- Allison Diehl
How I Select and Review Books
Updated: Nov 12, 2020

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.