Human body - Literature Subject

From Cover to Cover Evaluating and Reviewing Childrens Books

Holy ham hocks, is this a useful guide for anyone who reviews kids books! From Cover to Cover, by Kathleen T. Horning, first came out in 1997, but a revised edition was published last year. The book now includes sections on graphic novels, fractured fairy tales, and verse novels. Many of the books cited as examples have been updated as well.

Chapter One starts off with a clearly presented account of how childrens books are published and then goes on to list and define the parts of a book. Subsequent chapters give readers a tour of the major categories of childrens literature, including nonfiction books, traditional literature (folktales and fairy tales), poetry, picture books, easy readers and transitional books, and fiction. (Unfortunately, YA books arent represented as a separate category.)

For each genre, Horning explains what reviewers should take into account when evaluating a book. When judging an easy reader, for example, a reviewer should consider vocabulary, sentence length, plot, illustrations, and the books design (the size of the typeface, the space between words, the space between lines, the number of lines per page, and so forth).

The final chapter deals with writing a review. Horning sets out the process in distinct steps. After first preparing and selecting a book, a conscientious reviewer reads and takes notes, asking herself questions while doing so. Sometimes it is necessary to consult outside sources and to fact check. Finally its time to write the review and decide what to include and what to leave out.

As someone who blogs regularly about childrens books, I found this book immensely helpful. I strongly recommend it to anyone who writes or cares about childrens books.

From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Childrens Books (revised edition)
by Kathleen T. Horning
HarperCollins, 240 pages
Published 2010

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