Emily Stewart
This Selection Aid Toolkit has been created by Emily Stewart for Mountain View High School in Lawrenceville, Georgia, which serves students in grades 9-12.
Selection Tools are grouped based on the category of resource; these resources include commercial firms, professional associations, journal publisher, individuals, and book reviews.
Booklife is run by Booklife LLC and PWxyz LLC, which is associated with Publisher's Weekly. This publishing company provides reviews on books for children and young adult readers, so books appeal to students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. As new books are submitted for review, Booklife is consistently updated with new reviews. Reviewers are Publisher's Weekly employees who provide an honest review of submitted published materials. Each review includes cost, ISBN, and a thorough review. While there is no final rating included, readers can "like" each review left.
Epic Reads is produced by Harper Collins Publishers, which is a commercial firm that sells materials to libraries. Young adult books, specifically for middle and upper grades, are reviewed. This website is consistently updated in order to incorporate reviews for new releases. Each review includes "About" information, product details, and praise. There are multiple links included to order the book through various vendors. The product details include age recommendation, cost, and ISBN. Reviewed information is created and communicated through Harper Collins Publishers. While there is not a final rating given, there is great information included to provide thorough recommendation!
The Booklist Reader is made available through Booklist Productions, which is a part of the American Library Association (ALA), a professional organization. The Booklist Reader covers materials for all ages with reviews of adult fiction, adult nonfiction, youth fiction, and youth nonfiction. There are also numerous categories including, but not limited to, young adult, children's literature, and book awards. This resource is updated constantly, and there is even a list of "Best New Books" published weekly! Reviews of countless books are available to the public. If you would like to submit a review to The Booklist Reader, you can contact Briana Shemroske at bshemroske@ala.org. Additional information regarding material submission can be found in the "Contact Us" section of this website. Each review includes a summary, picture of the book reviewed, and link to the book in Booklist. Booklist then shares the publication information, cost, ISBN, and commentary. While there is not a formal rating attached to each review, there is a good collection of information to communicate a final recommendation.
The Young Adult Library Services Association ("YALSA") is produced by the American Library Association to provide resources for young adults. This professional association appeals specifically to young adults in the middle and upper grades, specifically ages 12 to 18. YALSA recently launched the Teen Book Finder Database as a resource for locating books. YALSA also recognizes Book Awards for various titles and genres. Various facets of the YALSA website are updated daily, including social tools, such as blogs and "The Hub." Reviews are developed through the American Library Association, who has members of specific teams publish blogs, such as the "Best Fiction for Young Adults." The various book reviews include the ISBN, awards received, cost, and a summary. There is not an overall rating given.
The Amazon Book Review is run by Amazon.com, Inc. Amazon sells products to libraries and educational systems. Reviews of books are for all ages including children, young adults, and adults. Books reviews are published anywhere from every couple of days to every other week. These recommendations appeal to various readers using specific categorization, such as "autobiography," "weekend reading," and "best fiction of September." Reviews include a quick recommendation that links to additional product information in Amazon. A select group of editors publish the reviews and recommendations; these editors are chosen by Amazon. When accessing the link for each book, Amazon then provides cost, ISBN, summary, and user reviews. There is not a final rating in Amazon Book Review, but Amazon does reflect reviewer ratings out of five stars.
Follett, produced by Follett Corporation, provides educators with various resources, including digital and printed content. This resource sells materials to libraries, and materials appeal to all grade school ages. Follett supplies textbooks, supplemental materials, software, services, and professional development opportunities. There are Community groups in Follett that are updated daily, but other facets depend on various developments and need for update. Titlewave is a resource Follett uses to review and push out various materials; reviews are included for these various resources. The Content Research and Alignment team, which is made up of educational experts, researches the various sources to provide the best reviews. Each review incorporates a summary for the various resources. No final rating is given.
Book Riot is run by Riot New Media Group. Book Riot is an editorial book site that reviews books for all ages! From children's books to young adult to audiobooks, Book Riot provides additional insight into various materials. Articles are published daily, and the site is continuously updated. Articles include various book recommendations, which include a brief synopsis of each book. A link within the articles goes straight to purchase abilities in Amazon. To contribute, applications can be submitted within the website. While a final rating is not associated with each book, "bibliologists" are available to provide personalized recommendations!
Kirkus Collections is produced by Kirkus Media LLC. Kirkus is a resource librarians use to evaluate materials to be added to their collection. Kirkus partners with Baker & Taylor to provide books to libraries via wholesale. There are reviews for both children's and teen literature, so these reviews are for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. This resource is updated weekly to include reviews of new books. Reviews are written by Kirkus employees, and authors can request reviews to be published on their website. Each review includes reader votes, "our verdict," a synopsis, publication date, and ISBN. Ratings include reader votes and Google Rating, which is out of five stars.
Reading Rants is written by Jennifer Hubert and designed by Andrew Mutch. Reading Rants was created by an independent librarian who tailors her reviews for adults working with teenagers. These books are reviewed with a clear synopsis and recommendation from Ms. Hubert. She also includes a direct link to purchase each book in Amazon. She publishes recommendations at least monthly and continuously updates her website. She has been publishing reviews for over twenty years! Ms. Hubert is the sole reviewer. The links to each purchasing option include cost, ISBN, and summary. While there is no overall rating incorporated, Ms. Hubert provides a great review and synopsis of each book reviewed.
Goodreads, run by Goodreads, Inc., is a great resource for book reviews and recommendations! This resource does not sell materials to libraries, but rather reviews various books for all readers. Goodreads reviews sources for all ages, including beginning readers and adult literature. Book reviews help readers determine whether or not they want to read various books. Goodreads is updated weekly and even shares a "MOST READ THIS WEEK" section. Not only are the materials reviewed, Goodreads makes further recommendations based on your searches and prior reads. Each review includes a brief synopsis with reviews that any reader can add. There is also a "Want to Read" function to track your book list in your account, and there are links to purchase each book. The final rating is determined by the readers who respond on Goodreads; each book is eligible for five stars.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization that appeals to parents, educators, and advocates in order to safeguard media shared with children of various ages. Materials range from pre-kindergarten to teenaged young adults. This resource reviews Movies and Television, Books, Apps and Games, along with other media. Content is consistently updated in order to account for new media that becomes available. This resource includes a thorough review of the material. For books specifically, each review includes an age recommendation, content analysis, parent reviews, and kid reviews. All of this information is compiled together in order to provide each user with full reviews and recommendations. Any reader can review! A final review out of five stars is included for each book.
The Junior Library Guild is associated with the MSI Information Services, Library Journal, AKJ Education, The Horn Book Inc., and School Library Journal. The Junior Library Guild is a MSI Information Services company that provides book reviews for young adult literature. While they are not a distributor, they do provide subscription services for librarians, including delivery of books. This site appeals to learners in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Each book is categorized to identify which type of reader and learner would most enjoy the text. This resource is frequently updated to incorporate new materials. Reviewers are part of the Junior Library Guild, and each of their reviews include member pricing, ISBN, potentially sensitive areas, and a summary. There is not an overall rating given with each review.
The Horn Book Inc. is a journal publisher associated with MSI Information Services, Library Journal, School Library Journal, AKJ Education, and Junior Library Guild. The Horn Book Magazine includes articles, reviews, and editorials of children's and young adult literature. These book reviews appeal to readers from the age of five to eighteen. Reviews are published by The Horn Book Inc. employees and editors, and each review contains a brief synopsis and age recommendation. Some reviews include cost and ISBN. Otherwise, there is no final overall rating.
The Library Journal provides resources to libraries around the world and is associated with MSI Information Services, Library Journal, School Library Journal, AKJ Education, and Junior Library Guild. As a journal publisher, Library Journal provides reviews on materials that appeal to all ages. They include articles, published information, reviews, and additional information on literary recommendations. Library Journal is updated daily with a host page that houses access to its resources. Reviews are completed for all genres, and each review includes the title's ISBN, cost, and a recommendation. Various educational resource establishments, librarians, and Library Journal employs write these vetted reviews in order to provide reviews of various books and genres. While a final review is not given, great resources are available alongside each review.
School Library Journal is specifically geared toward appealing to children and teens; this resource requires a subscription to view beyond free resources. School Library Journal is associated with MSI Information Services, The Horn Book Inc., Library Journal, AKJ Education, and Junior Library Guild. This journal publisher also provides rich reviews of various literary works. Materials are catered toward students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, and include digital databases, articles, reviews, and other resources. This resource is updated daily in order to incorporate continual submissions. The resource does include review of materials, but it is also separated by Authors / Illustrators, Best Of, Booklists, Books, Tech, Collections, Media, Reference, Series Made Simple, and More! Anyone can submit a review to Isabella McDermott at imcdermott@mediasourceinc.com. These submissions are vetted and reviewed before they are publicized; School Library Journal welcomes both positive and negative reviews that may be for or against purchase. Reviews include cost, ISBN, age recommendations, a plot summary, and review. While there is not a formal rating associated with the review, there is plenty of information to review for each source.
School Library Connection is produced by Libraries Unlimited. This journal publisher shares various resources with educators and instructional leaders. While a subscription is necessary, the benefits for school library media specialists outweigh the cost! Book reviews are available for young adult literature that appeals to students in middle and high school. Reviews are also available for children's literature. Each review includes a synopsis of the book reviewed. School Library Connection welcomes experienced and new writers; contact editors choose who can publish reviews.
