Because I Said So… (Info about Reviews)
I have never intended for this site to be a “rah rah” site for all children’s books. I want to give honest, thoughtful reviews and advice about what I like and what my kids seem to enjoy. Sometimes, that means I’ll have great things to say about a book. And sometimes, it means that I won’t.
All of that said, I will mention that when I go through the books in my own house, it’s more likely than not that I’ll like the books because I’ve chosen a book based on a recommendation from another parent or because my child has expressed an interest in the book (in the case of the latter, sometimes that means that my child will like the book and I won’t). However, I’ve been getting more and more books to review as of late which I love because it has exposed me to a lot of different genres, age levels and authors that I might have otherwise passed by. That’s good for the site and it’s good for you, as my audience, because you’ll have the benefit of a broader range of books than I might otherwise review.
When it comes to reviews, I did want to point out that I don’t follow my mother’s ideology of “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it.” Instead, paraphrasing a baseball phrase: I call ‘em the way that I see ‘em.
Books are subjective. I might love something that you hate and vice versa. If you don’t believe me, check out my review of The Rainbow Fish, possibly the most controversial picture book that I’ve ever read in terms of feedback and parent reviews. Likewise, many parents panned No, David as being too negative, while I really liked it.
And I don’t always enjoy the same genres as you might. I have confessed (over and over) to not reading Harry Potter (if you’re into all things Harry Potter, I would suggest you check out Hogwarts Herald). But I try to keep an open mind about new books and hope that you do the same.
Oh, and to keep things as balanced as possible, I have enlisted the help of some guest bloggers. My guest bloggers are, um, a little younger than me and will offer a unique perspective. Keep watching for the debut of my first guest blogger (other than my own kids, of course), coming soon!
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