SLC Reviewer Guidelines

The Review Process

Receiving Items for Review

The editors decide if material received from publishers is appropriate for review in School Library Connection. We try to send you 4-5 review items at a time. In order to publish reviews in a timely fashion, you may receive advance reading copies (ARCs).

• Please notify us immediately if you cannot meet an assigned deadline or review an item you’ve received. We always try to work with your schedule.
• Our editorial office handles publisher requests for copies of your review. Never send your unedited review to the publisher or any other source.

Review Checklist

A Review Checklist will accompany each item sent to you. Fill in the information concerning purchase recommendation and grade levels, and check the technical/bibliographic information.

At the end of every review, please include your byline in this format: Name, Title, School Name, City, State

Bibliographic and Technical Information

Begin your review with the bibliographic/technical information. Note that this information is provided on the Review Checklist based on information provided to us by the publisher or vendor. Please put all of this information at the top of your review. Please also verify the following:

• Does it follow our bibliographic/technical format? (see the Bibliographic Guidelines for Reviewers document for details)
• Is the information correct? If not, please change it on the review.
• Is the information complete? If not, please add any missing information.

For series reviews, please include the title and ISBN for all titles received for review (even if they are not listed on the Review Checklist).

Recommending Grade Levels

We are interested in your opinion, not the publisher’s assessment. Specify grade levels such as

“Grades 7-9,” “Grades 3-6,” “Grades K-2,” or “Grade 10 & Up” rather than age groups. If the title is aimed at professionals, indicate “Professional.” If the professional title is relevant only for people who work with a specific age range, indicate that range in parentheses: “Professional (Grades K-5).”

If a book’s interest level is not the same as its reading level, then describe the reading level in the body of the review (e.g., “reluctant reader appeal” or “high interest/low level material”). When assigning wide spreads such as “Grades 4-12” or “Grades K-6,” there should be some explanation of this in the body of the review.

Remember to consider grade level appeal, not just calculated reading formulas.

Purchase Recommendation

Highly Recommended

If the reader could afford only one title on this subject, and/or one fiction title in this genre, this is it. Excellent, superior in every way; should be included in all collections. (Use this rating sparingly.)

Recommended

For titles the reader should consider seriously for inclusion in the collection.

Additional Selection

For titles which may have more than a minor flaw OR a narrow focus, valuable only in the specific situation discussed in the review. Consider to meet the needs of the collection or as supplementary material. This rating does not detract from the quality of the product.

Not Recommended

For titles that contain serious flaws in content (i.e. gross factual inaccuracies) and/or delivery. Although geared to K-12 school libraries, it is not appropriate for that audience.

When choosing a Purchase Recommendation, please follow these descriptions. If you have indicated flaws in an item, even though it is still valuable for school use, do not use the Highly Recommended rating. It is helpful to the publisher, author, and readers to mention why an item is rated “Additional Selection” or “Not Recommended.” Please do not assign a “Not Recommended” rating to an item of quality only because it has little application in an elementary or secondary library. Such items should be rated “Additional Selection” with comments in the body of the review about its best audience (a large school with a big budget, a public or academic library, etc.). If you have any question about which rating to give, please indicate that on your review, and we will contact you.

After the Review is Written

Please send the review by e-mail to reviews@librariesunlimited.com. Copy and paste each review into a separate e-mail message, or send it as an attachment. The subject line of your e-mail should include the title of your review, for example: “Review of Traitor’s Gate.”

Terms

Review manuscripts are submitted for consideration with the understanding that School Library Connection, as a condition of acceptance for publication, requires assignment to School Library

Connection of all rights in the accepted manuscript; requires a warranty that the work is original and not previously published, does not infringe any copyright or other right, and does not contain any matter that is libelous or otherwise unlawful; and reserves the right to edit accepted works to conform to house style and space limitations.

As a reviewer, you will receive a complimentary subscription to School Library Connection, including print and online access.

Review items are yours to keep.

Writing Reviews

Review Content

Our review readers are school librarians and educators who look to our reviewers for informed recommendations on new books and media. When reviewing for School Library Connection, the single most important thing to keep in mind is your audience. Speak to your readers as you would to your colleagues. Always assume your readers have not examined your review item for themselves and be sure to express your assessment in a clear, well-considered manner.

School Library Connection reviews should consist of two main components: a Summary of the title being reviewed and an Analysis of the title’s strengths and weaknesses in a school and/or library context. Each component should make up roughly half of the review’s overall length, though small variance is to be expected from one title to another. Completed reviews should be between 200-250 words in length.

Note that submitted reviews which contain an unbalanced ratio of these two components will be returned by our editors with a request to expand the under-represented component.

Writing Fiction Reviews

Summaries of Fiction materials should provide the reader with a general understanding of the plot and overall themes of the work. This may include the genre, setting, point of view, main characters, central conflicts, and noteworthy plot elements. Reviews should not shy away from describing the ending of a story, including any surprise twists and solutions that occur throughout. School Library Connection reviews are written for the review reader, not the book reader, and these details are essential to providing librarians and educators a complete understanding of the work.

Analysis of fiction materials should provide a critical evaluation of the title when looked at in the context of a school library and/or classroom setting. This can encompass (but is not limited to):

Educational value

What opportunities does the title present for use in lessons, activities, or discussions? Does the title fit in with the school curriculum or help meet standards (Common Core State Standards, national subject area standards, etc.)? Is the title didactic or does it present complex issues without easy answers?

Audience

Does the title have the potential to engage certain readers? If so, what kind of readers might appreciate the title and what aspects of the title might readers engage with? Are there any established works whose readers might be a good fit for the title? If so, what are they?

Language and author voice

Does the title offer something unique or different when compared to common character and/or story clichés? Is the writing style or vocabulary usage appropriate for the intended grade level of the title? Would the title be approachable for reluctant or Hi-Lo readers? Does the title present an opportunity to fill a gap in youth literature collections?

Writing Nonfiction/Reference Reviews

Summaries of Nonfiction and Reference materials should provide readers with a general overview of the subject being covered and the major topics the title focuses on. Reviews should also note the format and layout of the information, the presence of visuals that support or extend the text (photographs, illustrations, maps, graphs, sidebars, etc.), and the presence of supportive features such as bibliographies, glossaries, indexes, etc. Remember that reviews should be presented in a readable style, so a summary of a nonfiction title should not consist solely of a list of features.

Analysis of Nonfiction and Reference materials should seek to provide a critical analysis of the title in the context of a school library and/or classroom setting, as well as how the title compares to existing works which cover similar information. Several areas of note include (but are not limited to):

Value

Does the title represent an affordable resource based on the quality of its content? Does the information presented in the title fill a niche in school library collection? Does the product provide new perspectives, fresh material, and/or current research?

Grade-level appropriateness

Is the writing style and vocabulary appropriate for the intended grade level? Does the text address grade-level appropriate curricular subject areas?

Authority

How credible is the information presented by the title? Is it backed up by a quality bibliography or authors/editors with expertise in the subject area being covered? Does the product offer balanced coverage of its topic, or is there a discernable bias?

Layout and organization

Does the title present information in a clear, engaging, and/or interesting format? Is the supporting material (photographs, graphs, sidebars, etc.) well integrated with the text? Does the organization of the title aide with reader comprehension of the content?

Audience

Does the title have the potential to engage certain readers? If so, what kind of readers might appreciate the title and/or what aspects of the title might readers engage with?

Writing Picture Book Reviews

In addition to following the guidelines for Fiction and Nonfiction materials, reviews of Picture Books should also consider the following factors:

Illustrations

Describe the general style and medium used for the illustrations, mentioning specific art styles when possible (realistic, abstract, folk art, etc.). Also of note should be how well the illustrations fit with the text. Do the illustrations simply reflect what is said in the text, or do they elevate/contradict the text by adding novel information that makes the text more dramatic, ironic, humorous, or interesting?

Language

Describe the style of language used in the title, making particular note of poetic devices, lyrical rhythm, or any other qualities that make the title unique. Reviews can also note how well the title would lend itself to being read aloud to students, or if it is suitable for independent reading by readers of the intended grade level.

Writing Graphic Novel Reviews

In addition to following the guidelines for Fiction, Nonfiction, and, due to the heavy emphasis on visuals, Picture Book titles outlined above, reviews of Graphic Novels should consider how the artwork and layout of the graphic panels aids or hinders the flow of the story and accessibility of the work. Is the artwork well integrated with the text, dialogue, and story progression? Is the action depicted on the pages clear and easy to follow?

Writing Professional Development Reviews

In addition to following the guidelines for Nonfiction and Reference titles, reviews of Professional Development materials should make particular note of the intended audience for the content and how applicable the content is to general school and/or library practices. Is the information intended for new or inexperienced librarians and/or educators? Would the content be best utilized by administration faculty instead of librarians and teachers? Is the content limited to particular curricular designs or standards? Does the title provide useable lesson plans or examples related to the content? Would the title be useful as a tool to be repeatedly referenced, or is it more of a theoretical examination of its subject?

Writing Reviews of Electronic Products

Due to the varied nature of Electronic Products, reviews of these resources may reference various combinations of the guidelines supplied above. In addition to these factors, reviewers should pay particular attention to the following:

User interface

Does the product present users with a clear, easy-to-use interface? Is it easy for users to navigate to the various sections of the product without getting lost or confused? Is sufficient instruction provided for first-time users?

Implementation

How connected is the product to curricular subject areas? Is the product intended to be used in the classroom or as a management system for faculty/staff? Are there any platform limitations that may affect some users (requires up-to-date hardware, only runs on tablets/smartphones, only runs on Mac or Windows operating systems, etc.)?

Writing Reviews of Series Titles

When reviewing several titles in a series, reviewers should compose one review that covers all titles received. Both the Summary and Analysis portions of a series review should reflect the series as a whole and not recount the content of each individual title sequentially. Reviews should focus on similarities or differences in the format, coverage, illustrations, etc., across each title. If the need arises to comment on specific information from one or more titles in particular, limit these comments to one or two sentences as much as possible.

Writing Reviews of Titles that Include a Language Other Than English

In addition to following the appropriate guidelines as listed above, reviewers should consider the grammar and accuracy of the text as well as its usefulness as a language learning tool for non-native speakers. Does the text accurately reflect the grammar and vernacular of the language? Could the title be used with learners of the language to increase their vocabulary? Would the title appeal to native speakers of the language?

Writing about Representation

School Library Connection readers represent institutions from across the county and service communities of various cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities/disabilities, and socio-economic backgrounds. Because of this, it is important for reviewers to highlight and discuss the presence and depiction of diverse characters and locations contained within the various titles and resources reviewed. When mentioning such details, reviewers are encouraged to be as descriptive as possible and avoid general statements that don’t provide meaningful details. Reviewers should also avoid slang, derogatory terminology, and negative coding in their descriptions.

With these factors in mind, consider the following when composing your analysis:

For Fiction titles:

• Does the story include characters that represent a variety of cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities/disabilities, and/or socio-economic backgrounds?
• If so, are these characters complex and/or written with a strong sense of identity? Do they contribute meaningfully to the plot? Do they push back against established stereotypes?
• What location is the title set in? Does the location meaningfully inform the characters or events of the plot?
• Does the author write from an insider perspective? Has the author done a substantial amount of research on the cultural groups depicted in the book?

For Nonfiction titles:

• Do the included supporting materials (photographs, illustrations, etc.) depict subjects/locations which represent a variety of cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities/disabilities, and/or socio-economic backgrounds?

Writing about Mature Content

If a reviewer feels the need to indicate the presence of content they deem appropriate for mature audiences only (violence, drug use, profanity, sexual situations, etc.), such content should be described only as it relates to the context of the story, not as a list of disclaimers. Our readers are the ones ultimately responsible for deciding what is and is not appropriate for their collections and communities, so the information relayed should be factual and without judgement.

This:

“Stacy and James’ relationship evolves into a sexual one, and the two begin to experiment with drugs due to peer pressure from their group of mutual friends.”

Not this:

“The book contains sexual situations and drug use and should only be read by mature readers.”

Bibliographic Guidelines for Reviews

To structure the bibliographic heading for your review, include the following information where applicable. Specific items are listed in the order they should be included in your finished review.

Books

Series name (if applicable)

Author’s name (last, first), additional author names (first last)

Title of book(s)

Editor (if applicable)

Illustrator (if applicable)

Copyright year

Number of pages (refer to the last page number in the book)

Price

Binding (lb., hc., pbk.)

Publisher

ISBN

Your recommended grade levels

Nonbook Media

Director’s name (if video resource)

Title

URL (if online resource)

App store (iTunes Store, Google Play Store)

Runtime (if video resource)

Year of release or year website was accessed for review

Price (for subscription-based services please state “Contact vendor for pricing options”)

Format (App, DVD, etc.)

Publisher

Your recommended grade levels

Examples

Book with one author

Nielson, Jennifer A.

A Night Divided

2016. 317pp. $16.99 hc. Scholastic Inc. 9780545682428. Grades 3-8

Book with multiple authors and illustrator

Martin, Steve, Clive Gifford & Marianne Taylor

The Wacky and Wonderful World Through Numbers

Illustrated by Andrew Pinder. 2015. 128pp. $11.99 pbk. Barron’s Educational. Grades 3-8

Multi-title series

Exploring Earth and Space

Earth’s Water. 9781448885688

Exploring Earth’s Surface. 9781448885701

Exploring Rocks and Minerals. 9781448885763

Exploring the Solar System. 9781448885725

Objects in the Sky. 9781448885787

Space Probes. 9781448885800

2013. 24pp. ea. $22.60 ea. lb. PowerKids Press (Rosen Publishing Group). Grades K-3

Video

Burns, Ken & Lynn Novik

The Vietnam War

2017. 1003 min. $99.99. DVD. PBS Video. Grades 9-12

Online resources & Apps

Reading is Fundamental: Literacy Central

2017. www.rif.org. Free. Reading is Fundamental, Inc. Grades 3-12

The Ultimate Dinopedia: Complete Dinosaur Reference

2011. iTunes Store. $5.99. App. National Geographic. Grades 3-8

Sample Reviews

Fiction Review

Waldman, Debby

Miriam’s Secret

2017. 208pp. $10.95 pbk. Orca Book Publishers. 9781459814257. Grades 3-6

Although this book takes the reader back in time to the days of Lindberg’s flying machine, the theme is timeless: we are more similar than we are different. While budding history buffs will enjoy traveling to early 20^th-century upstate New York alongside 11-year-old Miriam, all young readers will be able to relate to the dilemma she faces after discovering a young girl, Cissy, hidden away in her grandparents’ hayloft. At first, Miriam and Cissy do not seem to have much in common. However, the two girls soon form an unexpected friendship that leaves Miriam struggling between keeping her new friend’s secret and being truthful with her grandparents. The book culminates in the Jewish holiday of Passover, which brings the diverse cast of characters together in a celebration of their unique cultures. Filled to the brim with literary devices like foreshadowing, imagery, and similes, this title will be a welcome addition to any elementary school teacher’s language arts block. While the text explicitly discusses similarities and differences between Judaism and Christianity, it also lends itself to a discussion of diversity and tolerance. Gwyneth Henning, M.S.Ed. Candidate, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia

Recommended

Nonfiction Review

Going, K.L.

The Shape of the World: A Portrait of Frank Lloyd Wright

Illustrated by Lauren Stringer. 2017. 40pp. $17.99 hc. Beach Lane Books. 9781442478213. Grades 1-3

Stop and take a look at the world around you. Do you see rectangles? How about circles? This biographical picture book allows aspiring artists, mathematicians, and architects to tag along on Frank Lloyd Wright’s journey from childhood to old age. Reminiscent of Javaka Steptoe’s Radiant Child (Little, Brown, 2016), the satisfying full-circle plot begins with Wright learning about shapes while sitting on his mother’s lap and ends with the image of an accomplished elderly architect who has succeeded in changing the shape of the world. The interplay of text and image demonstrates how Wright’s childhood and teenage interactions with geometry had a long-term impact on his career in architecture. Each page features colorful, intricate illustrations, which not only aid readers in seeing the world through Wright’s eyes, but also help readers realize that our world is made up of a variety of shapes. In addition to the presence of squares, circles, triangles, and rectangles within the illustrations, geometric patterns can be found on the cover, end pages, and page borders. Wright’s application of geometric concepts to the real world profession of architecture will help teachers answer the question “When am I ever going to use this?” during elementary school geometry units. Author and illustrator notes and a key to Frank Lloyd Wright’s works found in the book immediately follow the story. Bibliography. Gwyneth Henning, M.S.Ed. Candidate, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia

Highly Recommended

Series Review

Great Military Leaders

Alexander the Great. 9781502627858

Genghis Khan. 9781502627872

George Washington. 9781502627841

Hannibal. 9781502628695

Joan of Arc. 9781502627919

Montezuma II. 9781502627896

Napoleon Bonaparte. 9781502627827

Sun Tzu. 9781502628671

2018. 128pp. ea. $45.64 ea. hc. Cavendish Square. Grade 6 & Up

These volumes present military leaders from multiple centuries and continents. Each book follows a similar format, with a brief introduction and chapters that establish the historical setting, the achievements of the leader, the effects of the military leadership, and his/her legacy. Sidebars present primary sources, colorful illustrations, chronologies, and lists of selected resources for further information. The volumes are particularly good at creating an accurate historical portrait, given the often mythic status of each subject, and trying to discern fact from legend using contemporary sources. As a whole, individual portraits of the leaders are well done, though the volumes do vary in quality. Some titles lack the detail of others, and there isn’t enough specific information about the strategies and tactics of many of the key battles that made these people great military leaders. Glossary. Ron Marinucci, Adjunct Professor of History, Mott and Oakland (Michigan) Community Colleges

Additional Selection

Electronic Product Review

Bloom’s Literature

2018. www.infobase.com. Contact vendor for pricing options. Infobase. Grades 10-12

This high-level database of literary resources explores the most significant classic and contemporary Western novels and plays. Entries include mostly text-based resources with discussion questions, critical articles from Harold Bloom himself, and full-text versions of works, but also use related images, video snippets of reproductions, or the entire work in full feature versions. The site is easy to navigate, enabling users to search and browse broadly by genre or time period and more specifically by author, character, or the work itself. Information from historical timelines and literary themes and movements gives readers an added layer of browsing and connecting works and related concepts in literature. Tools for students address important issues within this subject—such as plagiarism, making citations, evaluating resources, and writing papers—but the text-heavy format will be challenging for more developing writers and readers. Tools for educators are also directed at helping students avoid plagiarism and offer aid in teaching about literature using films. A special resource is the Shakespeare Center, which is a well-organized database tailored to help students understand and write about The Bard and his works. While the database describes itself as focusing on the niche of the classical Western canon, a search of various author nationalities reveals a breadth of global perspectives represented by writers' backgrounds. Librarians and educators working in depth with classic Western literature should take time to review this comprehensive literary resource. Kasey Garrison, Lecturer & Children's Specialization Coordinator, Charles Sturt University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

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