How do you decide what to read? Do you rely on friends, teachers or librarians? How about book reviews written especially for teens, often by teens themselves? Today's sites have thousands of book recommendations. You are bound to find one (or a dozen) you'll want to put on your reading list.
At Flamingnet, a father and son team from Baltimore manage a team of student reviewers that read current books and prepubs (books that are not out yet) for preteens and teens. Books are rated on a scale from 1 to 10, and some are given a smiley face content rating. Click the "What's this?" link below the yellow smiley faces to learn what the different ratings mean. The site also has a civil war section (wish they explained why), and a bulletin board for posting comments on any of the reviewed books.
The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County has created a whopper of a "guide to enjoyable books." The reviews are organized (as librarians are prone to do) into twenty-two categories such as Action/Adventure or Humor/Satire. Highlights of the site are Celebrity Book Reviews, a form to submit your own 100-word book review, author interviews, and a personal reading log (requires free registration). After all this, if you are still stumped about what to read next, the nice librarians will send you a few personal recommendations if you tell them what books and authors you like (click on What to Read.)
TeenReads is my pick of the day site because it is so comprehensive. Of course, TeenReads features book reviews. But it also has guidelines for starting a book club, reading guides with discussion questions, monthly polls, author interviews, and regular articles on Books into Movies, Series Books, and Manga (Japanese anime graphic novels.) While you're snooping around, be sure to respond to the Question of the Month, and participate in the monthly book giveaway, Word of Mouth.
TeenReads is my pick of the day site because it is so comprehensive. Of course, TeenReads features book reviews. But it also has guidelines for starting a book club, reading guides with discussion questions, monthly polls, author interviews, and regular articles on Books into Movies, Series Books, and Manga (Japanese anime graphic novels.) While you're snooping around, be sure to respond to the Question of the Month, and participate in the monthly book giveaway, Word of Mouth.
Although there's plenty to crow about at this teen reading site from the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, what I liked best was that it publishes reviews from both teens and librarians, and they are cleared marked which are which. Unfortunately, only local library patrons can create a free account that allows you to post book reviews, but even if you are not a local, there is still plenty to enjoy here. My favorite clicks are the book lists for those who liked "Harry Potter," "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," or "Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging."
Buy Teen Book Reviews Printable for $2.00
or try a FREE trial of the Printables ClubThe following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
Angst CafeGoddess Librarian | No Flying No TightsNYPL: Books for the Teen Age |
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