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Spaghetti Book Club - Book Reviews by Kids for Kids

A fun & engaging literacy program, committed to

Developing confident readers and writers, learning reading and writing skills through, writing and publishing book reviews, giving kids a place for, sharing insights and opinions with readers around the world, the spaghetti book club is, the largest site of book reviews written and illustrated by kids for kids.

Review of the week

How to help the earth, written by tish rabe.

Reviewed by Dev P. (age 6)

The Lorax is sending messages to the children about keeping the Earth clean. He shows them ways to dispose of the trash and how to recycle things. The Lorax tells the children to reuse plastic bags, use both sides of paper, and donate old clothes, toys, ... more

Featured Reviews

After the fall - how humpty dumpty got back up again, written by dan santat.

Reviewed by Sebastian E. (age 8), Jack P. (age 7) & Luke P. (age 7)

This book is about Humpty Dumpty who is afraid of heights because he fell off from a big, gigantic wall. We’re sure you’ve heard about it. Humpty Dumpty loved watching birds but because he was afraid of heights he could not go up on the wall and watch ... more

Avocado Baby

Written by john burningham, reviewed by aaron s. (age 6) & william l. (age 7).

There was a family that wasn't very strong and the mom was having a baby. They were expecting it to be stronger, but the baby wasn't very strong. The children decided to give him avocado pear. Every day the baby would eat avocado pear. He got stronger ... more

A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Written by david a. adler, reviewed by logan w. (age 9).

Do you want to learn about Martin Luther King Jr.? If you do, then look for A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. You will also learn a lot of history from this book. My favorite part in the book is the March on Washington when Martin said these ... more

Abel's Island

Written by william steig.

Reviewed by Michelle P. (age 10)

Abel is a mouse who has a wife named Amanda. She is a mouse, too. Abel and Amanda went on a picnic. Abel went to play a joke on Amanda when a hurricane started to form. They left their picnic where it was and started to walk home. Abel and Amanda didn?t have ... more

Esperanza Rising

Written by pam ryan, reviewed by breanna d. (age 10).

From rags to riches! Esperanza is a loving and rich 13-year-old girl. She lives with her Mama, Papa, Abuelita and many servants on a ranch in Mexico. Esperanza's life seems to be perfect. However an unbelievable event tears her family apart. In the beginning ... more

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Written by michael rosen, reviewed by rachel 1 (e. k.) (age 6) & ray a. (age 7).

Four kids went on a bear hunt with a man. They said they're not scared. We think it is funny because they go through all sorts of things. They fall in all kinds of things like a river and a mud puddle and a forest and other things. Every time the four kids ... more

The Black Pearl

Written by scott o'dell.

Reviewed by Marissa B. (age 10)

The book, The Black Pearl, is about a man named Senor Salazar and his son Ramon Salazar. Senor Salazar owns a pearling business where they go scuba diving for pearls. When Ramon goes to the lagoon on business, he ends up going after the pearls--against ... more

Hiccups for Elephant

Written by james preller.

Reviewed by Justin T. (age 7)

“Hiccup!” “Hiccup!” This book is about an elephant that gets the hiccups and wakes up the other animals that are his friends and they try to cure the hiccups, but it doesn’t do it. They tell him to drink a lot of water really fast. They tell ... more

Staying Nine

Written by pam conrad.

Reviewed by Zishan Q. (age 11)

Staying Nine is about a girl named Heather. She wants to be nine years old forever and doesn't want to change. She didn't want to have a birthday party because she thought she could stay nine if she didn't have a party. One day Heather looked at ... more

Valentine's Day Disaster

Written by geronino stilton.

Reviewed by Abby H. (age 7)

Geronimo Stilton is the main character in the story. One day Geronimo wakes up. He was so busy the night before setting up decorations that he forgot to set his alarm. So, on Valentine’s Day he he sleeps in and he’s late for work. That might not seem so ... more

Risky Friends

Written by julie anne peters, reviewed by haley c. (age 10).

Kacie Shannon thinks she's going to have a bad day and wonders if things could get any worse. Just then she spills grape juice on her new white silk blouse. Now she's sure it's going to be a horrible day! Problems start when Skye Collinsworth, her least ... more

So You Want to Be President?

Written by judith s. george, reviewed by brandon a. (age 8) & steven h. (age 9).

Being President is hard, but picture yourself as president and having your own swimming pool, movie theater, and bowling alley in your home! This is a book about past presidents and what their life was like while living in the White House. The book is hilarious ... more

George Washington's Mother

Written by jean fritz, reviewed by lindsey e. (age 8).

Hey! This book is awesome. It is about George Washington's mom, and a little bit about George. Mary had to raise five kids on her own after her husband died. Mary doesn't want George to get hurt in the war. She begs him not to go, but he's twenty-one ... more

Amelia's Notebook

Written by marissa moss, reviewed by stacey f (age 10).

This book is about a girl named Amelia. Her mom brought her a notebook. They were going to a new house to move but Amelia did not think it was a good idea because she liked her old house. When they go to the new house they stop in all kinds of restaurants ... more

The Snowy Day

Written by ezra jack keats.

Reviewed by Kaytlin M. (age 6)

The Snowy Day is a picture book about a little boy who wakes up one day and looks out his window and sees lots and lots of snow. He is so excited and after he eats his breakfast, he gets into his snowsuit and goes outside to play in the snow. He doesn't have ... more

The Big Pets

Written by lane smith, reviewed by marley s. (age 8), samantha b. (age 7) & evan d. (age 8).

The Big Pets is about a girl and her humongous cat. Together they went to the milky pools and after when the girl comes out, the cat would lick her feet. They joined other kids and go to other places like Scratching Post Forest and String Vine city and a milky ... more

The Catcher in the Rye

Written by j.d. salinger.

Reviewed by Sam L. (age 14)

A young Holden Caulfield, fresh from being kicked out of prep school, thinks that he is an adult. After wondering around New York City for days, however, he begins to think otherwise. He feel lonely without his friends from school. When he sneaks into his ... more

Written by Hans Wilhelm

Reviewed by Donovan J. (age 6)

If you wander off from your parent or if you go somewhere that you have not told your parents about, you might get lost. This book helps you with a way to find your way back home. I think the author was trying to help us with being lost. I liked this ... more

All About Sam

Written by lois lowry.

Reviewed by Amelia G. (age 9)

Do you have a younger brother or sister? If you do, you should consider reading this book. In this book there is a silly little boy named Sam that really doesn’t get the world and does silly things. Sam’s sister, mom and dad don’t really get him either. ... more

Carl and the Meaning of Life

Written by deborah freedman.

Reviewed by Ryan A. (age 9), Jack P. (age 8), Sebastian E. (age 9) & Hudson B. (age 9)

Have you ever wondered why you are here? We all have meaning in our life. This book is about an earthworm named Carl that wants to know the meaning of his life. He wants to know why he does what he does and why he’s here. He goes and asks all the animals ... more

Wilma Unlimited

Written by kathleen krull.

Reviewed by Brewer A. (age 9)

Have you ever given up on yourself? If you have then Wilma Rudolph is not like you. Wilma was a small young girl when at the age of 4 she was diagnosed with polio and scarlet fever. Her leg was paralyzed. That did not stop Wilma. One Sunday, the Rudolphs were ... more

Thanksgiving Cats

Written by jean marzollo.

Reviewed by MB5 (age 11)

In this story, cats grew corn, potatoes, peas, pumpkins and apples. They got milk from cows to make cheese and butter. They also made bread. The cats cooked some food and ate it. Then they took a nap and rested because they were so full and tired. When ... more

Written by Kathryn Stockett

Reviewed by Lauren P. (age 14)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett is about the black maids and white employers in Jackson Mississippi. This novel covers the racist and segregated ways of Jackson during the 1960’s . Ms Skeeter Phelan (a 23 year old white female) decides, in order to pursue her ... more

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Written by mo willems, reviewed by zachary p. (age 5).

This is a very funny story about a pigeon who really wants to drive the bus. All he could think about was driving the bus. He says "please" and cannot stop thinking about getting to drive the bus. He keeps making funny faces as he tries to get ... more

Abuela's Weave

Written by omar s. castaneda.

Reviewed by Ivan A. (age 10)

Once upon a time a girl named Esperansa was helping her grandma make clothes for la fiesta del pueblo (the town's party). Esperansa and her grandma worked day and night. The day came and Esperansa had to go to the town. She got on the bus, but when she ... more

Tending To Grace

Written by kimberly fusco.

Reviewed by Mecca J. (age 14)

Cornelia Thornhill's world seems to be slowly closing in on her. Problems from her past permanently damage her ability to show her inner-self and to express any feelings toward the world. In her mind she's a "bird tethered to the ground." With her ... more

"Here I Am!" said Smedley

Written by simon puttock, reviewed by jackson g. (age 8).

Smedley is a chameleon who is very shy and is almost always blending in. Then there is a new girl in class named Sally Skinky. She tells Smedley that he could enter the Big City Art Exhibition and win the big prize! You'll have to read the book to see what ... more

The Littles Get Trapped

Written by john peterson.

Reviewed by Yandeiris D. (age 9)

Imagine being only six inches tall! In this book The Littles are a family that is very small and they live in a house with humans called the Biggs. The Biggs don't know that the Littles live in the house. Tom and Lucy feel sorry for the Biggs cat because ... more

Smoke Screen

Written by amy goldman koss.

Reviewed by Lyndsay L. (age 11)

Have you ever told a big lie that keeps getting bigger and bigger? The girl in Smoke Screen did. It all started with a piece of cotton. Instead of telling the truth about her watery eye to the boy she has a crush on, Mitzi tells a lie about her mom that grows ... more

Here Comes the Strikeout

Written by leonard kessler.

Reviewed by Casey B. (age 7)

This story is about working hard every day. Bobby is a baseball player. He strikes out 21 times. Willy gives Bobby a bat to help him. Bobby begins to cry at home, so Willy helps him with his hitting. Bobby works hard and gets the game winning hit. My ... more

Written by David Green Burg

Reviewed by Armani B. (age 9)

Bugs is a funny book by David Greenburg. It is funny because it has people riding on spiders and jumping on spider webs as a jump house. The book Bugs shows things that you will never see a bug do in the real world. This book includes different types of bug. ... more

Military Planes: Flying Machines

Written by kelly baysura, reviewed by eiji r. (age 8).

The book Military Planes is about when the first war planes were made. In World War 1, the observer who sat in the back of the plane had to watch for enemy planes. Some planes had only one seat and others had two. There were many different kinds of war ... more

Angel in Charge

Written by julie delton, reviewed by gigi y. (age 10).

Do you believe a ten year old girl can be in charge of her brother and the house independently while her mother is away? An interesting fiction book Angel in Charge will tell you more about lovable siblings. Angel, a ten-year old girl, lived with her ... more

Anastasia at Your Service

Reviewed by Shae D. (age 10)

Anastasia at Your Service! The book that I read was Anastasia at Your Service. It was about a girl named Anastasia, of course. Anastasia wanted something very badly, but her parents said that from now on when she wanted something, she had to earn it. Anastasia ... more

The Girl Who Hated Books

Written by manjusha pawagi, reviewed by jamie l. (age 8) & duval m. (age 8).

This book is about a girl who hated books. Her name is Meena. There are books all over her house! Her parents read and read and READ! But Meena always said, "...I HATE BOOKS!" One day Meena called for her cat, Max. He didn't come, so she went ... more

Down On The Funny Farm

Written by p.e. king.

Reviewed by Matthew T. (age 6) & Courtney L. (age 7)

We picked this book because it looked funny. The story is about a farmer. The farmer said hello to the old man and then the old man sold a farm to him. The farmer went to the farm. The animals on the farm are acting like other animals. The chicken acts ... more

Henry and Mudge Take the Big Test

Written by cynthia rylant.

Reviewed by Raphael D. (age 6)

This book is about Henry and Mudge. Mudge is Henry’s 180-pound dog. Mudge wasn’t such a good listener, so Henry decided to send Mudge to day school. Henry got the idea from another man walking down the street with his dog. Henry tried to train Mudge, but ... more

Little Bulldozer

Written by beverly randell, reviewed by v.s. (age 7).

The Little Bulldozer went to look at the fire engine. The fire engine told him to go away. Little Bulldozer went away. He went to look at a big truck. He told the big truck that he likes helping. The big truck told him to go away. Everyone thought he was too ... more

My Louisiana Sky

Written by kimberly holt.

Reviewed by Emma G. (age 10)

"My Louisiana Sky" is about a girl named Tiger. But before I say anything you must know that Tiger's parents are mentally challenged and they are always embarrassing her. She is named Tiger because when her mom was little she had a cat named Tiger. ... more

Bat in the Waiting Room

Written by elana arnold.

Reviewed by Gabrielle L. (age 10)

Do you like fiction books? Then you would like a wonderful book called Bat and the Waiting Game it is about an autistic kid named Bixby Alexander Tam, also known as "Bat". He has a baby skunk has a pet named Thor. Bat has an older sister "Janie" but when ... more

Chasing Redbird

Written by sharon creech, reviewed by miranda p. (age 10).

Zinnia (Zinny) Taylor is an ordinary 13 year old girl who is just getting over her Aunt Jessie's death. When she uncovers an old and lost trail, she knows that looking for this trail is her new summer project. Working on the lost trail gave Zinny a place all ... more

How to Make Four Million Dollars by Next Thursday

Written by stephen manes.

Reviewed by Emily M. (age 9)

"Can a book really teach you how to make four million dollars by next Thursday?" Jason Nozzle thought so one day when he was walking home from school. He reached into his pocket and found that he had lost his allowance money! He searched EVERYWHERE ... more

Beezus and Ramona

Written by beverly cleary.

Reviewed by Olivia N. (age 9)

This book is so good I would give it four thumbs up! It is a funny book because Ramona is an impossible little sister and she ruins everything. The story is about two sisters fighting all through the book. Ramona is always getting on Beezus's nerves. ... more

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Toppsta - Childrens Books – Reviews

30th June 2024

Our Favourite New Children's Books this Month

Summer Reading

Historical Fiction Books for Kids

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Featured books & reviews.

Farrah Noorzad and the Ring of Fate

By Deeba Zargarpur

A 12-year-old girl discovers her true jinn heritage when a birthday wish gone wrong traps her father in a magical ring, sending her on an epic quest to free him. This richly imagined fantasy series inspired by Persian mythology and Islamic lore is filled with action, magic, and self-discovery.

1,000 Facts About Sharks

By Sarah Wassner Flynn

Dive into 1,000 sensational facts about these fierce and fascinating predators, from great whites to whale sharks, reef sharks, goblin sharks, and more! From the bizarre frilled shark to the wide-headed hammerhead, discover all you have ever wanted to know about sharks! Each page of this book is brimming with bite-sized facts, incredible shark stats, and unbelievable photos of sharks in the wild.  

The Last Comics on Earth: Too Many Villains!: From the Creators of the Last Kids on Earth

By Max Brallier, Joshua Pruett

Jack, June, Quint, and Dirk face their biggest challenge yet: creating the sequel to their hit graphic novel! And like all sequels, it must be BIGGER, BETTER, and PACKED WITH EVEN MORE NEAT STUFF! While the kids get to work, their superhero alter-egos make a startling discovery: supervillains do not come up with their own evil plans! The shocking truth? Every supervillain scheme comes from the mind of a single, mysterious bad guy.

Island of the Blue Dolphins

By Scott O'Dell

deafgirlhistory

Karana, the Indian girl who lived among with her people with her father; Chief Chowig and her siblings, older sister, Ulpane and younger brother Ramo. Her mother had died few years ago when this story had started. When the Russians, we had met Captain Olrov of Abeute. But during the fight on the beach, few men of Karana's people had fallen, never got up, died, and her father, Chowig was one of them. And shortly after, one boy, who Ulpane in love with, Nanko had warned them that the whites would capture them to the new place. And Ramo, a younger brother was killed by the wild dogs. Karana, was left alone, lived alone with her animals; late Rontu, new puppy, Rontu-Aru, Won-a-wee, etc. She also met one Abeute girl, Tutko. This story based on the true story of one Indian girl, Robinson Crusoe who lived alone. This story have little bit romance, drama, but also really heart-aching. - Happy Reading!

By Mark Goldblatt

zarkinpants

The characters in this book set during the 60's were amazingly memorable. We first hear about the main one, Julian Twerski, a Jewish-American kid living in New York. An interesting fact about him: he is a good sprinter. Another fact: he writes well. This is evidenced by the book you are reading about, which, we are told, was originally put in 9 composition books. As he informs us early on, he's been forced to write something long, on account of the mysterious deed he did over winter break(hint: it involves eggs); so every week or so, he adds 20 pages or so to his diary/book thing, and soon we are left with more than 2-and-a-half hundred pages. So, what exactly does he do during half a year? Mostly, he hangs out with his friends, whose names, as he tells us, are Lonnie, Quentin, Shlomo Shlomo, Eric The Red, and Howie Wartnose. He encounters a major dilemma, however, when his closest friend, Lonnie, tells him to not only WRITE a love letter for him but also to DELIVER the love letter. This amorous message goes to a girl named Jillian Rifkin, who has moved in from "somewhere like Ohio." The problems start when Jillian gets the idea that it was Julian's love note(I mean, he wrote and delivered it, after all.) Then she starts getting interested in him, and stuff happens between him and Lonnie. Sure, other things happen as well, but that's the main one. What stood out to me, at first, was "Twerp"'s casual tone, which was simple and informal, with all the 60's slang in it. The next thing that stood out to me was how the 1960s atmosphere was subtly brought in, through the use of slang words such as "razz" and "yakking it up." Even some of the characters' attitudes towards girls and African Americans. Not only did it have a straightforward style and such, "Twerp" also drew me in because of the relatability of Julian. He's always trying to impress his friends, keep his promises, and is (understandably) concerned about not being the fastest kid at school. However, the book has its minor flaws. For instance, at the end everything goes wrong, then gets right again, and also Julian gets really sentimental: it's sort of cliche. Also, as the whole reason for writing this was the Egg Incident, it was disappointing how it only really got mentioned in detail at the end. It's supposed to be the dark cloud of guilt overshadowing everything, but aside from very brief mentions near the beginning, it just seems like an excuse for Julian to begin talking about other stuff that happens to him. Still, it's an interesting premise, it just could have been done better. It's still a memorable book, and that's why I would recommend it to those connoisseurs of historical fiction set in modern times, especially for those who've read "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt (it's very similar).

Artemis Fowl

By Eoin Colfer

adventure0329

In Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, twelve year old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl discovers the existence of fairies living below the Earth's surface. Driven by a desire for the fairy peoples' gold, he hatches a dastardly plan to kidnap a fairy to exchange to said gold. However, the fairies, reluctant to part with their gold, are willing to go head to head with the teenage genius to save their friend, and protect their species from exposure. In this middle grade fantasy novel, Colfer spins together an exciting tale like never before. With insane plots, dastardly rescue missions, and youthful humor, the reader will be glued to the pages of this book until the end. (Which, as the series is eight novels long, may be quite some time.)

Enna Burning

By Shannon Hale

I was very surprised when I finished this book. Compared to its predecessor, this book is a lot more deep and intense. The previous book was all fairy tales and magic, so when I read this book, I was slightly shocked when it was so emotional and fierce. Enna Burning is from the point of view of Enna, who learned from her brother how to create and use fire. But because of fire her brother isn't here. He was consumed by it, and the same fate could happen to Enna if she doesn't learn how to control it. The descriptions were so profound and vivid, and the writing is like you were the one whose body is slowly giving up. I really liked the way it all unfolded, and I feel like this scenario could be symbolic to other hardships and prejudices we face today. It is quite the intense book, so I'd recommend it for readers 10+

Escaping the Giant Wave

By Peg Kehret

After reading the summary for this book, I was ready to dive in with some anticipation for a good book. To start off, the details and imagery in this book were creative and thoughtful. There was so much excitement in this novel, and it felt like the danger would never end. One thing, however, that I wish the book had was more time to develop. I felt that the whole plot was a bit rushed, and that by the end of the book, I didn't really know the characters better than when it had started. This book is less a story, and more an event to tell about, and that's why I feel like I enjoyed it less. It is an easy read, but might be mildly scary for younger readers, so I would recommend the book for ages 8+

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Best Children's Book Review Blogs in 2024

Showing 65 blogs that match your search.

Whispering Stories

https://www.whisperingstories.com/

Whispering Stories was established in 2015. We are a team of reviewers committed in providing professional, 100% honest, unbiased book reviews, for FREE. The majority of our reviews are for fictional books, including children’s books, (we do review non-fictional books too).

Blogger : Stacey

Genres : Children's

🌐 Domain authority: 28

👀 Average monthly visits: 6,000 p/mo

💌 Preferred contact method: Email

⭐️ Accepts indie books? Yes

Tales from Absurdia

https://talesfromabsurdia.com/

Tales from Absurdia is home to thought-provoking blogs, book reviews, and interviews spanning various genres.

Blogger : John

🌐 Domain authority: 3

👀 Average monthly visits: 101 p/mo

Lisa's Reading

https://lisasreading.com

Family-Friendly Book Reviews

Blogger : Lisa Ehrman

🌐 Domain authority: 30

👀 Average monthly visits: 3,000 p/mo

💌 Preferred contact method: Website contact form

Nothing But Picture Books

https://www.nbpbreviews.com/

We read and will read nothing but picture books. This blog is born from our passion for PBs. So let's jump into the depths of the world of PBs.

Blogger : NBPB Reviews

🌐 Domain authority: 1

👀 Average monthly visits: 100 p/mo

Fresh Fiction

http://freshfiction.com/

Many of the books for FreshFiction's reviews are unsolicited. We can't guarantee that a particular book will be reviewed (since we receive many more books than we can review), but review / advance copies are always welcome.

Blogger : The FF Team

🌐 Domain authority: 53

👀 Average monthly visits: 71,000 p/mo

💌 Preferred contact method: Mail

Adventures Of A Bibliophile

https://adventuresofabibliophile.com/

Publishers and authors: I am more than willing to review almost any kind of book, so please contact me via the email address below!

Blogger : Stephanie

🌐 Domain authority: 19

Beyond the Bookends

https://www.beyondthebookends.com/

Welcome to Beyond the Bookends, a blog for modern Moms who love to read and wish to inspire a love of reading in their children.

Blogger : Jackie and Kirsten

🌐 Domain authority: 16

Books In Brogan

http://booksinbrogan.com/

I enjoy reading somewhat eclectic range of book, but I especially enjoy reading paranormal, science fiction, fantasy and contemporary romance in both adult and YA books. I'm not a huge fan of horror I also don't read much erotica or anything overly graphic, abusive or with a blatant amount of excessive violence.

Blogger : Brogan

🌐 Domain authority: 11

Literary Titan

https://literarytitan.com/

We review books, conduct author interviews, and have monthly book awards.

Blogger : Thomas Anderson

👀 Average monthly visits: 12,000 p/mo

http://www.bookriot.com/

We're always interested in hearing about new books, but even with a stable of writers across book blogs we can't get to everything. So if you'd like to tell us about something, shoot us an email. Before sending something for consideration, take a look around the site to get a feel for who we are, who our readers are, and how we go about things. Bonus points will go to submissions that have looked at our contributors and can suggest which contributor might be a good fit for the book.

Blogger : Book Riot Contributors

🌐 Domain authority: 80

👀 Average monthly visits: 995,200 p/mo

Book and Bindings

http://booksandbindings.com

Books and Bindings specializes in reviewing FICTION, mainly women's fiction, spicy romances, cozy mysteries, some suspense, contemporary fiction, literary fiction, and some paranormal. But Empress DJ is not really a fan of horror or zombies. Zombies are just so tiresome — they are horrible conversationalists and only seem to want me for my brains. Review requests outside these genres will be up for consideration.

Blogger : Empress DJ

🌐 Domain authority: 34

👀 Average monthly visits: 5,000 p/mo

Indie Reader

http://indiereader.com/

There were over 391,000 books self-published in 2012. That's a lot of company (and competition!) for any author.åÊIndieReader offers the best value for reviews, bar none. IR's reviewers & some of the best in the field & will let you know if you've achieved what you set out to do. Charges may apply. IR also recommends titles to the HUFFINGTON POST and USA TODAY.

Blogger : The IndieReader Team

🌐 Domain authority: 49

👀 Average monthly visits: 15,000 p/mo

Bite into Books

http://www.biteintobooks.com/

Hi there! My name is Esther, I'm a 25 year old teacher from The Netherlands. Since I started this blog, I've been getting requests to review books. I've made you a Q&A to be sure we speak the same language.

Blogger : Esther

🌐 Domain authority: 23

Independent Book Review

https://independentbookreview.com/

Independent Book Review is a celebration of small press and self-published books.

Blogger : Joseph

🌐 Domain authority: 21

👀 Average monthly visits: 2,500 p/mo

The Children's Book Review

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/

The Children's's Book Review, named one of the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children's) Great Web Sites for Kids, is a resource devoted to Children's's literature and literacy. We publish reviews and book lists of the best books for kids of all ages. We also produce author and illustrator interviews and share literacy based articles that help parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians to grow readers.

Blogger : The Children's's Book Review

🌐 Domain authority: 50

👀 Average monthly visits: 94,900 p/mo

⭐️ Accepts indie books? No

So you want to find a book blog?

If you’re a voracious reader, you might think of a book blog as an oasis in the middle of the desert: a place on the Internet that brims with talk about books, books, and more books.

Well, good news — we built this directory of the 200 of the best book blogs  to satiate your thirst. Take a walk around, use the filters to narrow down your search to blogs in your preferred genre, and feel free to bookmark this page and come back, as we do update it regularly with more of the best book blogs out there. 

If you’re an aspiring author, you might see a book blog more as a book review blog: a place where you can get your yet-to-be published book reviewed. In that case, you’ll be glad to know that most of the book blogs in our directory are open to review requests and accept indie books! We expressly designed this page (and our book marketing platform, Reedsy Discovery ) to be useful to indie book authors who need book reviews. If you’re wondering how to approach a book blog for a review request, please read on. 

You’ve found a book blog. Now what? 

Let’s say that you’re an author, and you’ve found a couple of book blogs that would be perfect fits to review your book. What now? Here are some tips as you go about getting your book reviews:

• Be sure to read the review policy. First, check that the book blog you’re querying is open to review requests. If that’s the fortunate case, carefully read the blog’s review policy and make sure that you follow the directions to a T.  
• Individualize your pitches. Book bloggers will be able to immediately tell apart the bulk pitches, which simply come across as thoughtless and indifferent. If you didn’t take the time to craft a good pitch, why should the blogger take the time to read your book? Personalize each pitch to up your chances of getting a response. 
• Format your book in a professional manner before sending it out. Ensure that your manuscript isn’t presented sloppily. If the book blogger asks for a digital ARC, you might want to check out apps such as Instafreebie or Bookfunnel. 
• Create a spreadsheet to track your progress. Wading through so many book blogs can be troublesome — not to mention trying to remember which ones you’ve already contacted. To save yourself the time and trouble, use a simple Excel spreadsheet to keep track of your progress (and results). 

Looking to learn even more about the process? Awesome 👍 For a detailed guide, check out this post that’s all about getting book reviews. 

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Editors' Pick: The Top 15 Kidlit and YA Book Review Sites

Book review sites offer a great marketing opportunity.  A favorable mention on a book review blog can go a long way toward promoting your book. But how do you know which blogs to submit to when there are hundreds to choose from? We’re here to help. We sifted through the lists and chose 15 review blogsbook review sites based on the size of each blog’s following, frequency of posts, the quality of the reviews, and their willingness to receive submissions. Before sending review copies, be sure to study each blog’s submission policies (which may change from week to week, so verify right before sending anything), and the tastes of the editors.

OUR FAVORITE CHILDREN’S & YOUNG ADULT BOOK REVIEW SITES:

What’s being reviewed: Books for infants through young adults. Also posts author and illustrator interviews, and book giveaways. While the regular reviews are done at no charge to the author or publisher, the Dedicated Review program ($195-$295) guarantees you a professional and non-biased book review with a minimum word count of 250 words.

Why we love it:  Clean layout makes it especially user-friendly for parents seeking good books.  Excellent author interviews.   A superb resource.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner   The Children’s Book Review  

What’s being reviewed: Fiction and nonfiction for infants through age 13. Aimed at parents choosing books for their children. Does not accept self-published books at this time.

Why we love it:  Large library of concise reviews.  “If You Liked This Book, Try…” section gives parents easy to more good books tailored for their children’s needs.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner    The Reading Tub

What’s being reviewed: The hottest books, gifts, gear, food, home products and other cool stuff for babies, kids and moms. Is especially interested in books by indie authors and small presses that are unique, quirky, or fill a niche. Browse the site’s archives to see the tastes of the editors.

Why we love it:  Well-written reviews are cleanly laid-out, giving nice interior glimpses of each book.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner    Cool Mom Picks

What’s being reviewed: This large network of readers from the US and around the world review self-published books for adults and children. Books must be available electronically. Submission form on website. Charges a $20 processing fee on all ebooks submitted for review. Also check out the  Indie Brag Kids Blog

Why we love it:  Provides a much-needed curation service for self-published books.   Networked reviews help separate the wheat from the chaff.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Indie Brag

What’s being reviewed: Four reviewers (all moms) review al l genres of fiction for readers aged 9-18 with an eye toward helping parents choose books for their kids. Requires that books have a 10 digit ISBN number and be available on Amazon.com. At this time does not accept self-published books or short story collections, and e-books are subject to reviewer’s discretion. 

Why we love it:   Cleverly laid-out, and the suggested reading function is extraordinarily useful.  Also allows visitor input.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner   Story Snoops

What’s being reviewed: M iddle-grade fiction from traditional publishers only, preferably those which are recently published or soon will be. Accepts print books and Advance Review Copies only.

Why we love it:  A real labor of love from people who truly care about middle grade books and their readers.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner    Project Mayhem: The Manic Minds of Middle Grade Writers

What’s being reviewed:    Middle grade or YA books, or books that would appeal to YA’s.   No self-published or picture books.  Prefers hard copy.

Why we love it:   In-depth and insightful reviews with with a strong critical eye.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner    The Librarian Who Doesn’t Say SHHH!

What’s being reviewed:  Young adult (preferred) and new adult. Genres of interest: fantasy/sci-fi, paranormal, dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic, LGBT, contemporary romance. “I am a proud supporter of small press and self-published authors. I am open to doing author interviews, guest posts, giveaways, and blog tours.”

Why we love it: Has a lovely, personal feel about it, and we appreciate Kristen’s willingness to help lesser-known authors spread the word about their work.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Pretty Little Pages

What’s being reviewed:  Dystopian, sci-fi, paranormal, fantasy, horror, chick lit, clean romance, nonfiction (photography/art/architecture/technology/craft books and magazines), graphic novels, illustrated children’s books. Accepts print and ebooks. Also will do author interviews and accepts guest posts.

 Why we love it:  A warm, personal blog from a reader with eclectic and interesting tastes.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Doodles, Doodles Everywhere

What’s being reviewed: Fiction for middle grade and young adult readers. Accepts review copies from publishers only.

Why we love it:  Insightful reviews from a smart youth librarian.  We also enjoy the many author interviews on the site.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Green Bean Teen Queen

What’s being reviewed:  Books, games and movies for children of all ages.

Why we love it:   Created by a non-partisan advocacy group, this is an ambitious project to provide a clearinghouse of information for parents about the media their children consume. Extremely user-friendly and comprehensive.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Commonsense Media

What’s being reviewed: Books for children, parents, and fiction of interest to women. Reviews apps, electronics, TV shows, movies and food products. Holds product giveaways and contests.

Why we love it:  Proprietress Sarah’s work with the developmentally disabled gives her a unique take and much-needed perspective on books about autism and other disabilities.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Bookroom Reviews

What’s Being Reviewed:  Interactive children’s picture book apps. Each app is thoroughly evaluated by the site’s staff and given a comprehensive review.

Why we love it :  A terrific voice for an exploding segment of children’s publishing.  In addition to their own reviews, the site re-posts reviews from a variety of children’s app review sites, making this a one-stop source for app readers.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  Digital-Storytime

What’s being reviewed: Young adult fiction, especially realistic fiction, historical, paranormal, chick lit and fantasy. Accepting books from publishers only.

Why we love it:   Wonderfully-written reviews from a  middle school library media specialist.  Funny, honest and smart.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  YA Bibliophile

What’s being reviewed: Two librarians review nonfiction for children ages 5-18. Accepts review copies from publishers. Why we love it:  The bloggers’ enthusiasm for nonfiction is utterly infectious, and their reviews do justice to the often thrilling subject matter contained in youth nonfiction.  A simply outstanding resource.

 Visit Our Book Review Sites Winner  The Nonfiction Detectives

So, who did we miss?  Use the comments section to tell us about other great book review sites…

The Difference Between Middle Grade & Young Adult

Young Adult Authors: Here’s Where to Find Your Readers Online

More to Explore!

June 24th by Laura Backes

Hi, I review a wide variety of books written for children from picture books to young adult on my blog, The Bumpy Road To Writing For Children. http://www.debhockenberry.com/the-bumpy-road-to-writing-for-children.html .

Thanks Deb, for letting our readers know about your blog!

The Whole Megillah reviews children’s (and adult) books of Jewish content: picture books, fiction, nonfiction. Hard copies preferred. http://thewholemegillah.wordpress.com

Awake at Midnight reviews mid-grade and YA books that specifically have a scary or mystery theme: http://www.awakeatmidnight.com

Howdy very nice site!! Guy .. Excellent .. Superb .. I’ll bookmark your site and take the feeds additionally?I am happy to find a lot of helpful info right here within the publish, we’d like work out more techniques in this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .

Hiya. I just want to say a big thank you for this list, it’s great and has saved me from trawling the internet – an experience that is rarely rewarding!

I wonder when I’ll be brave enough to submit my new books for review. You think they’d bother with chapter books? Some are just around 2.5k words each… (though I like to think they are more about quality than quantity ;-).

Anyway, thanks again!

Yes, I think some reviewers would be interested in seeing your chapter book. You never know until you try! Good luck!

I review children’s books for 5-13 year olds. I’m on twitter @minervamoan and review both fiction and non-fiction

website is http://www.MinervaReads.com

Thanks for bringing some new review sites to my attention. I especially adore Cool Mom Picks. I work with a talented team of reviewers covering both fiction and nonfiction books. We review books for ages 0-18 with an emphasis on picture and middle grade titles. We love doing Q&As as well as giveaways, too. Find us at http://www.goodreadswithronna.com

Thanks for letting us post links to our blogs. We are a family of readers who love to read and review books. We have recently shifted our focus to more kid lit and we are looking for more children’s books to review. We review picture books to YA. We don’t mind indie or self-published books as long as a professional editor has seen them first. We also share articles pertinent to families, recent post: http://www.thestubbypencilreviews.com/2015/02/7-ways-to-raise-happy-reader.html

My name is Phoebe, and I’m 10 years old. I love to read books. ALL kinds of books! I also love to write. That’s why I started this book review blog when I was 9. I thought it would fun to combine both of my interests and share it with everyone. You can see my latest reviews at http://www.phoebesbookshelf.com/ .

Thank you for sharing your review blog with us Phoebe. Your reviews are very insightful!

Feeling awesome after checking out your list of Top 15 children and YA book review blogs, looking out for them from quite a while.

Thanks for sharing!

Here is are 2 kidlit book review blogs to think about when making next year’s list.

Kid Lit Reviews has been reviewing kids books for nearly five years. Books for ages infant to age 13 can be found there. Reviews are well written, honest, and fair. Reviews for all major publishers.

http://kid-lit-reviews.coom

AND, though no one likes to help the competition, I’ll make exception because this kidlit site is worth mentioning.

This Kid Reviews Books is a book review site that reviews mostly middle grade but also picture books. It was started by nine-year-old Erik, who is now 13. His reviews are fantastic and well written. For a kid’s point of view, there is no site better than Erik’s. He also reviews all major publishers.

http://thiskidreviewsbooks.com

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KidLit Reviewers: Book Bloggers Who Review Children's Books

KidLit Reviewers

Book bloggers who review children's books.

I'm a mum and so always on the look out for books that my kids might enjoy reading. Other parents who know about my love of books, often ask me for reading suggestions for their kids too. I'm therefore always happy to discover new children's books for all ages.

Want me to review your children's book? Get in touch

When I'm not reading and reviewing other people's books, I'm also an author and illustrator . One of the genres I specialise in is children's books. You can find all the links and info about my books here . 

But enough about me, Let's take a look at some of the other awesome book bloggers out there who promote the Kid Lit genre and spread the love of reading for the younger audiences. 

You might also like:  64 Book Bloggers Who Work With Indie Authors

Children's Book Reviewers

@theartsyreader1  

https://theartsyreader.com/

https://stoomio.com/

https://theyoungpressblogger.wordpress.com/

https://bitchbookshelf.com/

https://www.whisperingstories.com/

https://storysnug.com/

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12 comments.

Love this list! Also want to shout out Ragamuffin Books at ragamuffinbooks.home.blog. They are one of my faves!

Great shout out. Nice to come across more book reviewers who review children's books.

Thank you Jo for including me. Lovely list of children's books reviewers.

My pleasure. Love your blog.

Thank you for including us in this amazing list :) I've got a few new bloggers to check out thanks to this!

You're very welcome Megan. Your blog is awesome. Glad you found some new book bloggers to follow too 😊

Thanks for including me. 💜

My pleasure Kate 💖

This is lovely of you to have put together

It's always nice to find more book bloggers that review specific genres so I'm planning on doing posts like this of each genre.

Love the list Jo. Glad to see so many familiar names

Thanks 😊 Some awesome book bloggers out there.

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The Picture Book Review

Reviews of children's board books, picture books, activity books, and graphic novels.

Giveaway May 15th to May 23rd: Bubble Wrap Girl by Kari van Wakeren and Illustrated by CA Nobens

May 15, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

Bubble Wrap Girl does a great job with the wish to protect our kids and runs with it in the best of ways.

Categories: Picture Books , Picture Books about Bravery , Picture Books about Overcoming Obstacles • Tags: bubble wrap , Children's Books , Picture Book , Picture Books

Interview with Toni Buzzeo on her personal mission, how research drives her writing process, and what’s essential for her creative life.

May 13, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

Toni Buzzeo author of many, many excellent picture books was kind enough to talk to me about her new book When Sue Found Sue and a bit about writing in general. I’m thrilled and so grateful she was able to take some time and answer my questions. I hope you enjoy!

Categories: 2019 , Biography , Nonfiction , Nonfiction Picture Books , Picture Books , Picture Books about Careers , Picture Books about Women • Tags: Interview , paleontologist , Picture Book , Picture Books , sue hendrickson , women

What Are You Doing, Benny? by Cary Fagan and Kady Macdonald Denton

May 10, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

In What Are You Doing, Benny? author Cary Fagan and artist Kady MacDonald Denton join together to tell the story of two brothers, their power dynamics, why NO is a limiting word, and why YES is such a better word to use instead.

Categories: 2019 , Canada , Picture Books about Behavior , Picture Books about Siblings • Tags: Canada , Picture Book , Picture Books , Recommended Picture Books , siblings

Giveaway May 8th to May 16th at Midnight! POP-UP SHAKESPEARE by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor and Amazing Pop-Upness Artwork by Jeannie Maizels

May 8, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

POP-UP Shakespeare contains an incredible amount of information and tons of interesting facts. Our authors have a great sense of humor, respect, and irreverence for Shakespeare. It’s a non-fiction book completely, but the guys are not afraid to give their opinion — and I love it all.

Categories: Biography , Humor , Nonfiction Picture Books , Picture Books , pop-up picture book , Shakespeare • Tags: Picture Book , Picture Books , Shakespeare , theater

The Cook and the King by Julia Donaldson and Illustrated by David Roberts

May 7, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

The Cook and the King pokes fun at itself, at people, at authority, at the excuses we make, at how the obvious thing can be so hard to see, and how we so easily give others credit for things we do ourselves — but that’s all secondary. The first and foremost agenda of this book is to have fun with language, to show us gorgeous illustrations, to make us laugh, and to enjoy the magnificence that is the picture book medium.

Categories: 2019 , Fantastic Read Alouds , Picture Books about Cooks , Picture Books about Kings • Tags: Picture Book , Picture Books , Recommended Forensics Piece for Storytelling

Out Now: I AM HERMES! Mischief-Making Messenger of the Gods by Mordicai Gerstein

April 22, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

I truly cannot recommend I AM HERMES! highly enough. The energy, the pacing, the illustrations, the twists and surprises, the length of the book, that it’s told from Hermes’ perspective, the graphic-novel-in-a-picture-book format, the fact that it is completely hilarious, and how much you learn when reading it — is all brilliant.

Categories: 2019 , Humor , Picture Books , Picture Books about Greek Mythology • Tags: Books , greek myths , myths , Picture Book , Picture Books

Out Today! Trees: A Rooted History by Piotr Socha and Wojciech Grajkowski

April 9, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

In Trees: A Rooted History, the illustrations on each page are so carefully and delicately crafted that they give us a transcendent-like visual experience that evokes a sense of wonder and awe.

I’m deeply impressed with how this book uses the picture book format to translate the beauty and magnificence of trees in such a way that gives us a new perspective and new appreciation. The art deftly indulges our eyes and focuses our attention on how incredible trees are.

Categories: 2019 , Children's Books , Nonfiction , Nonfiction Picture Books , Nonfiction Picture Books about Trees , Picture Books , Picture Books about Nature • Tags: Nonfiction , Picture Books , Polish , trees

Animal Noses by Mary Holland

April 5, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

In Animal Noses, readers will enjoy the large, clear, and enchanting photographs of a wide range of animals and the interesting facts about animal noses and their sense of smell that are placed alongside them. Engaging questions are dotted between facts that have children looking, guessing, and excitedly calling out what they think the answer might be.

Categories: 2019 , Nonfiction , Nonfiction Picture Books , Nonfiction Picture Books about Animals • Tags: animal noses , Animals , Books , Nonfiction , Picture Book , Picture Books

The Beauty of My Skin by Cecily Cline Walton and Illustrated by Alyssa Liles-Amponsah

April 4, 2019 by The Picture Book Review

Like a deep breath, this book is short but puts you in the right frame of mind by gently reminding its readers that they, and the skin that envelopes them, are truly beautiful.

Categories: Picture Books , Picture Books about Beauty , Picture Books about Self-Acceptance , Picture Books about Skin tone • Tags: beauty , Picture Book , Picture Books , self-acceptance

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And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps

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And Then, Boom! features a winsome protagonist who suddenly finds himself abandoned.

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*Mercy Watson is Missing! by Kate DiCamillo

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What could possibly entice Mercy Watson to wander away from home? And who will help Mr. and Mrs. Watson recover their beloved porcine pet? Mercy…

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*Indescribable Atlas Adventures by Louie Giglio

Indescribable Atlas Adventures is a large format picture book full of interesting details about the world God made, including people, places, and animals.

Who Are You? by Christina Fox

Who Are You? explores the roots of identity in a way accessible to preschoolers.

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Books for Kids and Grown Ups

22 Best Kid Lit Blogs to Follow

If you love “kid lit” (children’s literature) like I do, you’ll love these best kid lit blogs!

Anyone who knows me or reads this blog knows how much I adore children’s literature. Honestly, my reasons for loving the genre would make for a reasonably long essay. But that is not today’s topic of discussion. Today, I’m sharing five of my current top kid lit blogs. Obviously, “top” is subjective, but I do love these blogs, their focus on children’s books, and their consistency in this labor of love that is blogging.

This post focuses on picture book, chapter book, and middle-grade bloggers. Some of these bloggers do read the occasional YA or adult novel, but young kid lit is their main event. My favorite posts to read on book blogs are book reviews and author interviews, and these top kid lit blogs have a MASSIVE archive of reviews.

If you’re a parent, teacher, or just plain kid lit lover, here are some more blogs to follow, STAT.

[bctt tweet=”Here are 22 of my favorite kid lit bloggers to follow — these wonderful bloggers have a MASSIVE archive of reviews.” username=”afomaumesi”]

This Picture Book Life

Focus: Picture books

Danielle Davis is the author of the quirky middle-grade novel, Zinnia and the Bees. She also runs the cute picture book blog, This Picture Book Life . On her blog, Danielle shares her favorite picture books , cool interviews with booksellers, authors and illustrators, and even book-related DIY crafts .

The Story Sanctuary

Focus: Middle grade and young adult

Run by Kasey Giard, The Story Sanctuary has been sharing reviews since 2013. My favorite thing about Kasey’s site is the content scale she provides in every review. She includes everything from recommended ages to language and sexual content — very important for young and/or sensitive readers.

Nerdy Book Club

Nerdy Book Club is run by four educators, and I have to say, I absolutely love their site! Besides posting consistently, they share author essays, book reviews, book lists and lots of other fantastic content . If you want to stay up to date with new books while still getting a dose of backlist titles, this is your go-to blog.

Ms. Yingling Reads

Focus: Middle grade

Ms. Yingling is a voracious reader and prolific reviewer ; she posts a review practically every day! While I often wish she would rate more books higher on Goodreads, I love her actual reviews! She always shares strengths and weaknesses and whether she would purchase the book for her school library. I also love that she seems to have read almost every middle-grade book in existence — it’s rare that I run into one she’s yet to read!

Happily Ever Elephants

Focus: Picture books and middle grade

Lauren is an attorney turned library media specialist and mom to two little boys. I love her enthusiastic reviews of middle-grade books and her passion for helping parents raise readers . If you’re a parent looking for tips in that regard, you’ll enjoy Lauren’s site!

Blazer Tales

Laurie is a K-6 teacher and voracious reader who shares detailed book reviews on her website. She also includes grade and reading level recommendations for each book. I love that she categorizes all her reads to make her site easier to navigate.

MG Book Village

Focus: Middle-grade books

MG Book Village is run by a group of teachers and librarians, including author Jarett Lerner. The website covers author interviews, book reviews, author essays, and even tips for writers from writers. It’s honestly a dream of a site — and highly underrated too!

Teachers Who Read

Teachers Who Read is another middle-grade book blog run by a group of teachers. They feature fun reviews of books for third-, fourth-, fifth-grade, and junior high students as well as author spotlights. My favorite posts are the regular “It’s Monday, What Are You Reading?” ones.

Literacious

Focus: Children’s literature (from picture books to YA)

Laura, a former librarian turned library director runs the Literacious blog. The blog features book reviews, activities, and book lists interspersed with the occasional lifestyle post.

Here Wee Read

Focus: Mostly picture books and chapter books with the occasional middle-grade book

Charnaie is a longtime book blogger who shares the diverse books she reads with her kids. Her site is a hub of reading activities as well as some lifestyle content.

Chattering Librarian

The Chattering Librarian blog shares book lists nearly every week! Her lists are always creative and practical.

Watch. Connect. Read. (Mr. Schu Reads)

Focus: Picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade novels.

Mr. Schu is a renowned kid lit blogger known for cover reveals, book trailers, and author interviews. His site is always a delight.

Cece Librarian

Focus: Picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade

Cece is an elementary school librarian who’s also on MG Book Village Review team. On her blog, she review picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade books.

Imagination Soup

Melissa is a prolific kid lit blogger known for her awesome comprehensive book lists. She’s a former teacher and literacy trainer.

Bridget and the Books

Focus: Chapter books and middle-grade books

Bridget is a fifth-grader who writes simple book reviews and shares fun author interviews. I look forward to her posts and love her unique way of engaging with books.

Beagles and Books

Beagles and Books features weekly children’s books reviews, from picture books to middle-grade novels. Plus, you’ll get a cute Beagle in every photo (if you’re into that sort of thing).

Samantha Cronin’s Kid Lit Library

Samantha is a teacher and reader who shares her thoughts on books as well as additional resources for parents and teachers.

Books. Iced Lattes. Blessed.

Focus: Middle-grade

Sierra is a teacher and new blogger who shares mostly middle-grade book reviews and book lists. You’ll also find the occasional life update and coffee chat!

Randomly Reading

Focus: Picture books, middle-grade

Alex is a former NYC fourth-grade teacher. On her blog, she shares reviews of books for kids and adults, but mostly kid lit.

Kid Lit Frenzy

Alyson Beecher is an educator who shares thoughts mostly on picture books. However, you will find the occasional MG review.

Kristi’s Book Nook

Picture book lovers will enjoy Kristi’s Book Nook as she reviews a diverse selection.

Books in the Middle

A group of reviewers regularly share their thoughts on a variety of middle-grade books.

These are my go-to reviewers for kid lit. I hope to round up a few other great bloggers in the young adult and adult categories soon. But I’m always looking for new bloggers to follow, so if you have any recommendations, they’ll be welcomed.

This post has been updated for May 2020.

[bctt tweet=”If you love kid lit  like I do, you’ll love these top kid lit blogs!” username=”afomaumesi”]

Love kid lit? Check out my book reviews:

• Middle-grade book reviews
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Who are your best kid lit bloggers?

📌 Pin This – 22 Best Kid Lit Blogs (Middle-Grade & Picture Books)

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• About Afoma Umesi

Afoma Umesi is the founder and editor of Reading Middle Grade where she curates book lists and writes book reviews for kids of all ages. Her favorite genre to read is contemporary realistic fiction and she'll never say no to a graphic novel.

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Reader Interactions

What do you think leave a comment cancel reply.

May 31, 2019 at 10:11 am

Bookmarking this article for my daughter and myself actually. 😉

May 31, 2019 at 4:24 pm

YES! You’ll love them! 🙂

January 23, 2020 at 12:32 pm

I didn’t know all of these, so thank you very much for introducing me to them!

January 26, 2020 at 7:05 am

Oh, it’s my pleasure, Nicole 🙂

March 1, 2020 at 11:47 pm

Thank you for reading my blog Afoma. I enjoy reading yours too and I can’t wait to check out the others you mentioned 😊

March 31, 2020 at 4:03 pm

Hi Cece! It’s a pleasure! Happy reading 🙂

March 31, 2020 at 4:04 pm

It’s my pleasure, Nicole 🙂

February 4, 2020 at 2:41 pm

Awesome list! A lot of new ones I have never heard of.

Ah, my pleasure, enjoy!

June 3, 2020 at 1:09 pm

Great list, thanks Afoma. Happy I found your site!

June 3, 2020 at 1:52 pm

Thanks, AJ!

June 11, 2020 at 7:40 pm

Excellent resource! You can see many of these and more each Monday where I host Marvelous Middle Grade Monday. It’s a weekly list of who has a review, interview, and/or a giveaway targeting middle grade.

June 13, 2020 at 5:47 am

Hi Greg, thank you so much! I’m hoping to join the MMGM train one of these days. Thank you for your work in highlighting middle-grade book blogs!

June 20, 2020 at 11:50 pm

Hi I am a 12 year old and I review children and middle grade books I would love to be added to the list if you don’t mind ! https://thecosycorner1788007.wordpress.com/

June 21, 2020 at 5:25 pm

Hi Krisha! Thanks for reading. I just checked out your blog – well done! I’ll be sure to keep you in mind when next I update this post.

July 6, 2020 at 1:00 am

Thanks ! I do not know why I did not get a nonfication when you replied

July 21, 2020 at 2:07 pm

Thanks for mentioning me! I actually use the official Goodreads designations (if you hover over the stars, there’s a pop up box that explains them), so most things get three stars. And just for the record, I have posted a book review every single day since 1 January 2012!

July 22, 2020 at 3:08 am

Thanks for explaining your rating system 🙂 And WOW, 2012 is almost 10 years of reviewing! Well done 🙂

July 23, 2020 at 2:26 am

Great list.

July 24, 2020 at 9:38 am

As a children’s literature blogger myself, it’s so fun to see old favorites featured and discover new to me faces too. Thank you for sharing this list.

July 24, 2020 at 10:41 am

My pleasure, Jodi! Your blog is beautiful! I’ll note it as one to add during my update. Thanks for reading 🙂

August 2, 2020 at 4:29 pm

This was so helpful, Afoma. I’m a former teacher now into teaching social media, specializing in children’s book authors. Thanks for sharing. ❤️

September 27, 2020 at 8:34 am

Thanks for mentioning me! I’ve been following your reviews for a little while now and love to hear your take!

September 28, 2020 at 8:03 am

It’s my pleasure 🙂

May 26, 2021 at 3:04 am

You have really very great kids lit. Thanks for sharing these interesting blogs list. Please keep sharing more posts. Along with this, if you have need of any service like book marketing or book publishing. Then visit our website.

https://tellwell.com.au/

October 12, 2022 at 5:43 pm

Thank you for the mention! I’m also a fan of yours!

October 13, 2022 at 6:23 am

Ahhh, thank you!!

December 26, 2023 at 7:34 pm

Don’t just teach your kids to read, teach them to question what they read. Teach them to question everything.

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How to Get Book Reviews (15 Places Free)

Whether you realize it or not, you likely use reviews in your day-to-day life. they can help you make decisions about the things you’re curious or unsure about. It’s why we listen to our friends when they recommend a movie, or why we scroll through Yelp before we try a new restaurant. Before you invest your hard-earned time and money, you want an idea of what you’re about to get yourself into. Book reviews are no different, and this is why the information we are covering here will help you find where to look.

Sure, you know your book is amazing, but what about everyone else? Readers are on the search for reliable and trustworthy people to review the books they may be interested in reading. Unfortunately, as the obviously biased author, they’re not interested in hearing from you. That means you need someone else (hint: you need a book reviewer!).

The fact is, book reviews are a necessity for every author looking for an unbiased opinion on their book baby. So, if you don’t think you need book reviews, think again. Book reviews boost the credibility of your book. Not to mention that reviews are a great way to bring in new readers through word of mouth.

Often, the success of your book will depend on the reviews you receive. Think about it: if your friends keep recommending the latest book, TV show, or movie, aren’t you more likely to check it out? That’s why you can’t afford to ignore the power of getting reviews for your book.

Table of Contents

How to Find Book Reviews

As much as we’d love for readers to come flocking to our books on their own, the reality is that usually, we have to spread the word ourselves in order to bring in new readers.   Still, don’t stress too much about finding readers! In most cases, readers are more than happy to review your book and eager to read something new.  If you scour the internet for reviewers, you will find that some of the best places to easily find book reviewers are on sites like Goodreads, Amazon, and different social media.

But here is a word of caution: most of the reviewers have stipulations when it comes to reviews so here are some dos and don’ts for you to be aware of:

Dos and Don’ts of Getting Book Reviews

There are a few rules when it comes to asking for and receiving book reviews. Think of these dos and don’ts as helpful guidelines that can make the process simpler for both the author and book reviewer.

Do understand the reviewer’s specifications. Learn what they accept and what does not interest them. This will save both you and the reviewer any future frustration. 

Don’t waste their time. Reviewers are busy people, so get straight to the point in your query message. Don’t forget to share how your book can benefit them. Do send a free book copy. It’s a courtesy to send the book to your reviewer for free!

Don’t be unprofessional. It’s okay to be friendly, but remember not to overstep your bounds. Instead, include your full name and your website and social media links.  

Do be considerate. Learn about the reviewer by reading their website or past reviews. If you want them to make time for you, it helps to know a little about them. 

Don’t request that the reviewer purchase your book. This looks bad and inconsiderate to the reviewer, who is already taking the time to read your book. 

Don’t assume a reviewer will accept your book based on a quick conversation on social media. They may have liked your Instagram or Twitter post, but that doesn’t mean they’re interested in your book. 

Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to a promising relationship between author and book reviewer!

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Where can i get book reviews.

A few years ago, I wrote an article, where I discuss the dos and don’ts of requesting reviews in more detail. Having written several reviews and sent many requests to reviewers, I know how hard it can be to get them.

As I worked on my first non-fiction, Book Reviews: Understanding the Psychology Behind Them and How to Get Readers to Leave a Review , I went deep to curate a list of legitimate ways to get book reviews (in the manuscript, you will get access to a bonus 200+ websites).

When researching the review outlets, I focused on places where indie publications have a voice—although this list may serve traditionally published books as well.

Some of these outlets may be familiar to you. Others may provide a broader perspective on how to approach reviews. The choices range from free editorial reviews to paid reviews and social media. Whatever the case, I hope this can be a starting point for you, indie authors, in different genres.

With that said, let’s get down to business.

You may also like: How to Self-Publish Children’s Books Without Crushing Your Spirits (A Comprehensive Guide)

Free book review sites, affaire de coeur.

Affaire de Coeur is a bi-monthly literary magazine that has been around for 34 years. Based in the San Francisco Bay area, it reviews works from a variety of genres, including historical, contemporary, paranormal, erotica, young adults, non-fiction novels, and more.

Accepted reviews might be featured in the next available print issue based on the book release date. Keep in mind, though, that availability is limited. Here are Affaire de Coeur submission guidelines .

American Book Review

The American Book Review is a bimonthly publication that has been around for more than 30 years. It reviews disregarded works of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction from small presses. It gives strong emphasis to literary and cultural pieces. And although it critiques non-fiction pieces, it does not review self-help and how-to books. Here are ABR submission guidelines .

Booklife by Publishers Weekly

The “Booklife” is the section of Publishers Weekly dedicated to self-published authors. Submission is competitive because it evaluates submissions for traditional and self-published books following the same standards. Here are the Booklife submission guidelines .

Compulsive Reader

This is a must-check. The Compulsive Reader has been around the block since 2001 and counts on an extensive portfolio of prolific reviewers. For the most part, it emphasizes works of poetry and literary fiction but also features in-depth reviews on a variety of book genres and music. Here are Compulsive Reader submission guidelines .

Rain Taxi Review of Book

A quarterly print committed to championing high-quality literature, Rain Taxi Review of Books reviews work neglected by the main media, including fiction, poetry, nonfiction (except self-help, business), art, graphic novels, and on occasion, children, young adult, and audiobooks. This one is worth consideration. Here are RTRB submission guidelines .

Readers’ Favorite Book Review and Award Contest

Readers’ Favorite is another must-see resource. With more than 1,000 reviewers, it reviews published and unpublished books, ebooks, and other manuscripts in more than 100 genres. Once you submit your book, it is uploaded to a database where reviewers can choose what they want to read. There is no guarantee that all books will be picked for review, but for the author that needs a guarantee, it offers a service called “expedited review,”  for a fee.

Authors also have a chance to participate in the book giveaway program and other neat and exclusive features from the site.

Furthermore, different from other services, Readers’ Favorite doesn’t give reviews below 4 and 5 stars. If reviewers read a book they feel is not worth an outstanding rate, they write a constructive note to the author. The idea is to help the author improve their craft, instead of bringing down the book.

Here are Readers’ Favorite submission guidelines .

The Los Angeles Review of Books

The Los Angeles Review of Books is a non-profit organization, with a mission to recreate a new concept of book reviews for the digital era. It welcomes any long-form of authoritative, captivating writing and accepts works of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction.

Here are LARB submission guidelines .

The New York Review of Books

The New York Review of Books is an independent literary magazine that has been around since 1963. Highly regarded for bringing a critical and substantial perspective of the arts, the journal counts on a diversified roster of writers, and it reviews books in multiple genres.

Here are the NYRB submission guidelines .

Celebrating art and authenticity, The Rumpus showcase reviews of the most diverse genres as well as essays, interviews, music, film, and comics. It also champions the work of unknown authors or those overlooked by the mainstream media.

Here are The Rumpus submission guidelines .

Barnes & Noble Review

The Barnes & Noble Review is an online magazine that evaluates works of fiction and non-fiction and gives voice to a wide range of essays, interviews, and other topics. Here is the B&N Review information .

Paid Review Sites

Kirkus reviews.

Kirkus Reviews has been around since 1933, and it is possibly one of the most regarded review services around. This magazine covers reviews from big houses to small presses and indie authors in all genres and gets millions of impressions a month on its website.

The best about Kirkus’ process is it gives the same attention, respect, and unbiased review regardless of which way you published your book. The reviews are done by professional reviewers and writers in diverse industries including librarians, journalists, and literature experts, among others.

Reviews get an extra boost when editors choose 40 of them to be featured in the bi-monthly issue of the magazine and one to the weekly email newsletter—potentially reaching more than 50,000 readers. All of this comes at a price, though. A standard picture book review (7–9 weeks) starts at $350, a standard review (7–9 weeks) in other genres costs $425- $575, and an express review (4–6 weeks) runs between $425-$725.

Here are Kirkus submission guidelines .

YourNewBooks

YourNewBooks is a book marketing website (a network site of Choosy Bookworm), providing a range of tools for authors. Among the services, it offers a popular reading and review program that abides by Amazon review standards. The books are reviewed by readers/subscribers of  YourNewBooks.

Once you sign up, you choose between standard ($149) and premium services ($299)—the packages include advertisement space on YourNewBooks’s site and newsletter—and submit your ebook file. Depending on the package you choose, your book is submitted to a certain number of “interested readers,” who will leave their honest opinion about the material.

The program is so popular that some of the features are fully booked for months. It is worth checking out because some genres are more popular than others, so your book might have a better shot of getting a fast turnaround. Also, it accepts both published and pre-released books.

Here are the YNB submission guidelines .

Reading Deals

ReadingDeals is another popular book-promotions site, and it is operated by Book Marketing Tools. It offers a book-review service starting at $79 (Classic), going up to $129 (Featured). Both packages include promotion add-ons through social media and/or special placement. The books are reviewed by members of its Review Club, and reviews comply with Amazon and FCC guidelines.

Here are Reading Deals submission guidelines .

Enas Reviews

Enas Reviews offers a more affordable option for your review needs. For a maintenance and listing fee of $29.99, you will receive a thorough critique of 400-500 words written by professional writers. The site currently accepts all genres.

Here are  Enas submission guidelines .

Additional Book Review Outlets (Free)

Looking for Amazon Top Reviewers is a smart way to get reviews for your book. Why? Because Amazon incentivizes reviewers who write quality, helpful reviews to customers—top reviewers receive special badges and Hall of Fame placement. The higher the rank, the better for the reviewer. And this will depend on the number of “upvotes” the reviewer receives. In other words, the more quality reviews they write, the higher the chances of upvoting.

When you go to the Amazon Top Reviewers page, you scroll through the list and look for the reviewers’ requirements. Many will have their information, including email or website, and what they review on the page. Although some only review products, many review books as well. As a side note, it is beneficial to focus on genre-specific reviewers.

As I mentioned in a previous post, get familiar with their requirements and reach out. Although it might be tiresome to navigate the list, you may find people who are sincerely interested in your genre who will become a fan and be willing to review your future releases.

Who doesn’t know Goodreads? This is might be one of the most obvious places.

According to Goodreads , its mission is “to help people find and share books they love.” In other words, it is almost a social network for books. There you find many readers, book lovers, and reviewers connecting with each other (and their favorite authors) and sharing their passion for books—through reviews, discussions, polls, and blogs.

Without mentioning that as an author, you not only have a platform to build relationships with readers and fellow writers but also receive plenty of tools to revamp your book marketing strategies .

Social Media

Social media is another powerful way to get book reviews because there are all types of readers interacting and discussing the latest on their readings or favorite authors.

I particularly find LinkedIn valuable to reach out to book reviewers and receive a quick response. Maybe because of the nature of the network (business-like), the probability of finding professional reviewers increases.

At the same time, you can be successful at finding reviewers in Facebook groups. There are groups where not only writers can promote their work, but there are also readers willing to give authors feedback. The more active groups you participate in, the better.

Twitter is another helpful source. If you go to the search toolbar and enter the hashtag for #bookreview or #bookreviewer, a list of entries will come up. You click on “people” and there you can find many to choose from, according to your genre.

The same principle you used on Twitter, you apply for Instagram. The difference is that on Instagram, you will have to click on each image that pops up in order to reach the user profile.

Tiktok has proved to be another useful choice not only for reviews but also for book marketing purposes. The hashtag # booktok is very popular among writers who want to market their books and bring visibility to their work.

Writing & Book Bloggers Sites

Reaching out to book bloggers and writing services is also an excellent way to get your book reviewed. Still, keep in mind that those people also receive a lot of requests and might have limitations with time (as happened to me). So follow their requirements closely and be patient with response time.

Mommabears Book Blog

This site focuses mostly on historical fiction, contemporary fiction, paranormal, dystopian, horror, thriller, steampunk, legends & mythology, and most fantasy.

Here are Mommabears submission guidelines .

XterraWeb Books & More

It accepts most genres except comic books, graphic novels, and textbooks.

Here are XterraWeb submission guidelines .

Bonus Book Review Website

Litpick book reviews.

LitPick is one of those hot book review sites I came to know and fell in love with. That is because the platform tries to get students involved with the literary world while improving their reading and writing skills.

As part of a mentoring program, students receive free copies of the books they want to read (middle grade, teen, and young adult) and write book reviews for free. Their work is evaluated by a staff of underwriters, who provide pupils with feedback. Once everything is set and done, the review is published on the website.

While in the beginning, LitPick used to review only kid lit, now it also reviews adult literature.

Isn’t it neat?

This is an excellent way for authors and publishers to get their books reviewed and out in the world through a wide unbiased audience—teachers and librarians also partake in the programs they offer.

LitPick Book Reviews offers packages ranging from $50-125, and some even include social media promotion. As an author of youth literature, it is so worth checking out.

Better yet, sign up to receive the newsletter and be the first to know about our updates .

Final thoughts on getting book reviews.

Please note that some of these places have distinct submission guidelines and given the high volume of requests, you might or might not get a response.

The silver lining is the selection is broad enough for every taste and some venues crave your craft.

What are your thoughts about this list? What other places do you usually get book reviews? Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram .

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20 Sites to Improve Your Child’s Literacy

Karen Schweitzer for  The Children’s Book Review

Here are 20 Sites to Explore Over the Summer:

National Children’s Literacy Website – This non-profit organization is dedicated to improving and promoting children’s literacy in child care and home settings. Helpful materials on the National Children’s Literacy Website include general literacy tips, advice on teaching children to read, educational activities, story-time tips, and links to additional resources.

Literacy Zone – Created by Woodlands Junior School in the UK, Literacy Zone offers online literacy games and activities to help children improve spelling, grammar, punctuation, and writing skills.

StoryPlace – StoryPlace is a digital library created specifically for children. Library materials include free online books, online activities, take-home activities, and reading lists for preschool and elementary students.

Starfall – Starfall relies on phonics to help children learn how to read. The site offers movies, interactive games, and engaging activities for readers in pre-k to second grade.

The Baldwin Online Children’s Project – The Baldwin Project makes classic books freely available to children online. The project publishes books that are in the public domain (books published before 1923). Books are sorted by author, titles, genre, and subgenre.

International Children’s Digital Library – This online library hosts nearly 5,000 high-quality digital books in more than 50 different languages. Books contain both text and illustrations and can be discussed in a community forum.

Storynory – This site publishes a new audio story each week. Storynory offers both classic stories and original tales that have been adapted from stories around the world.

Kiddie Records – Kiddie Records publishes recordings of children’s records that were made between the mid forties through the early fifties. Recordings include classic stories like Horton Hatches the Egg and Casey at the Bat . All of the recordings can be downloaded or played for free online.

DogEared – Dog Eared is a National Geographic book blog written by kids for kids. The blog offers reviews, book recommendations, and a book of the month feature.

RIF Reading Planet – Operated by the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit children’s literacy organization, the RIF Reading Planet provides book reviews and recommendations, an author showcase, reading activities, teaching strategies, and much more.

The Reading Tub – The Reading Tub is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting reading and literacy projects. The organization’s site offers a book zone and a special section for budding writers.

KidsLit – Operated by the director of the Menasha Public Library in Wisconsin, this blog offers book reviews and recommendations for children and young adults. New reviews are posted each week.

Grammar Girl – Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty provides a free podcast that covers common grammar mistakes and issues. Each podcast episode lasts only a few minutes and provides easy-to-understand grammar advice and tips.

The Story Kitchen – Created by Bruce Van Patter, The Story Kitchen offers dozens of story starters to help inspire young writers. Each story beginning consists of a few paragraphs with a note at the end that encourages site visitors to finish the story.

Writing with Writers – Writing with Writers is a scholastic project that allows kids to work with authors and illustrators in special workshops designed to improve writing and literacy skills. The project also provides featured writing activities and step-by-step writing guides.

ClassMarker – ClassMarker makes it easy to test your child’s reading comprehension or vocabulary. The site allows you to make free online quizzes with multiple choice, true false, short answer, and fill in the blank questions.

Flashcard Maker – Scholastic’s Homework Hub Flashcard Maker is a good tool for children who need to learn sight words. They can test themselves online or print the flashcards to practice off the computer.

FreeRice – This UN World Food Program site offers a great vocabulary-building trivia game for students at any level. Every time a question is answered correctly, FreeRice donates ten grains of rice to hungry people.

Shelfari – Created specifically for book lovers, this social media site makes it easy for kids to track the books they have read and make a list of books they would like to read. Shelfari is also a good place to discover new books.

National Children’s Literacy Website – The Soho Center is committed to promoting children’s literacy in child care settings and home settings. Whether you are a family child care provider, a teacher in a child care center or Head Start program, or a parent of a pre-school or school-age child – there’s a lot you can do.

This guest post featuring 20 Sites to Improve Your Child’s Literacy is from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School.

What to Read Next:

• 10 Educational Websites to Improve Reading Skills and More
• Fun Tips and Tricks to Encourage Reading and Writing This Summer
• Literacy Tips and Activities That Work for Families
• Building Stronger Family Connections Through Literacy

The Children’s Book Review, named one of the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) Great Web Sites for Kids, is a resource devoted to children’s literacy. We publish reviews and book lists of the best books for kids of all ages. We also produce author and illustrator interviews and share literacy based articles that help parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians to grow readers. This article was written and provided by a guest author.

23 Comments

Thanks for including us in such great resources. I would love to know more about our games tab, though … I run the blog you link to and we don’t have interactive games.

I didn’t actually create this list; however, I was wondering about that. I will update the post for you—I thought I may have missed something.

We love your site. Thanks for stopping by!

What a great list of resources! If you get a chance, we love for you to check out www.meegenius.com so we could be included in next year’s list. We’ve been getting great feedback from parents and teachers.

I’ll be sure to take a look. Thanks for sharing.

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Super list, Bianca! Several of my favorites and some new sites to check out, too. Fun!

Glad you’ve had a good time checking out the list!! Which one is your favorite?

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Please consider adding the Soho Center’s literacy resource pages to your links. We are a 40 year-old non-profit with a strong focus on children’s literacy.

Our literacy sub-site is at – www.child2000.org/literacy.

Happily, our site is well used and regarded; typically we come up #1 or #2 in Google for “children’s literacy.”

For your further information, our main site is at – www.child2000.org.

Thanks in advance.

Jeanna Beker Director The Soho Center

Thanks for such a helpful list. Checked out a few links, great..!

You are also welcome to visit our site www.navrang.com, selling classics like series of Enid Blyton and much more for the last 18 years!

I homeschool my children and have found ProProfs http://www.proprofs.com/training/ and excellent site for creating interactive online courses for my children. I can add videos, PPTs and images to make visual courses, which are loved by the kids.

Try them out.

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Hello, I am reaching out to you to introduce my website with stories for children (in pdf, flipbook, and audio formats), braille books, reviews of some popular children’s books-all accompanied by learning tools and activity suggestions. I also believe the website could serve as a platform for authors and illustrators to share stories and art, get feedback from readers, improve, and create books and art readers love.

Please consider adding the website to your list if you find it suitable.

Thanks a bunch for your time and support.

Best Regards. Lakshmi http://www.taletrove.com

Hi Lakshmi—

Here are our submission guidelines: https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/media-kit/submission-guidlines

Please include www.ihavereadthebook.com a free book review portal for children and YA. Only children in the age group 9-16 yrs can register on it and write the book reviews. As of today 508 unique books have been reviewed by the registered students.

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Hi, I am also reaching out here to share our resource, we have hundreds of original kids books, all free in pdf and online, check-out http://www.freekidsbooks.org

Thank you for the great ideas, very simple idea but useful for learning how to spell write words! Spelling practice for kids

Great post I am thanking You for this.

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love to see such great info you are sharing here about child literacy

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Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site BooksInTheClassroom.com

This is a collection of reviews of great books for kids, ideas of ways to use them in the classroom and collections of books and activities about particular subjects, curriculum areas, themes and professional topics.

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• Curriculum Areas We've taken subjects such as MATH and HISTORY and integrated them with the language arts and other areas of the curriculum. Here you'll find recommended children's books, activities and approaches for the curriculum areas. (For more professional topics see the Professional Resources section below.)
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10 Of The Best New Children’s Books Out July 2024

Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury grew up in a house so crammed with books she couldn’t open a closet door without a book stack tumbling, and she’s brought that same decorative energy to her adult life. Margaret has an MA in English with a concentration in writing and has worked as a bookseller and adjunct English professor. She’s currently a freelance writer and editor, and in addition to Book Riot, her pieces have appeared in School Library Journal, BuzzFeed News, The Lily, Parents, StarTrek.com, and more. She particularly loves children’s books, fantasy, science fiction, horror, graphic novels, and any books with disabled characters. You can read more about her bookish and parenting shenanigans in Book Riot’s twice-weekly The Kids Are All Right newsletter. You can also follow her kidlit bookstagram account @BabyLibrarians , or on Twitter @AReaderlyMom .

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

In July picture book releases, I review five phenomenal books about the Summer Olympics, rocks, grief, birds, and Colombian buses. In July middle grade releases, I review four excellent books about con artists, autism, jinns, and climate change activism. From richly detailed fantasies to silly early reader graphic novels that will make kids laugh, there’s something for every reader on this list of July children’s book releases. If you want even more book recommendations, make sure to subscribe to Book Riot’s The Kids Are All Right newsletter , where I review new releases and children’s books on a theme twice weekly.

Which one of these July children’s book releases do you want to read?

July Children’s Book Releases: Picture Books

Wings of an Eagle by Billy Mills, Donna Janell Bowman, & S.D. Nelson (July 2; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

In this lovely picture book biography, Mills tells the story of his life and how he won a gold medal in the 1964 Olympics. He grew up on the Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation. Both his mother and father died when he was a child, and he worked to help take care of his siblings, though he also trained as a runner. He experienced race-based bullying while in school and health issues that later turned out to be prediabetes. He did not initially make it into the Olympics, but when he did, he won the gold medal. Extensive back matter gives photographs, a timeline, additional details about his life, and more. Nelson’s illustrations are soft yet energetic. It’s a perfect read before this year’s Olympic games.

I Am La Chiva!: The Colorful Bus of the Andes by Karol Hernández & Lorena Alvarez Gómez (July 9; Dial Books)

Told from the perspective of a Colombian bus, this vibrant, rhyming picture book takes readers on a journey through the Andes mountains. La Chiva picks up farmers first before the sun has even risen, along with their products to sell. Next come Doña Inez and her hen, Don Ernesto and his pig, and more and more. As people pile in, La Chiva plays music, and everyone sings along. But oh no! A flat tire halts their progress. Kids will love this delightful read-aloud with a bit of Spanish sprinkled throughout.

Just What to Do by Kyle Lukoff & Hala Tahboub (July 16; Dial Books)

Lukoff explores how to help loved ones grieve in his latest deceptively simple picture book. It opens with a child trying to help his older brother feel better after his cactus dies. The younger brother draws a picture of the cactus, but instead, the older brother wants him to tell jokes to help him feel better. Subsequent scenes show more people experiencing death as the same child tries to decipher what he can do to help them feel better: a cousin’s goldfish dies, the teacher’s hamster, the sitter’s dog. It culminates in the death of his friend’s grandmother. How can he help? The friend doesn’t know, but they decide to figure it out together. This picture book perfectly captures grief’s complexity in such a simple, straightforward way.

All the Rocks We Love by Lisa Varchol Perron, Taylor Perron, & David Scheirer (July 16; Rise x Penguin Workshop)

This is a fun, rhyming celebration of rocks and rock collecting. Each page spread shows a different type of rock, like chert, shale, pumice, and more. Different children find and investigate the rocks, while the energetic text describes an aspect of the rock: “I squeeze my rock that’s cool and smooth. / It helps me feel prepared.” Back matter includes a description of the three main types of rocks as well as more details about the rocks shown in the book. The illustrations are perfect — colorful, expressive, and child-friendly.

A Terrible Place for a Nest by Sara Levine & Erika Meza (July 30; Roaring Brook Press)

When Juno and his mother lose their home, they have to move somewhere new. Juno hates everything about his new home, and when he startles nesting mourning doves, he tells them it’s a terrible place to nest. Juno learns more about the mourning doves at school, and as he watches them grow, he slowly begins to acclimate to his new home and comes to love the birds. This is a lovely picture book about moving and being inspired by nature.

July Children’s Book Releases: Early Readers

Narwhal’s Sweet Tooth by Ben Clanton (July 2; Tundra Books)

My daughter and I love the Narwhal and Jelly early reader graphic novel series, and this ninth book is just as delightful as the rest. They can be read in any order. In this one, Jelly is alarmed to find Narwhal’s tusk-tooth hanging by a thread. What happened!? It turns out Narwhal has been using it as a snack saver by piling sweets onto it. Jelly decides they must visit Shark for advice about how to fix Narwhal’s tooth. Everyone is worried about it — except for Narwhal.

July Children’s Book Releases: Middle Grade

Faker by Gordon Korman (July 2; Scholastic Press)

Korman needs no introduction for middle grade readers. His books are always lots of fun, and his latest has a unique perspective that will intrigue kids. Trey’s dad is a con artist who uses Trey and his younger sister, Arianna, to target people. Trey makes friends with wealthy kids in a new school; their parents meet his father, Junior, who reels them into his latest scheme. When the parents ‘invest’ in the idea and money is in the bank, the family runs to a new town. Trey is tired of the con artist life. After fleeing the last con, Junior has taken them to Boxelder, Tennessee, where Trey takes an ethics class and begins questioning whether or not what he and his dad are doing is ethical.

Invisible Isabel by Sally J. Pla & Tania de Regil (July 9; Quill Tree Books)

This sweet illustrated novel-in-verse skews toward the younger end of middle grade readers. Isabel Beane lives in a full house with five siblings, busy parents, and pets. She prefers quiet and calm, something she rarely experiences. She has undiagnosed autism and anxiety. She tries to gently tell her mother that she thinks something makes her different from others, but her mother brushes her off. Isabel longs to make a real friend, and when new girl Monica starts school, Isabel thinks this is her chance. Unfortunately, Monica leans into being popular at Isabel’s expense. Meanwhile, an upcoming standardized makes even more worry moths gather in Isabel’s stomach. Pla alternates perspectives between Isabel and Monica.

Amir and the Jinn Princess by M. T. Khan (July 23; JIMMY Patterson Books)

This stand-alone middle grade fantasy is set in the same world as Nura and the Immortal Palace . Amir, whose wealthy father owns a brick empire in Pakistan, misses his mother, who disappeared a year ago. When his father announces he’s remarrying and the family will go to their summer home, Amir despairs at ever finding his mother. Then, he learns that workers are disappearing from the brick factory near their summer home. Could his mother’s disappearance be related? When a cat that follows him home in search of sweets turns out to be a djinn, Amir agrees to return to her world to help her in a competition to become the next heir to the throne in return for her help in finding his mother. This is a high-stakes, complex fantasy with fantastic worldbuilding and characters.

Save Our Forest! by Nora Dåsnes, translated by Lise Laerdal Bryn (July 30; Hippo Park)

This middle grade graphic novel sequel to Cross My Heart and Never Lie is about climate change and child activism. Bao is a student member of the PTA, who ignore her most of the time. To Bao’s horror, they want to tear down the forest near the school to expand the parking lot. They refuse to take her arguments about climate change and the importance of the forest seriously. When Bao sees bulldozers around the forest, she gathers her friends and leads a protest. This is an important and engaging graphic novel translated from Norwegian.

If you’re looking for more new children’s book releases beyond this list of July children’s book releases, check out my list of June children’s book releases , May children’s book releases , and April children’s book releases .

You can find a full list of new releases in the magical New Release Index , carefully curated by your favorite Book Riot editors, organized by genre and release date.

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The crazy true story behind ‘the man with 1000 kids’—where is jonathan meijer now.

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Jonathan Jacob Meijer

Netflix’s new three-part docuseries, The Man With 1000 Kids, is currently the No. 1 show on the streaming platform. While you’re watching, you might have questions about what happened to the families in real life, including where Jonathan Jacob Meijer is now.

The Man With 1000 Kids recounts the true story of multiple couples and single women who discover that their sperm donor was a prolific donor, fathering hundreds of children across various countries and continents. He donated to 11 sperm banks in the Netherlands (which boasts a population of around 17 million, or just over half that of Texas) and also made private donations.

“You get one life on this Earth — why has he chosen to use his charm and his intellect and his creativity in order to try to procreate on a mass scale and deceive all these people?” the docuseries’ director Josh Allott asks Tudum . “Speaking to lots of different parents that have met him and people that know him well, it seems like it almost became an addiction for him.”

Who Is Jonathan Jacob Meijer?

Jonathan Jacob Meijer is a Dutch musician and YouTuber who allegedly has upwards of 500 children worldwide from sperm donation. Meijer said in a YouTube video in February 2024 that he was inspired to become a sperm donor after a classmate told him he was infertile. Earlier in an October 2023 video, he explained that because he doesn’t have a family history of cancer, diabetes, or genetic diseases, he believed that donating sperm would be a kind thing to do, according to People .

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Meijer comes from a large family and has seven siblings. One of his friends, Patricia, speaks in the docuseries about his childhood. She said that as a young adult, Meijer struggled to find his own identity and constantly circled through jobs and looks. One mother in the series described him as having a “God-like complex,” thanks to his long, flowy blonde hair and deep blue eyes.

While he was donating his sperm in the Netherlands and around the world, he frequently posted to his YouTube channel, where he shared his opinions on everything from cryptocurrency to trying a raw-meat diet.

The Man With 1000 Kids on Netflix.

What Did Jonathan Jacob Meijer Allegedly Do?

Jonathan Jacob Meijer is accused of lying to parents and deceiving them to use his sperm donations to have children around the world. The Man With 1000 Kids details how Meijer used several names like Jacob, Ruud, Walter, and Maarten to communicate with the parents of children he would help to conceive.

Serial donors like Meijer pose significant risks due to the possibility of hundreds of children sharing the same genes. One of the most severe is called consanguinity, which involves sexual relationships or marriages between people with common biological ancestors. This threat is particularly concerning in the Netherlands, where Meijer has made numerous donations within a small geographical area. Three of his offspring even ended up in the same daycare, according to Time.com .

“Children who haven’t been brought up together are more likely to get attracted to each other because they see some familiarities in the face of the sibling,” one mother named Natalie said in the documentary. That feeling of romantic love is also known as the phenomenon called the “Luke and Leia complex,” which is named after the Star Wars characters.

What Happened To The Families Affected By Jonathan Meijer?

Meijer’s sperm donations have impacted hundreds of families, many of which appear in The Man with 1000 Kids. Among them are Suzanne and Natalie from the Netherlands, who believed that they were only one of the few couples he was helping to become parents. There’s also Joyce and John, a couple who were unable to conceive because of an irreversible vasectomy that John endured during his first marriage.

In Australia, Sydney-based couple Laura and Kate learned about Meijer from a Facebook group. Single mom Vanessa felt grateful for Meijer, a sentiment also shared by Nicolette, a single mom and preschool teacher, who learned that one of her colleagues had also given birth to one of Meijer’s children. Eventually, she found more half-siblings in her community, according to Netflix.

In 2021, the New York Times interviewed a Dutch woman named Vanessa van Ewijk about her experience with Meijer. Before Ms. van Ewijk welcomed a daughter with his sperm, he lied and told her that their child was his eighth. She returned to him a few years later, and in 2017, he helped her conceive a baby boy under similar false pretenses.

But she received startling news about Meijer after connecting with another single mother on Facebook who also used him as her donor. The woman told Ms. van Ewijk that Meijer had fathered at least 102 children in the Netherlands through numerous fertility clinics.

Ms. van Ewijk confronted Mr. Meijer, who admitted that he had produced at least 175 children and said there might be more. “He said, ‘I’m just helping women make their biggest wish come true,’” Ms. van Ewijk recalled to the newspaper. “I said: ‘You’re not helping anymore! How do I tell my kids that they could possibly have 300 siblings?’”

How Did Jonathan Meijer Get Caught?

More than 150 parents of Meijer’s children connected online and contacted the Donorkind Foundation for help. The organization, which helps children of sperm donation trace their roots, received more than 30 calls in a single week from mothers concerned that their children had the same father, according to People .

Per Dutch medical guidelines, a donor can only father 25 children to avoid possible incest and psychological problems. However, going over that number is not considered a criminal offense, ABC News reported in 2023.

In 2017, Meijer was banned from donating from the Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NVOG). Six years later, in April 2023, he lost a civil lawsuit from the Donorkind Foundation. A Dutch court ordered Meijer to stop donating sperm and subjected him to a 100,000 Euro fine for each future violation. According to Tudum , he was also required to “request that sperm banks destroy any of his semen available to new parents.”

How Many Children Does Jonathan Meijer Have?

The exact number of children that Jonathan Meijer has helped conceive is unknown. Eve Wiley, a fertility fraud activist, told Tudum that he could have 3,000 potential children.

“So with Jonathan and Cryos International, he’s going to Copenhagen once a month for four days for four years. That’s roughly 200 donations, and you can get about 15 straws of sperm per ejaculation. If every straw makes a baby, that could be 3,000 potential children,” she explained. “That is just one sperm bank. And we know that he was in at least 11 sperm banks.”

The Man With 1000 Kids producer Natalie Hill said that while the children will be affected — as well as the children’s children — the impacts will run much deeper. “But every cousin is affected. Everyone who becomes a partner of those children is then affected. Jonathan’s brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, everyone that is connected or becomes connected by making a new family will be affected by his actions.”

Where Is Jonathan Jacob Meijer Now?

Jonathan Jacob Meijer's YouTube page.

Jonathan Meijer continues to travel the world and posts YouTube videos of his trips. Most recently, he was in Zanzibar, a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. In May 2024, Meijer admitted to fathering 550 children, despite previously saying that number was “approximately 250” in 2021.

The serial donor claims he doesn’t know much about The Man With 1000 Kids because he didn’t participate in it. “It’s what they think about me and what others say about me. I was right in not participating for myself, personally, because they first wanted to call it The Fertility Fraudster . That’s not a title I can work with,” he said in a June 2024 video .

The documentary’s director Josh Allott told Tudum that he did meet with Jonathan to speak with him about being in the docuseries. “We approached him a number of times to be interviewed and gave him a right to reply at the end. He refused to comment on any of the allegations in the series.”

The Man With 1000 Kids is streaming on Netflix. Watch the official trailer below.

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6 New Books We Recommend This Week

Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times.

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Did you catch Joseph Bernstein’s great article in The Times Magazine last month about Benjamin B. Bolger, the man who couldn’t stop going to college ? “I love learning,” Bolger told Bernstein by way of explaining his 14 advanced degrees, a quote that led to one of my favorite lines in the profile: “Many of us love learning, too, but we don’t do what Bolger has done; we listen to history podcasts on our commutes or pick our way through long books in the minutes before sleep.”

If you prefer to do your learning through books rather than lecture courses, we have some that might do the trick: Our recommended books this week include new biographies of Harriet Tubman and the poet Thom Gunn, along with a memoir by a longtime federal appellate court judge and a history of folk magic in England. In fiction, we recommend new novels by Rufi Thorpe and Alison Esbach. Happy reading. — Gregory Cowles

NIGHT FLYER: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People Tiya Miles

Harriet Tubman’s extraordinary life has been recounted in many forms — documentaries and feature films, scholarly biographies, volumes for children. Miles calls her book a “faith biography,” emphasizing Tubman’s spirituality along with her ecological awareness, expressed as a profound attentiveness to the natural world.

“Using these facts as a trellis, Miles tries to coax out Tubman’s personality.... Recreating the scene of Tubman’s eventual escape from slavery, Miles imagines the spongy soil of the wetland woods and the swamp blackberry she may have eaten.”

From Jennifer Szalai’s review

Penguin Press | $30

MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES Rufi Thorpe

Thorpe’s artful and enormously entertaining fourth book follows a young mother who drops out of college to take care of her fatherless child, struggling to make ends meet until the arrival of her historically absent, ex-wrestler father and a promising career on OnlyFans.

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