Book Review Sources

In conversations I have been having with 5th grade students about censorship, banned books, their reading choices, and the freedom to read, we have also talked about family values and discussing with others in our families the books we read.

My mother read incessantly. More times than I can count I found her asleep with a book on the floor that had dropped from her hand as she fell asleep reading. I was never told not to read a book and was aware that I could ask her questions about what I was reading. I don't know if she was reading all the books I read, but I wouldn't be surprised. She volunteered in my elementary library and always made it clear that she valued reading both for academic purposes and for pleasure.

I know that families are curious about what children are reading and don't always have time to read every single book their child brings home. I have gathered a few sources for book reviews that families can consult, either to find out about books already being read, or to find new books to read and/or share together.

• Bookwink - http://www.bookwink.com/ - short summaries of books for grade 3+
• Facts on Fiction - http://www.factsonfiction.org/ - summaries of books, with specific information about themes that might determine the appropriate age of a reader for a title
• KCLS Books and Reading - http://www.kcls.org/booksandreading/ - scroll down to Databases for Readers for Novelist and Fiction Connection databases (can only be accessed by KCLS library card holders, enter your number to use the databases)
  

There are many other sources for good reviews. Sometimes Amazon.com includes professional reviews from School Library Journal or Booklist, which are two resources I use when selecting books for the Ridgecrest Library. However, in the end there is no substitute for reading what your kids are reading. You can discuss the book with them and help them understand difficult parts or words, plus they will be thrilled you are taking an interest in what they are reading! Stretch yourself, read a graphic novel or a fantasy, even if those have never been your cup of tea.