One in an occasional set of interviews with the reviewers who provide critical insights about new books from our client publishers.
Hello! I am a librarian, book reviewer, and author with a focus on books written for kids, tweens, and teens. I have been a nontraditional educator for most of my life, but I began providing Storytimes in 2011 and haven’t looked back! I have reviewed books professionally since 2015, and I love getting to read, talk about, and share excellent stories with young people and their families.
How did you get started reviewing titles?
When I was a fledgling librarian, I had the privilege of attending the annual ALA (American Library Association) conference in 2015. I was eager to get involved in every possible way, so I explored the convention hall (which is where publishers and industry professionals gather to offer resources to conference participants). I stumbled across a table recruiting reviewers, and I signed up! I got involved in writing reviews for both SLJ (School Library Journal) and CLCD (Children’s Literature) prior to the pandemic. Then, 2020 is when things really began to pick up for me as I was seeking a way to interact more deeply with the library community to assuage the loneliness of that time. Every year, my review net shifts and adjusts, and I’m pleased to be able to provide reviews in multiple capacities today.
What is your favorite genre to review?
I think every genre has its important elements, but middle grade has become a sweet spot for me in the last few years. I love that books for middle grade readers can be part whimsy, part resonant, blending the very real challenges of life with any landscape one can imagine. There wasn’t very much middle grade literature available when I was growing up, so I feel a bit like I’m feeding my middle grade brain when reading these books now.
Who is your ideal audience for your reviews/writing?
When I write reviews, I’m focusing on the people purchasing these books. Even though the books are written for youth, it is often a caregiver, librarian, or teacher who is actually making the purchasing decision. In that regard, I focus on what will particularly resonate with the ultimate reader, who might enjoy the book, and important elements (like language, romance, violence, etc.) that could impact buying decisions.
Tell us a bit about the process from reading a book, to deciding to review/write about it.
I’m not too choosy when deciding to write reviews, as I believe that there is a book for every reader and a reader for every book. So, that means that even if a book isn’t for me, I am still likely to provide an honest, unbiased review. Books that tend to stand out, though, are ones that incorporate voices that aren’t often represented in children’s literature, exemplary writing or style choices, or unique concepts and delivery. Whenever I pick up a new book, I go into it with as little background information as possible and take notes as I read. Those notes are then the foundation of the video and/or written reviews I will create.
How do the children in your life influence your choices?
I have a 7-year-old who loves to read graphic novels in particular, which is interesting because this wasn’t widely available when I was young and it isn’t a format I knew much about. But as she’s been reading books and sharing them with me, I’ve developed an appreciation for this style of storytelling and its accessibility to a wide variety of readers. I love finding new graphic novels to share with both her and the wider reading community.
You interview authors and illustrators in addition to reviewing books. How does this dovetail with your reviewing process?
Last year, I took a chance and started a podcast interviewing authors/illustrators of children’s books. It was an idea that had been percolating for a long time, and the right opportunity appeared at a time when I was able to dive in. There are 45 episodes in Season 1, and Season 2 kicked off in February. Every interview I host sheds light on the process of writing and creating books, and these conversations help connect readers to the people behind some of their favorite stories. Getting to know the people responsible for the books I review helps humanize the process and is inspiring in many ways, and I love how the kidlit community is so welcoming, kind, and supportive.
And good news for fans of Mary Lanni’s explorations of children’s literature as a reviewer and interviewer! This spring she has a new book publishing with Bloomsbury. USING NURSERY RHYMES WITH TODAY’S KIDS: Their Legacy and Evolution introduces “nursery rhymes from a historical and international perspective, where common themes and original intents are explored. The book highlights the importance of oral storytelling in cultures around the world and details the ways in which nursery rhymes provide young children with the tools to become strong readers. This guide also explores how popular modern children’s songs borrow from older tunes to be accessible to a contemporary audience.”
Titles mentioned in this article are MY TRIP WITH DRIP by Josephine Mark (Helvetiq), THE HIDDEN GIRL by Louise Bassett (Walker Books Australia), and FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO READ: Samuel Wilbert Tucker and the 1939 Sit-Down Strike for Library Reading Equality by Jeff Gottesfeld and Michelle Y. Green, illustrated by Kim Holt (Creston Books)