More than 30,000 children’s books are published each year. How do you find the best among them for your children to read? Fortunately, there are a few good book-review sites that can help.

Christian Children’s Book Review
Founded by Kristina Seleshanko, the site archives eight years of posts, now prepared by a team of reviewers. Emphasis is on books that can help kids love reading and love the Lord. Self-published and traditionally published Christian books are both included, and reviewers always try to be specific about what they like and what they dislike about a book. Ratings used include excellent, very good, good, ho-hum, and poor.

Redeemed Reader
The tag line for this site is “Kids Books. Culture. Christ,” and the site’s goal is to “shine a gospel light on children’s literature so that Christian parents, educators, and the children they nurture may read in a more redeemed and redeeming way.” Thoughtful reviews cover mostly secular and traditionally published titles, picture books through young adult, but a section of the site is devoted to Bible reading and Bible-related books. You’ll also find reading guides and author interviews here.

Plugged In
You’ll find a wealth of reviews at this site, a ministry of Focus on the Family that aims to “shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate and impact the culture in which they live.”  From family-friendly picture books to dsytopian YA to classic like Tom Sawyer, reviews provide plot summaries and highlight themes, worldviews, and events for parents to be aware of. Many of the reviews here first appeared at ThrivingFamily.com. I found this disclaimer on several reviews I read: “Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.”

Discerning Reader
On the portion of this site devoted to kids books, you’ll find reviews of books you might not hear about otherwise.

Of course you can find reviews here on Children’s Christian Authors, and a number of our contributors also review books on their own sites.

When it comes to what goes into the minds and hearts of children, or helping them address what comes at them from so many sides, we all need all the help we can get. You might not agree with the perspective of every review you read, but let the information you find in reviews inform and guide you as you make reading and discussing books part of your family’s life.

DIANE

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