Good Reads with Ronna, the book review blog where most of my reviews are posted, is now feeding through a variety of Parenthood websites! It started out on LA Parent and thanks to the blog’s founder and Editor, Ronna Mandel, it can now be found on three Bay Area Parenthood websites, one in Boston, one in San Antonio and one in Westchester. That means that it will be easier for millions of parents around the country to find and read our reviews!
We review only the books we love and would be happy to recommend. So please enjoy our reviews and spread the word!
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I have written many children’s book reviews for this blog and Good Reads with Ronna and am a Top Reviewer on Amazon. In the past few years, both professional and consumer-generated book reviews have exploded on the internet. More and more consumers consider reviews important when deciding whether or not to make a purchase. If you have ever written one for a children’s book or are thinking about writing one, you want to do a good job. Here are some tips to get you started:
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- It is best to write reviews for books you would highly recommend to others.
- If you are inclined to post a negative review, first ask yourself what you wish to accomplish. A vicious, negative review is simply unfair. If you post one on Amazon, the publisher or author can file a complaint and your review may be removed.
- Even if you love a book, be honest about it. If there is any aspect of that book you feel could be improved, mention that in a tactful, fair way. For example, “The story is charming and told with such clever, simple prose. The illustrations are lovely, however I do wish the colors were not so muted.”
- Do your homework and research the author and illustrator for interesting information you can add to the review. Have they won any awards? Have they published anything else or a series perhaps?
- Do not read other reviews of the book you are reviewing, because it is not good to be influenced in any way by what someone else thinks of the book.
- Be creative with the title of your review. Why use a mundane title? You want to draw attention to your review so others will read yours over others. Which review would you prefer to read? One entitled “Nice Book” or “Uniquely clever story with a Shocking Twist and Extraordinary Illustrations.”
- Do not simply give an outline of the book – that would be a summary rather than a review, and frankly that is boring.
- Give a short synopsis of the story without giving everything about the book away. You want readers to be really curious about the story after they read your review.
- Creatively state what you like or love about the book.
- Mention the overall quality of the book – printing, binding, paper, cover etc. Book quality is very important in the children’s market, because kids are hard on books!
- Don’t assume that a longer review is a better review. You can do a good job with a brief review, and that’s what people prefer to read.
- Come up with a clever way to end your review, whether that is with a play on words, a teaser or some other catchy sentence.
- Proofread your review carefully.
- Have someone else with writing experience proof it too.
The more you write reviews, the better you will get at writing them. Happy reviewing to you!
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- Readers can instantly relate to the characters.
- The book has an original plot and flows from page to page.
- The story is written in a way that shows what is happening rather than telling.
- The story reads well out loud.
- The illustrations are vibrant, unique and full of action.
- The illustrations tell the story – even without the words.
- The story appeals to a broad audience.
- The story is humorous or presents an important message without hitting the reader over the head with it.
- The story requires interaction of some kind with the reader.
- Children want to read it over and over again.
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Encyclopedia Britannica announced that after 250 years, they will no longer be publishing a print edition of their volumes, however it will be published online. While, due to the nostalgia of it all, this is sad news, it also makes a lot of sense. In a world of instant cyber updates, printing 32 volumes of information is not the best way to keep up with the online competition. No one can dispute that Britannica paved the way for the many other encyclopedias that have popped up over the years, both in print and online. But times are changing.
This announcement is really a wake-up call for the publishing business. Ten years ago, who would have imagined that printed books would so quickly start to become obsolete?
My hope is that children’s books stick around for a long time. Children need to hold a book in their laps and manually turn the pages, feel the paper and study the illustrations. I will always prefer to read a printed book rather than an e-book, but it’s looking more and more like, soon, that may no longer be an option.
After interviewing the extraordinary illustrator, Eric Velasquez, last month on Good Reads with Ronna, I couldn’t wait to buy two books he wrote and illustrated.
Grandma’s Records (2004) is a heart warming book about a boy and the time he spent with his grandmother. The story is based upon the author’s real life and the love of music he shared with her every summer at her apartment in Spanish Harlem. Grandma plays records and dances and sings with her grandson; she even covers her hand over her heart when a certain song is played from her homeland of Puerto Rico. One day, Grandma’s nephew comes to the house with several members of his band from Puerto Rico to give Grandma and the boy tickets to their concert in New York. The story, as told through the eyes of the boy really gives the reader a sense of how much joy he felt being with his grandma that special summer. What I love about this book is that it shows young readers how special a relationship can be between a child and a grandparent. I particularly related to this story, because I too loved spending time at my grandmother’s house as a child. The story also introduces kids to the power of music and how it can bring people together. The oil painted illustrations in this book are truly incredible, as are all of Eric Velasquez’ illustrations. You simply must take the time to look at all the detail on every vibrant page. The book was published 8 years ago but is still available on Amazon.
Grandma’s Gift (2010) is a companion book to Grandma’s Records. It deservedly won the Pura Belpré Award, which is given to writers/illustrators whose work best portrays Latino culture. It is essentially another chapter in the author’s life as he spends his winter break with his grandma. When his grandma picks her grandson up from the last day of school before the break, his teacher tells Grandma that the boy needs to be taken to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see a new painting as part of a homework assignment. Grandma tells the boy that if he helps her shop for the ingredients to make pasteles, she will take him to the museum. The story takes the reader through the markets of Spanish Harlem, complete with all the sights, sounds and smells of fresh food. Grandma takes the boy home and makes this traditional Puerto Rican dish with so much love, the reader feels how much this tradition means to the boy and his family. When she takes him to the museum, they discover a unique painting that inspires both of them. Later at home she gives him a gift that helps to shape his future destiny as an artist. I love this book as much as Grandma’s Records for all the same reasons and more. It is wonderful to learn about the cuisine of other cultures and observe the shared appreciation of art between the boy and his grandmother. Of course, the illustrations are above and beyond spectacular and really make this story come to life.
What an extra special gift these 2 books would be from a grandma to her grandchild! I love these books, and so will you.
According to an interesting USA Today article, children’s books about animals and nature on the decline. What a shame.
Did you know that the rhinoceros beetle can carry 850 times its weight on its back? The thousands of students who have attended a Lilly Badilly presentation know that!
As an advocate of geography education, the world needs more books about nature and stories about far away places with unusual plants and animals. Children love to hold a book in their laps and learn about the world. Fortunately with my post as a book reviewer for Good Reads with Ronna, I get to read some really excellent books about plants and animals. Although I am not sure why there are less books on these subjects for children these days, I refuse to believe they aren’t needed. What do you think?
An interview I did with Geographer Dr. Joseph Kerski 3 years ago was picked up by Science Buddies. Look for the link under the “Interviews” section.
I reviewed two cute books by Dawn Publications today on Good Reads with Ronna.
I took these photos in Tree Tops Park yesterday.
Please read my interview with incredibly talented children’s book illustrator Eric Velasquez.
If you love baseball, you’ll love this book about Hall of Famer, Larry Doby!
Today is Charles Dickens’ 200th birthday. A few months ago I reviewed a terrific children’s book about Dickens on Good Reads with Ronna.
Dickens’ Birthplace Museum in Portsmouth, England has a long list of events to celebrate this milestone.
When I was in England attending the University of London for a semester, I got this amazing poster of Dickens’ characters, which is on the wall in my office. It came with a legend that lists who all the characters are. I cherish this!
Happy Birthday Charles!
Please take a few minutes to read my interview on Good Reads with Ronna. Sophie Webb is a biologist and orinthologist who travels the world via ship to do research and brings along her camera and her watercolors to capture the wildlife. She turned her life’s work and passion into several high quality children’s books that I highly recommend. Both you and your children will be interested in what she had to say about life at sea.
