From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books

From Cover to Cover is a fresh, up-to-date look at some of the best examples of children's literature today, and also includes practical advice on how to write clearly articulated, reasoned opinions so that others can learn about books they have not yet read.

In addition to a brief introduction that clearly explains how children's books evolve from manuscripts into bound books, and a simple explanation of the importance of the many different parts of a book (jaket flaps, title page, copyright, Cataloging-in-Publication information, etc.), the author demonstrates how to think about and critically eveluete several different genres of children's books.

Included are sections about books of information (and the author's responsibility to document sources); traditional literature (myths, legends, tales, folktales); poetry, verse,rhymes, and songs; picture books; easy readers and transitional books; and fiction. There is also a concluding chapter on how to write rewies that are both descriptive and analytical.

From Cover to Cover is an invaluable resource for all professionals who wish to write book evaluations that go beyond a simple personal response.

This definitive guide to reviewing children’s books makes it effortless for parents, teachers, librarians, children’s literature students and general readers who are interested in becoming children’s book reviewers to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a children’s book. An authoritative reviewer in her own right, Kathleen Horning provides practical guidelines for reading critically, evaluating an initial response, answering questions raised during the first reading, putting a response into words, balancing description with criticism, and writing reviews for a particular audience.