How I Select and Review Books

Children's book subjects I review:

• Archaeology (everything I can find)

• Other Science books (particularly earth sciences)

• History, historic preservation, historic resources

• Geography and world cultures

• Biography of important historical figures and scientists

• Museums and heritage tourism

Requirements for reviewed titles:

• Illustrated

• In print or widely available

• MSRP is reasonable for the book quality and number of pages

• Available as a physical (paper) edition

Included at I Dig Books on rare occasions:

• Books in large series (e.g. DK Eyewitness) if written by subject matter experts

• Historical fiction or speculative narrative

• Teaching materials or other books for adult audiences

• Educational video programs

• Self-published books

Qualities I look for:

• Written by or in consultation with subject matter experts

• Current and accurate scientific research

• Engaging illustrations

• Appropriate font size, layout and text-to-artwork ratio

• Introduction of new vocabulary with appropriate context or definition and pronunciation guides where needed

• Text is well-written and appropriate for intended audience

• Helpful front and end matter where appropriate (e.g. table of contents, index, bibliography, resources)

Flaws that I will point out:

• Focus on the work of "great men" that comes at the expense of the accomplishments of women and minorities

• Inappropriate terminology (value-laden, patronizing, culturally offensive, etc.)

• Misleading content (overgeneralizations, omission of key info, opinion presented as fact)

• Dated illustration styles that would deter children from reading

• Books that don't live up to the description given on the publisher website, cover, or jacket

The review process

When reviewing a book, I usually read it multiple times. For longer titles, I take notes as I read. To learn more about the author(s), I conduct research online. Websites suggested in the book for further research are checked or sampled to make sure the links work. I look for information on the copyright page about the methods and materials used by the illustrator. Reading levels are obtained on the publisher's website, Ingram (my distributor), Lexile.com or Amazon. I write my reviews using a form so that I remember to record all necessary observations that will make my reviews consistent with one another. Using the form as a prompt, I draft my review. Only then do I read other reviews of the book, particularly from industry leaders like Kirkus and School Library Journal. After copy-editing my blog post and finding an appropriate image, I publish the review and share with followers on Facebook.

Do you know of a children's book that should be included at I Dig Books? Please let me know! Use the Contact Me form at the bottom of the About page.