StorySnoops.com features a wide variety of books from new releases to award winners and everything in between. The Snoops read every book cover to cover. Reviews include important details on things parents care about such as mild and graphic language and other information parents might find helpful in assessing the right fit for their children.
I had a chance to interview the Snoops to find out more.
1)
What was the inspiration behind creating StorySnoops?
A
few years
ago, some
of us
were
volunteering
at the
book fair
at our
kids’
school and
we noticed
that a
lot of
parents would
ask us
(the
cashiers)
whether the
books they
were buying
were right
for their
child. Around
that same
time, there
was another
“aha!”
moment when
one of
our fourth
grade
daughters was
reading the
Twilight
series
and finished
the whole
thing before
her mom
figured out
that the
fourth book
was way
racier
than all
of the
others.
Yikes! We
began to
realize that
there really
was no
resource
where parents
could get
an opinion
about a
book from
another
parent’s
perspective.
That’s
how
StorySnoops
was born.
2)
Who does the reviews, and does it also include evaluation from kids?
All
four of
the
StorySnoops
founders
review the
books on
our site,
but the
reviews we
write are
not typical
literary
reviews.
Instead, we
include the
type of
information
that another
parent,
teacher or
librarian
would want
to know
when
selecting
books for
kids and
teens. Our
reviews
provide
important
book details
that are
usually hard
to find
all in
one place,
such as
main
character
gender, book
awards,
publisher’s
recommended
age, and
series
information.
We write
about
noteworthy
themes,
interesting
points for
discussion,
what type
of reader
the book
might appeal
to, and
give a
heads up
on language
and other
important
plot items.
For example,
we always
mention if
a pet
dies, in
case the
book winds
up in
the hands
of a
sensitive
animal lover.
We also
note if
a particular
series is
best read
in order,
or whether
a book
would be
a good
choice for
a classroom
or family
read aloud.
Our goal
is to
give you
all the
information
you need
to put
the right
book in
your young
reader’s
hands to
ensure the
best reading
experience
possible.
The
reviews that
we write
don’t
include kids’
opinions, but
we encourage
all of
our users
(kids and
adults) to
post their
own reviews
on each
of the
book pages.
We definitely
want to
know what
a kid
thinks about
a book
because no
matter how
well written
it might
be, if
it doesn’t
appeal to
its intended
audience,
that is
a problem!
Our blog
is another
place where
we can
engage in
some
discussion
with kids,
and our
own
children’s
opinions
about books
are featured
frequently.
3)
How do parents submit stories to be reviewed?
All
of
our
users
are
welcome
to
request
reviews
of
books
that
are
not
already
on
the
site.
They
can
click
on
the
Contact
Us
link
at
the
bottom
of
any
page
and
send
an
email
request
using
the
StorySnoops
Suggestion
Box.
We
are
always
happy
to
hear
about
great
books
that
we
haven't
read!
4)
How can parents use the site to find good ideas for literature for
their kids?
One
thing we
really love
about
StorySnoops
is that
unlike other
book review
sites, you
don’t
have to
have a
specific book
in mind
when you
arrive. We
spend a
lot of
time placing
the books
we read
on our
Suggested
Reading
Lists--where
for example
you can
find books
for reluctant
readers, or
books with
happy
endings, or
books about
kids who
like to
cook. There
are dozens
of lists
for both
teens and
tweens, and
they cover
a huge
variety of
interests and
experiences.
This is
definitely a
feature you
will not
find anywhere
else.
We also have some
great search tools that can help you browse particular authors, award
winners, or popular series. We have over 1600 books in our database,
so there is definitely something for every kind of reader on our
site, and we want to make it as easy as possible for you to find it.
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