com/

Bonjour Everyone!! I am Virginie aka LaChouett and welcome to my blog. I am one of those “curious” reader and will not stick to just one genre. I enjoy reading well established authors however I have really enjoyed receiving pieces from unknown writers that I have provided with an honest review in return for their gift.

Blogger : Virginie Busette

🌐 Domain authority: 26

Mind Joggle

https://mindjoggle.com/

Mind Joggle helps readers find books they love through reviews and book lists. Mostly covering contemporary and literary fiction, with some historical fiction, nonfiction, and young adult and middle grade reads, Mind Joggle offers bookish discussion through reading lists, posts on the reading life, plus learning, creativity, and writing.

Blogger : Allison Casey

🌐 Domain authority: 23

👀 Average monthly visits: 56,000 p/mo

https://booksnest.co.uk/

I am an award-winning book blogger with a love of reading and passion for books, I love writing about books on my blog and getting involved in this wonderful community!

Blogger : Beth Bartholomew

🌐 Domain authority: 21

👀 Average monthly visits: 7,200 p/mo

Beyond the Bookends

https://www.beyondthebookends.com/

Welcome to Beyond the Bookends, a blog for modern Moms who love to read and wish to inspire a love of reading in their children.

Blogger : Jackie and Kirsten

🌐 Domain authority: 16

Whispering Stories

https://www.whisperingstories.com/

Whispering Stories was established in 2015. We are a team of reviewers committed in providing professional, 100% honest, unbiased book reviews, for FREE. The majority of our reviews are for fictional books, including children’s books, (we do review non-fictional books too).

Blogger : Stacey

🌐 Domain authority: 28

👀 Average monthly visits: 6,000 p/mo

The Chrysalis BREW Project

https://thechrysalisbrewproject.com/

The Chrysalis Books, Reviews, and Everything Written (BREW) Project is an up-and-coming platform that aims to help content creators and audiences to grow, thrive, and soar through reviews, interviews, features, news, press releases, podcasts, and promotions. BREW hosts the monthly and annual BREW Readers' Choice Awards, the annual BREW Book Excellence Awards, and the quarterly and annual BREW International Blog Awards.

Blogger : Esperanza Pretila

🌐 Domain authority: 18

👀 Average monthly visits: 100 p/mo

Shelf Awareness

http://www.shelf-awareness.com/

To have your book considered for review, please send two copies of a galley at least three months in advance of publication, and a finished copy when the book is finished.The book must be available through national distribution, i.e. Ingram and/or Baker & Taylor. Currently, we do not review ebooks or print-on-demand titles. We send galleys out for review consideration, but do not guarantee reviews.

Blogger : Stefanie & Si̢n

🌐 Domain authority: 63

👀 Average monthly visits: 47,500 p/mo

https://bookvue.wordpress.com/

Book Vue was born out of the editor's restless desire to share with the world thoughts and opinions on some of the greatest books out there. The honesty behind each review is the essence of the blog.

Blogger : Chitra Iyer

🌐 Domain authority: 5

So you want to find a book blog?

If you’re a voracious reader, you might think of a book blog as an oasis in the middle of the desert: a place on the Internet that brims with talk about books, books, and more books.

Well, good news — we built this directory of the 200 of the best book blogs  to satiate your thirst. Take a walk around, use the filters to narrow down your search to blogs in your preferred genre, and feel free to bookmark this page and come back, as we do update it regularly with more of the best book blogs out there. 

If you’re an aspiring author, you might see a book blog more as a book review blog: a place where you can get your yet-to-be published book reviewed. In that case, you’ll be glad to know that most of the book blogs in our directory are open to review requests and accept indie books! We expressly designed this page (and our book marketing platform, Reedsy Discovery ) to be useful to indie book authors who need book reviews. If you’re wondering how to approach a book blog for a review request, please read on. 

You’ve found a book blog. Now what? 

Let’s say that you’re an author, and you’ve found a couple of book blogs that would be perfect fits to review your book. What now? Here are some tips as you go about getting your book reviews:

• Be sure to read the review policy. First, check that the book blog you’re querying is open to review requests. If that’s the fortunate case, carefully read the blog’s review policy and make sure that you follow the directions to a T.  
• Individualize your pitches. Book bloggers will be able to immediately tell apart the bulk pitches, which simply come across as thoughtless and indifferent. If you didn’t take the time to craft a good pitch, why should the blogger take the time to read your book? Personalize each pitch to up your chances of getting a response. 
• Format your book in a professional manner before sending it out. Ensure that your manuscript isn’t presented sloppily. If the book blogger asks for a digital ARC, you might want to check out apps such as Instafreebie or Bookfunnel. 
• Create a spreadsheet to track your progress. Wading through so many book blogs can be troublesome — not to mention trying to remember which ones you’ve already contacted. To save yourself the time and trouble, use a simple Excel spreadsheet to keep track of your progress (and results). 

Looking to learn even more about the process? Awesome 👍 For a detailed guide, check out this post that’s all about getting book reviews. 

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Editors' Pick: The Top 15 Kidlit and YA Book Review Sites

Book review sites offer a great marketing opportunity.  A favorable mention on a book review blog can go a long way toward promoting your book. But how do you know which blogs to submit to when there are hundreds to choose from? We’re here to help. We sifted through the lists and chose 15 review blogsbook review sites based on the size of each blog’s following, frequency of posts, the quality of the reviews, and their willingness to receive submissions. Before sending review copies, be sure to study each blog’s submission policies (which may change from week to week, so verify right before sending anything), and the tastes of the editors.

OUR FAVORITE CHILDREN’S & YOUNG ADULT BOOK REVIEW SITES:

What’s being reviewed: Books for infants through young adults. Also posts author and illustrator interviews, and book giveaways. While the regular reviews are done at no charge to the author or publisher, the Dedicated Review program ($195-$295) guarantees you a professional and non-biased book review with a minimum word count of 250 words.

Why we love it:  Clean layout makes it especially user-friendly for parents seeking good books.  Excellent author interviews.   A superb resource.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner   The Children’s Book Review  

What’s being reviewed: Fiction and nonfiction for infants through age 13. Aimed at parents choosing books for their children. Does not accept self-published books at this time.

Why we love it:  Large library of concise reviews.  “If You Liked This Book, Try…” section gives parents easy to more good books tailored for their children’s needs.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner    The Reading Tub

What’s being reviewed: The hottest books, gifts, gear, food, home products and other cool stuff for babies, kids and moms. Is especially interested in books by indie authors and small presses that are unique, quirky, or fill a niche. Browse the site’s archives to see the tastes of the editors.

Why we love it:  Well-written reviews are cleanly laid-out, giving nice interior glimpses of each book.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner    Cool Mom Picks

What’s being reviewed: This large network of readers from the US and around the world review self-published books for adults and children. Books must be available electronically. Submission form on website. Charges a $20 processing fee on all ebooks submitted for review. Also check out the  Indie Brag Kids Blog

Why we love it:  Provides a much-needed curation service for self-published books.   Networked reviews help separate the wheat from the chaff.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Indie Brag

What’s being reviewed: Four reviewers (all moms) review al l genres of fiction for readers aged 9-18 with an eye toward helping parents choose books for their kids. Requires that books have a 10 digit ISBN number and be available on Amazon.com. At this time does not accept self-published books or short story collections, and e-books are subject to reviewer’s discretion. 

Why we love it:   Cleverly laid-out, and the suggested reading function is extraordinarily useful.  Also allows visitor input.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner   Story Snoops

What’s being reviewed: M iddle-grade fiction from traditional publishers only, preferably those which are recently published or soon will be. Accepts print books and Advance Review Copies only.

Why we love it:  A real labor of love from people who truly care about middle grade books and their readers.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner    Project Mayhem: The Manic Minds of Middle Grade Writers

What’s being reviewed:    Middle grade or YA books, or books that would appeal to YA’s.   No self-published or picture books.  Prefers hard copy.

Why we love it:   In-depth and insightful reviews with with a strong critical eye.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner    The Librarian Who Doesn’t Say SHHH!

What’s being reviewed:  Young adult (preferred) and new adult. Genres of interest: fantasy/sci-fi, paranormal, dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic, LGBT, contemporary romance. “I am a proud supporter of small press and self-published authors. I am open to doing author interviews, guest posts, giveaways, and blog tours.”

Why we love it: Has a lovely, personal feel about it, and we appreciate Kristen’s willingness to help lesser-known authors spread the word about their work.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Pretty Little Pages

What’s being reviewed:  Dystopian, sci-fi, paranormal, fantasy, horror, chick lit, clean romance, nonfiction (photography/art/architecture/technology/craft books and magazines), graphic novels, illustrated children’s books. Accepts print and ebooks. Also will do author interviews and accepts guest posts.

 Why we love it:  A warm, personal blog from a reader with eclectic and interesting tastes.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Doodles, Doodles Everywhere

What’s being reviewed: Fiction for middle grade and young adult readers. Accepts review copies from publishers only.

Why we love it:  Insightful reviews from a smart youth librarian.  We also enjoy the many author interviews on the site.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Green Bean Teen Queen

What’s being reviewed:  Books, games and movies for children of all ages.

Why we love it:   Created by a non-partisan advocacy group, this is an ambitious project to provide a clearinghouse of information for parents about the media their children consume. Extremely user-friendly and comprehensive.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Commonsense Media

What’s being reviewed: Books for children, parents, and fiction of interest to women. Reviews apps, electronics, TV shows, movies and food products. Holds product giveaways and contests.

Why we love it:  Proprietress Sarah’s work with the developmentally disabled gives her a unique take and much-needed perspective on books about autism and other disabilities.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Bookroom Reviews

What’s Being Reviewed:  Interactive children’s picture book apps. Each app is thoroughly evaluated by the site’s staff and given a comprehensive review.

Why we love it :  A terrific voice for an exploding segment of children’s publishing.  In addition to their own reviews, the site re-posts reviews from a variety of children’s app review sites, making this a one-stop source for app readers.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Digital-Storytime

What’s being reviewed: Young adult fiction, especially realistic fiction, historical, paranormal, chick lit and fantasy. Accepting books from publishers only.

Why we love it:   Wonderfully-written reviews from a  middle school library media specialist.  Funny, honest and smart.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  YA Bibliophile

What’s being reviewed: Two librarians review nonfiction for children ages 5-18. Accepts review copies from publishers. Why we love it:  The bloggers’ enthusiasm for nonfiction is utterly infectious, and their reviews do justice to the often thrilling subject matter contained in youth nonfiction.  A simply outstanding resource.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  The Nonfiction Detectives

So, who did we miss?  Use the comments section to tell us about other great book review sites…

The Difference Between Middle Grade & Young Adult

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June 24th by Laura Backes

Hi, I review a wide variety of books written for children from picture books to young adult on my blog, The Bumpy Road To Writing For Children. http://www.debhockenberry.com/the-bumpy-road-to-writing-for-children.html .

Thanks Deb, for letting our readers know about your blog!

The Whole Megillah reviews children’s (and adult) books of Jewish content: picture books, fiction, nonfiction. Hard copies preferred. http://thewholemegillah.wordpress.com

Awake at Midnight reviews mid-grade and YA books that specifically have a scary or mystery theme: http://www.awakeatmidnight.com

Howdy very nice site!! Guy .. Excellent .. Superb .. I’ll bookmark your site and take the feeds additionally?I am happy to find a lot of helpful info right here within the publish, we’d like work out more techniques in this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .

Hiya. I just want to say a big thank you for this list, it’s great and has saved me from trawling the internet – an experience that is rarely rewarding!

I wonder when I’ll be brave enough to submit my new books for review. You think they’d bother with chapter books? Some are just around 2.5k words each… (though I like to think they are more about quality than quantity ;-).

Anyway, thanks again!

Yes, I think some reviewers would be interested in seeing your chapter book. You never know until you try! Good luck!

I review children’s books for 5-13 year olds. I’m on twitter @minervamoan and review both fiction and non-fiction

website is http://www.MinervaReads.com

Thanks for bringing some new review sites to my attention. I especially adore Cool Mom Picks. I work with a talented team of reviewers covering both fiction and nonfiction books. We review books for ages 0-18 with an emphasis on picture and middle grade titles. We love doing Q&As as well as giveaways, too. Find us at http://www.goodreadswithronna.com

Thanks for letting us post links to our blogs. We are a family of readers who love to read and review books. We have recently shifted our focus to more kid lit and we are looking for more children’s books to review. We review picture books to YA. We don’t mind indie or self-published books as long as a professional editor has seen them first. We also share articles pertinent to families, recent post: http://www.thestubbypencilreviews.com/2015/02/7-ways-to-raise-happy-reader.html

My name is Phoebe, and I’m 10 years old. I love to read books. ALL kinds of books! I also love to write. That’s why I started this book review blog when I was 9. I thought it would fun to combine both of my interests and share it with everyone. You can see my latest reviews at http://www.phoebesbookshelf.com/ .

Thank you for sharing your review blog with us Phoebe. Your reviews are very insightful!

Feeling awesome after checking out your list of Top 15 children and YA book review blogs, looking out for them from quite a while.

Thanks for sharing!

Here is are 2 kidlit book review blogs to think about when making next year’s list.

Kid Lit Reviews has been reviewing kids books for nearly five years. Books for ages infant to age 13 can be found there. Reviews are well written, honest, and fair. Reviews for all major publishers.

http://kid-lit-reviews.coom

AND, though no one likes to help the competition, I’ll make exception because this kidlit site is worth mentioning.

This Kid Reviews Books is a book review site that reviews mostly middle grade but also picture books. It was started by nine-year-old Erik, who is now 13. His reviews are fantastic and well written. For a kid’s point of view, there is no site better than Erik’s. He also reviews all major publishers.

http://thiskidreviewsbooks.com

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Book Review Sites for ALL Kids

How do i know if a book is right for my kids.

It’s a little overwhelming to stay on top of all of the books my kids want to read.  I want to encourage them to read; however, I do not want to expose them to a story-line that is violent, disturbing, filled with inappropriate relationships, and bad language.

This post is really meant for a reader who is self selecting books themselves.  If you’re looking for books on how to choose a book at an appropriate level,  click here .  What do you do when your child asks you to request a new book from the library or purchase one from the new school book order?

You look at the titles and find yourself asking, is this book “safe” for my child to read?  

I’d love a system that rates books similar to the movies: G, PG, PG-13, R, and even NC-17.   While I haven’t found those types of ratings, plenty of sites have their own system.

I would like to stress that it is still important to screen reading material as much as possible.  Friends and knowledgeable librarians may have different standards.  Since it is nearly impossible to pre-read every single title for your voracious reader, try out the sites below and bookmark your favorite one!

Book Review Sites for ALL Kids (elementary – high school)

Books listed below contain affiliate links.

1.  Common Sense Media

My personal favorite book review site is Common Sense Media .  It is known for it’s movie, video games, and app reviews; however, it also includes books.  You can search by book title, age, topic, parent recommended, and award winners.  This is my go-to book review site!

Age Appropriate Rating System :  Green, Yellow, and Red circles (like a stoplight) to let you see if this content is appropriate for your child’s age .

GREEN:  Content is age appropriate for kids this age.

YELLOW : Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.

2.  Thriving Family

Christian book reviews for parents.

Background:   Review includes full plot summary, Christian beliefs, profanity, kissing, sex, and discussion questions.

Favorite:  Books are organized alphabetically and give a very thorough overview.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it,” warns Proverbs 4:23. God’s Word recognizes how critical it is to help our young children guard their hearts, especially during the school—age years when they are developing mentally, physically and emotionally.

3.  Waking Brain Cells

Background:  Tasha is a librarian in Wisconsin.  She reviews everything from picture books to teen novels.  She only reviews books that she really enjoys.  Tasha also has a great Pinterest board with boards for all of the best early, middle, and teen books of the year.

Favorite:  She reviews books for Middle School  and Teens .

4.   Good Reads

Background:  Good Reads gives you book summary, but not age appropriateness or level.  You can set up an account (free), but you can also browse without an account.

Favorite:  You can search for a title and see reviews.  They list the popular books from the past year, see middle school books here .

5.   Epic Reads

Epic Reads is a community for teen book lovers.   Discover teen books, authors, and join communities to share reading interests.  You can browse by genre.

 ………………………………………….

A great  resource for selecting books for gifted readers is  Some of My Best Friends Are Books  by Judith Wynn Halstead.

A thought provoking book about a teacher who awakens the inner-reader in the 6th graders.   The Reading Teacher by Donalyn Miller.

What would you recommend?

More Helpful Resources

Pinterest Board:   Books for Boys   and Books for Girls

Books for 8 Year old Boys

Audio Books for Kids

Lego Books for Beginning Readers

16 Comments on Book Review Sites for ALL Kids

Love your list! I have checked Common Sense Media and Thriving Family many times. I like to read several reviews because every one has a slightly different take on what is appropriate at the different ages. A few other sites I would add are Story Snoops (www.storysnoops.com), The Literate Mother ( http://www.theliteratemother.org ), and Sweet on Books ( http://sweetonbooks.com/ ). Also (shameless plug!), I do thorough reviews of books on my blog. 🙂 I’m looking forward to checking out the rest of the websites on your list – thanks!

Great sites too Jennifer! I need to go back and add these too!

I have a kid lit book review blog and I might have to start rating the books with the movie rating’s at least for the tween and teen books. thanks for the post it gave me some ideas to add to my blog!

Keep me posted!! I’d love to know if you do that to your site!

it’s impossible for me to pre-read every single book my kids devour and that’s why i so appreciate sites i can trust to help me make wise choices. my favorite is whatmykidsread.com. thank you for reminding us that books are an entryway into our kids’ hearts and we need to be watchful of what we let in.

Kristal – I LOVE your statement “books are an entryway into our kids’ hearts”. So true!

What a fantastic resource, Kristen! Sharing in our local education/schools forum! Thanks!

Thanks for the great resources. I also like the reviews at this site: http://www.books4yourkids.com/

I have a friend that has a review blog. It is http://cleanteenfiction.blogspot.com

She does good thorough reviews as well as interviews and tours.

• Pingback: Just Right Books for Kids using the Goldilocks Strategy

Great review sites for kids, thanks for sharing! Here’s is one more review site for kids: https:kidskud.com, reviews written by kids. It is the best site to encourage kids to explore their views.

Awesome article! Great timing too as I was just looking for something for my niece’s birthday next week. Keep up the great work.

Kailey at Luminous Libro is good. https://youtube.com/@LuminousLibro

Hi Kristen,

I am an author and illustrator of children’s books that I am trying to have reviewed by moms, influencers, and teachers for some feedback.

Would you be interested at all in receiving some books for a review?

You can look up my books on Amazon but I can send you a hard copy. My name is Michele F Tokach and there are three books I am looking to have reviewed. The Adventures of Riley and Clutch Nicholas and Friends Try to Find Him a Pet Lila’s Creative Quest

Thank you for your consideration. Michele F Tokach

I am an author and illustrator of some children’s books that I am trying to have reviewed by moms, dads, influencers, teachers and the like for some feedback. The age range is from 1-10. There is no politics or agendas in the stories just fun lighthearted stories for kids to read or to be read to.

Would you be interested at all in receiving some books to review?

You can look up my books on Amazon but I can send you a hard copy. My name is Michele F Tokach and there are three books I am looking to have reviewed.

“The Adventures of Riley and Clutch” “Nicholas and Friends Try to Find Him a Pet” “Lila’s Creative Quest”

nice post really nice

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Books for Young Readers Pre Teens and Tweens: Ages 9-12

By MJ Franklin

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Welcome to the Book Review Book Club

Welcome to the Book Review Book Club! Every month, we select a book to discuss with our readers. Sometimes that’s a new book we’re excited about and would love to introduce you to; other times it’s an older book that’s back in the cultural spotlight. What all our selections have in common? They’re great books primed for robust, thoughtful conversations.

For September, we’re reading “The Hypocrite,” by Jo Hamya.

This month, we also have a cozy new space to talk about the book as all of us are reading (that’s this article here). We encourage you to share your thoughts and questions with us and with other readers as you go along.

In addition to the main conversation room, where no spoilers are allowed, we have a spot for conversation among readers who have already finished the novel and another place to share book pairing recommendations. Each conversation space will have its own comment section so you can easily join the discussions that you’re most interested in.

You can find those conversations, as well as more information on “The Hypocrite,” below.

We’ll also be chatting about the novel on the Book Review podcast on Sept. 27. If you post in any of the conversation hubs by Sept. 23, we may mention your observations in the podcast episode.

We can’t wait to discuss the novel with you (and if you’d like to invite a friend to read the book with us, here’s a quick link to the club ). In the meantime, happy reading!

Learn More About the Book

Write what you know, the adage goes. But what happens when what — or who — you know doesn’t like what you write?

That is the question at the center of our September selection for the Book Review Book Club: “The Hypocrite,” by Jo Hamya.

The book follows a famous English novelist as he watches a staging of a new play by his daughter, Sophia, in London. The lights go down in the theater, and immediately the novelist realizes: The play is about him, the vacation he took with Sophia a decade earlier and the sins he committed while they were away. During the show, Sophia is at lunch with her mother, dissecting their family history until she can talk with her father after the play has concluded. The story also jumps to the past, to show what really happened on that fateful father-daughter holiday.

The novel is an art monster story and a dysfunctional family saga that explores the ethics of creating work inspired by real life.

(Read our review of the book and learn more about Jo Hamya in our “Related Reading” section below.)

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Book Club Conversation Space: Main Discussion

Share your thoughts about “The Hypocrite,” by Jo Hamya, in the comments here (click that chat bubble above to comment). This will be our main conversation space.

( IMPORTANT : Please don’t post spoilers here. We have a separate spoiler chat .)

We can’t wait to hear what you think about the book!

[ Click here to go back to the main book club hub. ]

Book Club Conversation Space: Spoiler Chat

Want to talk about something that happens later in “The Hypocrite”? Dying to dig into a particular plot point or react to a big reveal? Post your spoiler-filled thoughts, questions and observations in the comments here (click that chat bubble above to comment).

Book Club Conversation Space: Book Pairing Recommendations

Did “The Hypocrite” make you think of other books? Are there other titles you love — fiction or nonfiction — that explore similar themes? Share your recommendations for books you’d pair with “The Hypocrite” in the comments here (click that chat bubble above to comment).

Related Reading

Here is some related reading to accompany you before, during and after you read “The Hypocrite”:

Our editor Joumana Khatib’s review of the novel: “Hamya is attuned to the precarity that young women inherit, the realization that no amount of privilege, education or artistic chops could confer the freedom or power they desire.” [ Read the full review here. ]

Hamya’s interview with Hephzibah Anderson in The Guardian: “I had a clear image suddenly of a man in a theatre, watching a play of his life, and I knew that he would disagree with everything that was happening on stage, but he couldn’t leave. I thought about it for hours that night because it was a really interesting formal challenge. Could I write something where both parties were wrong and they were both utterly sympathetic, but the reader would still — especially if they spend time on the internet — feel conscious of wanting to take sides?” [ Read the full interview here. ]

Katie Kitamura’s review, for the Book Review, of Jo Hamya’s debut novel, “Three Rooms”: “‘Three Rooms,’ like Olivia Laing’s ‘Crudo,’ Patricia Lockwood’s ‘No One Is Talking About This’ and Lauren Oyler’s ‘Fake Accounts,’ compresses the noise of contemporary life into a record of recent events: Grenfell Tower, Boris Johnson, Brexit. But personal and everyday occurrences take up equal space in the narrator’s consciousness, and are precisely and beautifully rendered.” [ Read the full review here. ]

Robert Kolker’s New York Times Magazine article “Who Is the Bad Art Friend?”: Though not about Hamya’s book, this viral magazine article explores the dilemma of art drawn from life. [ Read the full article here. ]