book reviews for children's literature

Why Is It So Important for Kids to Learn Animal Sounds?

7 hidden benefits of your child’s repetitive reading habits, 8 helpful tips for getting kids to listen to audiobooks, are you raising a reader or two we've got you covered, editor's picks.

• The Divergent Trilogy | Book Series Review

The Divergent trilogy offers a thrilling dystopian adventure that challenges readers to question the very fabric of society and the nature of identity.

A New Friend for Dragon, by Bianca Schulze | Book Review

A must-read for children aged 3-7, A New Friend for Dragon is a delightful picture book that will captivate young readers while imparting valuable life lessons.

Mining for the Heart of History: Beth Anderson on ‘Thomas Jefferson and the Battle for Science’

Children’s author Beth Anderson discusses her latest book, Thomas Jefferson’s Battle for Science: Bias, Truth, and a Mighty Moose.

Books by Age

• Teens: Young Adults

Diverse Middle Grade Audiobooks for Curious Minds

With diverse casts, engaging narratives, and stellar performances, these audiobook offerings promise to captivate audiences aged 8 and up.

Aunt Betty’s Surprise, by Sally Sockwell | Dedicated Review

Carrot cake park tales | dedicated book series review, summer listening: the best new audiobooks to spark imaginations, an interview with sally j. pla, author of ‘invisible isabel’, the growing readers podcast, saturday magic: celebrating ancestral wisdom and black spirituality in children’s literature with nyasha williams and kenda bell-spruill.

Finding Beauty in Imperfection: Matt de la Peña on ‘The Perfect Place’

Cultivating culinary curiosity: priya krishna on raising kids who love global flavors, soaring imaginations: exploring the skyriders series with polly holyoke, art, science, and the sea: jeanne walker harvey on else bostelmann’s extraordinary life, growing readers: reading and writing tips, haiku for kids: how to teach it and what to avoid, reading milestones: how to identify progress and seek support for a child, reading as a love language between children and their parents, teaching about civil rights leaders in the classroom through literacy, books for back-to-school, math made fun the books you need now.

Math can be intimidating for many youngsters. What better way to introduce various concepts than with a storybook? Math Made Fun!

Kaz Windness Talks About ‘Bitsy Bat, School Star’ and Autism

This is a school, by john schu | book review, bianca schulze discusses just be yourself, dragon, just be yourself, dragon, by bianca schulze | book review, recent posts.

• Willard DoGooder and the Trail of Friends | Dedicated Review

Willard DoGooder and the Trail of Friends by Jen Kirkley is a heartwarming tale that addresses the challenges of making new friends and embracing differences.

• Mitchie the Service Dog Gets a Job! | Dedicated Review

Mitchie the Service Dog Gets a Job is both heartwarming and instructive, perfect for introducing readers to the concept of disability support. 

• The Pirates of Bathtub Bay | Dedicated Review

Officer Blue, by Victoria and Corbin Thomas | Dedicated Review

It’s ok when i feel this way | dedicated review, the legacy of the running lavash | dedicated review, virtual book awareness tours.

• Willard DoGooder and the Trail of Friends | Awareness Tour

Author Jen Kirkley invites you to follow along on this exciting virtual book tour for Willard DoGooder and the Trail of Friends.

A New Friend for Dragon, by Bianca Schulze | The Awareness Tour

A New Friend for Dragon by Bianca Schulze, beautifully illustrated by Samara Hardy, is set to captivate hearts and challenge stereotypes.

A Tall Tale: How the Ostriches Got Their Long Necks and Long Legs | Awareness Tour

Welcome to the virtual book tour for A Tall Tale: How the Ostriches Got Their Long Necks and Long Legs by Scott Sollers—winner of the Mom’s Choice Award!

Webster the Beagle and His Adventures at the River | Awareness Tour

Welcome to the Webster the Beagle and His Adventures at the River virtual book tour. Don’t miss out on this tail-wagging adventure!

TCBR Supporter

Recent articles, tcbr supporters, subscribe to updates.

Get the latest from The Children's Book Review about the best books, literacy tips, and giveaways.

By signing up, you agree to our terms and our Privacy Policy agreement.

Our KidLit Community Services

We Can Help

Do you have a dream to be a children’s book writer? Do you already have a children’s book out in the world? Are you on track to reach your book writing or book marketing goals?

We’re here to help.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Where to Find the Best Children’s Book Reviews

Sarah S. Davis

Sarah S. Davis holds a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master's of Library Science from Clarion University, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Sarah has also written for Electric Literature, Kirkus Reviews, Audible, Psych Central, and more. Sarah is the founder of Broke By Books blog and runs a tarot reading business, Divination Vibration . Twitter: @missbookgoddess Instagram: @Sarahbookgoddess

View All posts by Sarah S. Davis

There are more great children’s books being published than ever before, but how do you know which ones to read? Fortunately, today there are so many ways to access children’s book reviews. Here are some of the best places to find reviews of children’s literature.

Part 1: General Children’s Book Reviews

In this first section of our roundup of the best children’s book review websites, I’ll discuss publications that cover all things kid lit.

The Children’s Book Review

As its name implies, The Children’s Book Review is all about book reviews of children’s literature. With huge coverage of all kinds of kid lit, The Children’s Book Review is simple to browse books by subject and books by age, along with buzzy “trending” books and “showcase” books. Your typical book review lays out the specs (intended age, page count, etc.) and provides a medium-sized review with information about the author and/or illustrator. The Children’s Book Review is definitely one of the most comprehensive book review sites for kid lit, and it supplements its reviews with author interviews and curated lists.

Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. By signing up you agree to our terms of use

Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media is an organization that reviews media (books, TV, movies, apps, games) with a special focus on educating parents and other adults on “What Parents Should Know,” vis-à-vis content warnings and age appropriateness. Some of the qualities Common Sense Media covers include “Educational Value,” “Positive Messages,” “Positive Role Models and Representations,” and “Language.” Especially notable is Common Sense Media’s focus on diversity, with an invitation to reach out if they’ve “missed anything on diversity.” Also of note, Common Sense Media is one of the few children’s book reviews websites that rates books using a star system. If you just want to know quickly how good a book is, navigate over to Common Sense Media and find a book’s star rating.

The Horn Book

Children’s book review magazine The Horn Book takes its name from”horn books,” which were some of the earliest books made to educate children. The Horn Book is a leading publication in print and online for finding children’s book reviews. This treasured magazine’s website is well-organized, and you can find all the reviews in an easy-to-search database . For the best of the best, browse by The Horn Book ‘s starred reviews . If you buy a paid subscription, you’ll have access to the huge, searchable archive of more than 70,000 reviews, known as “The Guide.” There, you can browse book reviews by Authors/Illustrators, Subjects, Series, and Reviewers. Though some reviews cost a subscription to view, some content, like the “Book Bundles” (check out the one on “Our Bodies, Our Selves” for an example), which group together like-minded books based on themes and include bite-sized reviews, are available for free.

Kirkus Reviews Children’s Books

One of the leading book review sites for all genres and age levels, Kirkus has plenty of kid lit content. Kirkus lets you easily sort by different categories like age, format (picture book, chapter book, etc.), sub-genre (biographies and memoirs, historical fiction), and category (e.g. fiction vs. nonfiction). You can also filter by what books get a coveted Kirkus star. What’s great about Kirkus’s unique format is each review is brief and to the point. If you don’t want to go digging for the bottom line, Kirkus’s kid lit reviews are a good place to start.

Publishers Weekly Children’s Bookshelf

If you’re looking for the buzziest kid lit books, check out Children’s Bookshelf, the free weekly newsletter from Publishers Weekly . This publication is known for its up-to-the-minute chatter about the publishing industry, including children’s books, which are reviewed in roundups, as well as all kinds of bookish content. Subscribing to Children’s Bookshelf is one of the best ways to stay current with kid lit.

School Library Journal

Leave it to the librarians to guide you on what children’s books to read. The long-running School Library Journal has tons of reviews of every kind of kid lit book imaginable. With a special focus on advising libraries whether or not to purchase a book, School Library Journal dishes out bite-sized takeaways (known as a “VERDICT”) at the end of each review. School Library Journal also has tons of non-review content, getting you caught up with the latest news in the world of children’s literature.

Part 2: Special Focus Children’s Book Reviews Websites

In this section, I’ll highlight the places to go for more specialized kid lit coverage.

American Indians in Children’s Literature

This phenomenal site concentrates on promoting the best children’s literature by Indigenous authors and illustrators. Search the site for specific topics or skip right to the “Best Books” for the books most worth celebrating.

The Brown Bookshelf

The Brown Bookshelf is dedicated to featuring book reviews of kid lit by Black authors and illustrators. Start by searching the site or filtering for book reviews . The Brown Bookshelf also compiles great resources for finding more children’s books by Black voices. You’ll find the most up-to-date coverage on the blog .

Disability in Kid Lit

Although no longer updated, the book reviews on Disability in Kid Lit are worth consulting if you’re looking for children’s book reviews about disabled protagonists. You can use the well-indexed search function and browse by different disabilities depending on what condition or identity you’re looking for. Also of note, the “Honor Roll” puts the spotlight on the best representation of disability in kid lit.

Hijabi Librarians

The reviewers and writers at Hijabi Librarians set their lens on children’s and YA books with Muslim representation. Along with author interviews and book discussion guides , Hijabi Librarians includes book reviews and resources for Muslim voices in children’s literature.

Latinx in Kid Lit

Looking for coverage of Latinx authors and illustrators in children’s literature? Definitely be sure to check out Latinx in Kid Lit. This resource compiles reviewed books that feature Latinx representation. You can search by age range — for example, middle grade books — and find that each review includes “Teacher Tips” for educators. The Latinx in Kid Lit blog also has tons of great content, including interviews, Latinx book deals, and publishing industry news specific to Latinx creators.

Social Justice Books

Social Justice Books is focused on…you guessed it, social justice in children’s literature! This site has loads of great guidance on the best social justice topics in kid lit, like the carefully curated booklists by theme . Check out the book review database , which aggregates reviews and is organized by themes like “Activism,” “Asian American,” and “Bullying.” Each book is given a star rating, making for an easy browsing experience if you’re just looking for the best reads.

Special Focus: Can’t-Miss-It Resources for Diversity in Children’s Literature

Cynthia leitich smith’s cynsations.

Bestselling and award-winning author Cynthia Leitich Smith maintains a website all about children’s and young adult books. On Cynsations you’ll find a broad array of content, including diverse author/illustrator interviews and news roundups.

Social Justice Books’ Sources for Book Reviews and Recommendations

Already highlighted above, Social Justice Books is a terrific resource for finding diverse children’s book reviews with a social justice focus. But I also wanted to shine a light on their list of sources for diverse kid lit book reviews if you’re looking for even more sources of diverse children’s literature.

We Need Diverse Books Resources

We Need Diverse Books is a non-profit alliance to further diversity in children’s and YA literature. Although We Need Diverse Books does not publish book reviews, they do have an outstanding roundup of resources for diversity in kid lit that should be a stop on everyone’s journey to find more diverse children’s literature.

Part 3: Children’s Book Review Social Media Accounts to Check Out

Instagram is a great resource for finding children’s book reviews. A diverse range of educators, Bookstagrammers, librarians, and more all highlight great children’s books. Here are some of Book Riot’s favorite children’s book review influencers to follow on Instagram.

@babylibrarians — Margaret and Jen

Run by Book Riot writers Margaret Kingsbury and Jen Sherman , Baby Librarians will get you up to speed on the best and latest in children’s literature.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Baby Librarians (@babylibrarians)

@hereweread — Charnaie Gordon

Charnaie Gordon is a huge book influencer focusing on diversity in children’s literature. You won’t want to miss the books she loves.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Charnaie Gordon | Diversity (@hereweeread)

@leeandlowbooks — Lee and Low Books

The POC-owned Lee and Low Books is a children’s book publisher dedicated to diversity. They feature the best of the best books on their Instagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lee and Low Books (@leeandlow)

@lgbtqkidlit — Laurie and Julie

This account is managed by two moms and showcases children’s book reviews with queer themes.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Laurie(s/h) Julie(s/h)disabled (@lgbtqkidlit)

@littlefeministbookclub — Little Feminist Book Club

As its name implies, Little Feminist Book Club is dedicated to sharing the best children’s books with feminist themes.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Little Feminist Book Club (@littlefeministbookclub)

@noodlenutskidsbooks — Jenn S.

Jenn S. writes book reviews of new picture books focused on diversity.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jenn S. (@noodlenutskidsbooks)

@readwithriver — Alessandra Requena

This Bookstagrammer promotes the best children’s books.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alessandra Requena (@readwithriver)

@shelvesofcolor — Saranya & Ishaan

Saranya and Ishaan review diverse children’s books on Bookstagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Saranya & Ishaan (@shelvesofcolor)

@thebookwrangler — Mike

The Mike behind this popular bookstagram account is a K–5 librarian who shares his favorite recent reads.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mike (@thebookwrangler)

@thetututeacher — Vera Ahiyya

Educator Vera Ahiyya shares diverse book reviews on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vera Ahiyya (@thetututeacher)

Still hunting for more great children’s books? Check out our Children’s Books archive , as well as these helpful posts:

• 50 Children’s Books About Diversity That Celebrate Our Differences
• The Best Children’s Books By Age: A Guide To Great Reading
• 13 Places To Find Free Children’s Books Online

You Might Also Like

Featured Book Reviews

Children's Literature is a respected review source helping literature professionals and children’s and YA book lovers find valuable titles. Since 1993, we have published over 100,000 reviews. Our review team comprises reviewers who are professors, teachers, librarians, authors and other specialists in the children’s literature field. Reviews are published as part of Children's Literature and added to CLCD, also known as the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database, used by thousands of librarians and educators. We also enrich the MARC record data for various library industry vendors. Our reviews are fair, and we do not insist that our reviewers provide only positive reviews. We believe that an honest assessment of the work is critical to children's reading.

•  Authors & Illustrator Home
•  Want your name in our Directory?
•  Are You an Indie Author?
•  Authors & Illustrator Directory
•  Featured Book Reviews
•  Interested in licensing our reviews?
•  Want to become a reviewer?
•  Reviewer Login
•  ChildrensLit Now newsletter
•  Author & Illustrator Interviews
•   Themed Reading Lists
•  About Us
•  Contact
•  Feedback

• ADMIN AREA MY BOOKSHELF MY DASHBOARD MY PROFILE SIGN OUT SIGN IN

Discover Books

Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten. - Neil Gaiman

• Select Genre BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR BUSINESS CHILDREN'S CURRENT EVENTS & SOCIAL ISSUES FICTION GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS HISTORY MYSTERY & DETECTIVE NONFICTION ROMANCE SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY TEENS & YOUNG ADULT THRILLER & SUSPENSE

• Genre BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR BUSINESS CHILDREN'S CURRENT EVENTS & SOCIAL ISSUES FICTION GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS HISTORY MYSTERY & DETECTIVE NONFICTION ROMANCE SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY TEENS & YOUNG ADULT THRILLER & SUSPENSE

Filter results by

FILTERED RESULTS

• Popularity Release Date (Coming Soon) Release Date (Available Now)

• Discover Books Fiction Thriller & Suspense Mystery & Detective Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Nonfiction Biography & Memoir Teens & Young Adult Children's
• News & Features Bestsellers Book Lists Profiles Perspectives Awards Seen & Heard Book to Screen Kirkus TV videos In the News
• Kirkus Prize Winners & Finalists About the Kirkus Prize Kirkus Prize Judges
• Magazine Current Issue All Issues Manage My Subscription Subscribe
• Writers’ Center Hire a Professional Book Editor Get Your Book Reviewed Advertise Your Book Launch a Pro Connect Author Page Learn About The Book Industry
• More Kirkus Diversity Collections Kirkus Pro Connect My Account/Login
• About Kirkus History Our Team Contest FAQ Press Center Info For Publishers
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Reprints, Permission & Excerpting Policy

© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Popular in this Genre

Hey there, book lover.

We’re glad you found a book that interests you!

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

• Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Contact us: 1-800-316-9361 or email [email protected].

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.

Advertisement

Supported by

Children’s Books

The Best Children’s Books of 2022

Here are the most notable picture and middle grade books, selected by The Times’s children’s books editor.

• Share full article

By Jennifer Krauss

PICTURE BOOKS

“A Is for Bee: An Alphabet Book in Translation,” by Ellen Heck

Rather than follow the Anglocentric pattern of apple, ball and cat, this multilingual alphabet book looks across a wide variety of languages to create a new abecedarium.

“Book of Questions,” by Pablo Neruda. Illustrated by Paloma Valdivia. Translated by Sara Lissa Paulson.

Gorgeous, dreamlike illustrations add dimension to 70 of the Nobel Prize-winning poet’s 320 questions, presented in picture-book form for the first time.

“Elephant Island,” by Leo Timmers. Translated by James Brown.

After swimming for his life, an elephant whose boat has sunk reaches a rock barely big enough to stand on. As small animals in small vessels arrive one by one to “rescue” him, hilarity ensues.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .