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Re: reviewing
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From: Lisa Moore <leela_at_accesshub.net>
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:36:09 -0500
RE:
reviewingI think it's important to balance the positive and negative in reviewing and give appropriate respect to the authors and illustrators who obviously worked hard on the books (not to mention editors, designers, etc.) but I also think it is necessary to mention potential problems or idiosyncracies and hot button topics, even though it may take up more space, since you do often have to provide more explanation.
As a reviewer, I always try to take all of this into account and try my best to provide a balanced review. A book can be an otherwise wonderful early reader but contain some vocabulary that makes it difficult for a child to read independently, for example, and as a librarian, it's valuable for me to have this info if I am considering which book to purchase for young readers. Maybe I won't want it, or maybe I'll just want to keep in mind that I'll need to go over some of the vocabulary with the child who has selected it. An absolutely worthwhile and thoroughly engaging picture book may depict a single scene that makes an otherwise younger book more appropriate for older kids, for example, making the age designation a gray area, and this seems to me necessary information as a librarian, as it changes the likely audience and may lead to me guiding older children toward it. In selecting novels at work, I need to know if there are hot button topics so that I can have more info in deciding which books to place in the YA section. As a librarian, I wish I could read everything for myself, but sometimes this just isn't possible!
These may be somewhat subjective judgements, but we all inevitably make them to some extent, and I think part of why we review is to analyse, consider and present the books in a realistic way--with pros and cons and as objectively as we are able--so that people can make informed judements for themselves. I realize no one has said we should leave out problems or hot button topics altogether, but it seems important to note that mentioning them is a necessary function of reviewing.
Lisa Moore UN International School New York, NY 11432
----- Original Message -----
From: Giffard, Sue To: Olgy Gary ; CCBC Network Sent: Saturday, November 14, 2009 12:01 PM Subject: RE:
reviewing
Jonathan wrote:
One of my biggest pet peeves are reviewers who think they must point out some negative, some failing in the book, lest their peers think them completely devoid of critical faculties. The truth, however, is that when you only have so many words and you throw something critical in, just for the sake of being critical, then it throws the balance of the review off. You may have only found 5% of the book to be unsatisfactory, for example, but 30% of your review addresses those points. The same thing happens when you write
Olgy wrote:
This is such a good point you're making here, Jonathan. When we review titles to the CCF site, we instinctively I avoid pointing out some negative just for the sake of pointint it out. Your explanation, and the way you clearly describe it by using the percentages, makes real good sense to me.
I review for SLJ, and I think that one of the difficulties of balancing negative and positive points with an eye to percentages in a review of approximately 250 words is that being fair and balanced in one's criticisms often takes more words. As a reviewer I like to try to make clear my reasoning behind the criticism, so that review readers can use their own judgment. As a reader of reviews, I tend to focus on the words used rather than the amount of relative space given in the review to the reviewer's positive vs. negative statements.
Sue Giffard Ethical Culture School New York, NY 10023 sgiffard_at_ecfs.org (212)712-6292
"Perhaps the only victory available
the victory of the heart over its own inclinations for despair, revenge and hatred." (Leonard Cohen, September 24, 2009)
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:36:09 -0500
RE:
reviewingI think it's important to balance the positive and negative in reviewing and give appropriate respect to the authors and illustrators who obviously worked hard on the books (not to mention editors, designers, etc.) but I also think it is necessary to mention potential problems or idiosyncracies and hot button topics, even though it may take up more space, since you do often have to provide more explanation.
As a reviewer, I always try to take all of this into account and try my best to provide a balanced review. A book can be an otherwise wonderful early reader but contain some vocabulary that makes it difficult for a child to read independently, for example, and as a librarian, it's valuable for me to have this info if I am considering which book to purchase for young readers. Maybe I won't want it, or maybe I'll just want to keep in mind that I'll need to go over some of the vocabulary with the child who has selected it. An absolutely worthwhile and thoroughly engaging picture book may depict a single scene that makes an otherwise younger book more appropriate for older kids, for example, making the age designation a gray area, and this seems to me necessary information as a librarian, as it changes the likely audience and may lead to me guiding older children toward it. In selecting novels at work, I need to know if there are hot button topics so that I can have more info in deciding which books to place in the YA section. As a librarian, I wish I could read everything for myself, but sometimes this just isn't possible!
These may be somewhat subjective judgements, but we all inevitably make them to some extent, and I think part of why we review is to analyse, consider and present the books in a realistic way--with pros and cons and as objectively as we are able--so that people can make informed judements for themselves. I realize no one has said we should leave out problems or hot button topics altogether, but it seems important to note that mentioning them is a necessary function of reviewing.
Lisa Moore UN International School New York, NY 11432
----- Original Message -----
From: Giffard, Sue To: Olgy Gary ; CCBC Network Sent: Saturday, November 14, 2009 12:01 PM Subject: RE:
reviewing
Jonathan wrote:
One of my biggest pet peeves are reviewers who think they must point out some negative, some failing in the book, lest their peers think them completely devoid of critical faculties. The truth, however, is that when you only have so many words and you throw something critical in, just for the sake of being critical, then it throws the balance of the review off. You may have only found 5% of the book to be unsatisfactory, for example, but 30% of your review addresses those points. The same thing happens when you write
Olgy wrote:
This is such a good point you're making here, Jonathan. When we review titles to the CCF site, we instinctively I avoid pointing out some negative just for the sake of pointint it out. Your explanation, and the way you clearly describe it by using the percentages, makes real good sense to me.
I review for SLJ, and I think that one of the difficulties of balancing negative and positive points with an eye to percentages in a review of approximately 250 words is that being fair and balanced in one's criticisms often takes more words. As a reviewer I like to try to make clear my reasoning behind the criticism, so that review readers can use their own judgment. As a reader of reviews, I tend to focus on the words used rather than the amount of relative space given in the review to the reviewer's positive vs. negative statements.
Sue Giffard Ethical Culture School New York, NY 10023 sgiffard_at_ecfs.org (212)712-6292
"Perhaps the only victory available
the victory of the heart over its own inclinations for despair, revenge and hatred." (Leonard Cohen, September 24, 2009)
---Received on Sat 14 Nov 2009 01:36:09 PM CST
