Be a Reviewer--and Other Ways to Help
Because the YA genre has exploded over the past decade or so with many new books being published each year, I cannot possibly offer the comprehensive guide I wish I could. Thus, in order to maximize the number of reviews I can offer, What's In It? is designed to be a collaborative effort, authored by as many people as are willing to review books. If you share my concerns for the minds and hearts of our teens, please consider helping to make this guide the best it can be. After looking over the options listed below, you can go to my Contact Me page to discuss your thoughts with me. Thank you for considering this unique opportunity!
You can help by:
If you would like to review a book, please follow these guidelines once your choice is approved:
1) Study some of my recent reviews (older ones use a different template that I no longer use) to understand the necessary content and general style of the reviews. I will need those matched (keeping your own distinctive voice, of course), including any awards the author received. I don't need anything about "starred reviews," only awards, nominations for awards, and "top picks."
2) I don't impose a word limit, but it should be reasonable--short enough for a visitor to read easily but long enough to give useful information.
3) Give detailed information about the book, but exact quotations and page numbers for each and every item of concern are too much.
4) Reviews should combine useful, objective information with your own opinions. Keep in mind that this website is for visitors of all faiths and worldviews, although most are Christians. What they have in common is a conservative, cautious approach to teen entertainment. My goal is to help all parents, because so few websites like this exist; therefore, it is essential that the reviews emphasize objective information about the books, rather than personal opinions. For example, reviewers might point out a book's homosexual content and how graphically they are portrayed, but they need to avoid digressing into Scripture, theology, or "gay-bashing" comments.
5) Type your review in a Word, Rich Text, or Google Doc document, and submit it to crblomquist@gmail.com. I reserve the right to edit for clarity, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style; however, I will not change any content without your approval. For example, if a sentence is confusing, I won't simply take a guess and rewrite it.
6) Finally, keep in mind that if you do a review, you are not committing to any future reviews. Commitments are per-book only. Thank you so much!
You can help by:
- reviewing books using the same short format as the other reviews posted on this website. Commitments are only for one book at a time.
- suggesting YA books that are of particular interest to you or your teens. This will help me make sure that the reviews are meeting actual interests. Suggestions made will be moved to the top of my reading list.
- suggesting ways to improve What's In It?. Have I forgotten to cover something in the reviews? Is there a better way to organize the information? Please pass your ideas along, so that I can make the guide as useful as possible. I can't promise to use every idea, but I do promise to give each of them serious thought.
- getting the word out. If you think What's In It? would be useful to other parents you know, please tell them about it! Print my flyer to place in churches, libraries, coffee shops, or anywhere else you think might reach concerned parents just like you!
If you would like to review a book, please follow these guidelines once your choice is approved:
1) Study some of my recent reviews (older ones use a different template that I no longer use) to understand the necessary content and general style of the reviews. I will need those matched (keeping your own distinctive voice, of course), including any awards the author received. I don't need anything about "starred reviews," only awards, nominations for awards, and "top picks."
2) I don't impose a word limit, but it should be reasonable--short enough for a visitor to read easily but long enough to give useful information.
3) Give detailed information about the book, but exact quotations and page numbers for each and every item of concern are too much.
4) Reviews should combine useful, objective information with your own opinions. Keep in mind that this website is for visitors of all faiths and worldviews, although most are Christians. What they have in common is a conservative, cautious approach to teen entertainment. My goal is to help all parents, because so few websites like this exist; therefore, it is essential that the reviews emphasize objective information about the books, rather than personal opinions. For example, reviewers might point out a book's homosexual content and how graphically they are portrayed, but they need to avoid digressing into Scripture, theology, or "gay-bashing" comments.
5) Type your review in a Word, Rich Text, or Google Doc document, and submit it to crblomquist@gmail.com. I reserve the right to edit for clarity, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style; however, I will not change any content without your approval. For example, if a sentence is confusing, I won't simply take a guess and rewrite it.
6) Finally, keep in mind that if you do a review, you are not committing to any future reviews. Commitments are per-book only. Thank you so much!