Reviews are vital when it comes to helping readers and literary professionals decide on which books to pick up. While book reviews for most genres are targeted towards their reading audience, children’s books are unique in that their reviews are typically written by and for someone older than the target reader. This makes the responsibility of NetGalley members who review these books all the more important. It’s up to you to understand the intended audience and craft a review that reflects your honest opinion of the work and how you think a young reader would respond to it. Here you’ll find tips on what to keep in mind when writing your children’s book reviews.
If you’re in need of some general review writing tips, check out our archive here for everything from advice on critical reviews, audiobook reviews, reviewer writer’s block, and more!
Keep the book’s intended audience in mind
Children’s books offer kids a gateway to the literary world and, as they grow older, the opportunity to hone in on their personal taste. While you’re reading, think about how a young reader would be reacting to the story. If it’s helpful, think about a specific child in your life or yourself as a kid. Would they find the story relatable? Do they think it’s funny? What are their favorite parts? All of these questions will help to shape your idea of who the book’s ideal reader is.
In your review, you can specifically reference the intended audience by writing things like “a perfect read for sci-fi loving kids,” “young artists will leave inspired,” or “a must for budding gardeners.” Describing the ideal reader will help children’s book buyers get that book into the right hands.
As well as your review’s intended audience
The audience of the book you’re reviewing is going to be children, but the audience of your review is likely adults. Keep in mind that these readers are making children’s book purchasing decisions either for a specific child in their life or for children in their community (such as in their classroom, library, or bookstore). You’ll want to give them all of the information they need to make informed decisions.
First start with a short summary of the book. A quick 1-2 sentences can give a children’s book buyer needed insight into a book’s plot and is vital if they don’t have the book’s longer description at hand.
The second most important element is your recommendation of who the intended audience for the book is. This will look similar to what we described above where a book’s themes or genres can help pinpoint who the ideal reader is. But you may also want to include details such as if it’s a book that would appeal to reluctant readers or if it’s good for middle schoolers with advanced reading who aren’t yet ready for YA books.
Your review helps make their jobs easier and it can be helpful to keep that in mind when writing it.
Discuss art and illustrations
Art’s incredible ability to tell stories is on full display in the children’s book world, but some reviews find it intimidating to talk about artwork in a book if they don’t have an art background. If that’s you, never fear! There are many ways to share your thoughts without getting technical. Ask yourself: Are the colors bright or muted? Is the illustration style realistic, cartoonish, or abstract? Are the pages filled with art or is the book more minimalist? What emotions, themes, or words does the art evoke?
Once you’ve described the look of the art, share how you feel it fits in with the story. Do the characters look as they’re described? Do the images mirror the story’s tone? For example, it would be worth noting if a happy sunny story was paired with dark and moody artwork. Using these questions can help you to both review the artwork and give an informed glimpse at its role in the book to a children’s book buyer.
Dig into dialogue (and more)
There’s a fine line between a precocious picture book protagonist and a young main character who reads like a fully grown adult. Take a look at how the characters in the book speak and act. Does their dialogue and behavior reflect their age appropriately or does the middle-grade book you’re reading feel like it’s being narrated by a Harvard grad? Do slang and references match today’s world or is the Beatles-obsessed lead maybe more reflective of the author’s interests? Do the characters feel too old, too young, or just right for their age in the story? Share anything that feels successful (or not) in terms of capturing young voices.
Note discussion-worthy themes
Books have the power to spark curiosity in readers. It’s most likely that children’s book buyers will be the ones reading your review, so if the book brings up any topics or questions you think young readers may want to discuss after they’ve finished reading, make a note of it. This allows anyone reading the book to or with a child to be prepared for follow-up conversations and assists librarians, booksellers, and teachers in their ability to recommend books for young readers based on specific themes.
You can even note in your review the kind of reader who may be best suited for the book based on the themes, like this: “This book is great for helping young readers wrap their minds around the concept of moving to a new home and it will validate their feelings while offering hope and excitement for a new beginning.”
Find the appropriate age range
The category of children’s books covers everything from baby’s first board books to intricate middle grade series. When reviewing them, you’ll want to share information about the age range or grade level you think it’s best for.
Generally board books are for ages 0 – 3, picture books are for ages 3 – 8, chapter books are for ages 8 – 10, and middle grade books are for ages 8 – 12.
Think about if the book feels like a good match for its target audience. When considering if something is age-appropriate, look specifically at how information is shared and presented. Are topics broken down in a way the intended audience can understand? Is the language at the right reading level? For example, both a picture book and a middle grade book may center around the topic of death. But a picture book will likely present it using simple and understandable language for readers, while a middle grade book will be able to offer a bit more complexity and nuance.
Even within these age ranges, you’ll have children with varying reading levels. Feel free to note if a book is ideal for advanced readers, reluctant readers, or those just learning to read.
Share comps
Comps are an industry term for books or authors that are similar in genre, content, or audience. These are especially valuable for professionals such as librarians, booksellers, and educators because it can offer a lot of information about a book based on something familiar.
For example, you might say the book you’re reviewing is perfect for fans of the Magic Treehouse series. This would tell a children’s book buyer that the reading audience is likely 8 – 10 and that it would be a good fit for readers who enjoy action and adventure stories, learning about history through fiction, and settings where magic infuses the real world.
It’s also worth noting if the book you’re reviewing is part of a series—especially if it’s a later book in that series!
Consult a young reader
The best reviewer for a children’s book is, of course, a kid! Consider sharing the book with a young reader in your life. You can read it together and/or ask them questions about the book, like what they think of the book’s cover, title, and synopsis. Adults can compose great and informed reviews about children’s literature, but having input from kids can add unique value to your review in a way that will help publishers as well as educators, booksellers, librarians, and anyone interested in sharing that book with a child.
Rate for the intended audience
Ratings are invaluable tools for anyone who reads reviews. It’s essentially shorthand for if a review thinks the book is worth investing in or not. When it comes to rating children’s books, it’s helpful to think about your personal rating, how you think a child would rate it, and what rating is going to best communicate your recommendation to the children’s book buyers reading your review. If you’re leaving a rating in your reading journal or in other spaces where you are tracking for your own records, rate the book according to your preference! But if you’re leaving a review on NetGalley, retail sites, or other public-facing platforms where the intended audience of your review may be children’s book buyers, offer a rating that feels both honest to you and how you think the book would be received by a child.
Remember, this is just a starting point and you don’t need to use all of these tips in every review.
Here’s an example review that includes many of the tips shared above:
The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag is the first book in a middle-grade graphic novel trilogy. In Aster’s world, girls learn spell casting and boys learn shapeshifting. However, shapeshifting doesn’t come easily to Aster and, instead, he finds himself drawn to witchcraft, which he’s forbidden to study.
While Aster’s struggles are rooted in a magical world, they feel grounded in reality and will offer readers the ability to connect around feeling misunderstood by adults, disconnected from peers, and more. The themes are meaty but don’t feel weighty within the story and feel tailored specifically for a young audience.
The story is a great reminder to all readers of the magic that can happen when you are true to yourself. It offers plenty of themes for post-reading discussion such as embracing who you are, the power of friendship, challenging gender stereotypes, and the importance of emotional support from adults.
The artwork is bright and engaging, and the book’s world-building and diverse cast comes to life in the full-color panels.
This book is best suited for middle-grade readers who are interested in magical stories. I know it’s one I would’ve devoured at 13! My rating is 4 stars and my middle schooler’s is 4.5.
What tips do you have for writing children’s book reviews?
Review Writing Tips
