Evaluating Children’s Literature

Guidelines for Evaluating Children’s Literature: Questions to Consider

• How did the author make the book believable? In other words, how true is the emotional reality of the story…
• Discuss one of the main characters. How did the author make this character unique and believable? What issues does this character grapple with? How does the character evolve across the book? How were you able to relate to the characters? (You may wish to discuss the main character’s relationship to other characters)
• Discuss the setting. Was the setting essential to the plot of the book? Explain why or why not. Does it add depth to the book?
• What did you learn about the time period in which the book was set? Do you think the time period was described accurately? How do you know?
• What elements of the author’s style and language drew you into the book? Explain and give examples. Examine the poetic or literary devices used in the text (i.e. simile, metaphor, flashback, onomatopoeia, imagery, alliteration, personification, symbolism). What does the author draw upon to write this story? Are there patterns, repeated phrases, predictable structures?
• What factual information did you learn? Did anything surprise you? How do you know if this information is accurate?
• What does the book remind you of from your own life?
• What special meaning or message does the book convey to you? Do you think this is a worthwhile theme for elementary/middle-level students? Explain.
• How does the point of view affect your reading? Who is the implied reader or intended audience of the book? Whose background knowledge is privileged in reading this text?
• How does this story relate to the world as you see it?
• Are any characters privileged or marginalized? How are the lived experiences of historically minoritized populations represented in the text?
• What moral values and social-political messages (race, gender, religion, class, poverty, environment, immigration, education, homelessness, etc.) are dominant in the text? Does the author foster social consciousness?
• In this text, who had the power to make choices for a better world?
• Does the author present cultural details and markers authentically and multidimensionally? Are these cultural details integrated naturally?
• Is the author/illustrator a cultural or #OwnVoices insider (e.g., Do they self-identify as a member of the community portrayed in the book?)? Has the book been endorsed by a reputable organization and/or insider with expertise?
• Does the author use details accurately and does this work avoid stereotypes? Does the author use language authentically?
• What experiences did the author bring that would help them represent the culture or social/environmental issue fairly?
• How does the author build tension in the book? How does the mood of the book contribute to the tension?
• What classroom connections/activities naturally link to this book. Discuss a specific resource, strategy, activity you would incorporate into your classroom.
• What reading/writing mini-lesson could be taught through this book or passages from the book?

Guidelines for Evaluating Picture Books: Questions to Consider…

Artistic Technique/Media: What artistic media or combination of media was used? How do the illustrations support the text and the meaning of the story? Does the illustrator’s artistic medium enhance the fit between text and pictures for this book? Is the art accessible and interesting to the intended audience? Consider the elements of design (line, color, space, shape, texture, perspective) incorporated in the artwork. Does the book incorporate a horizontal or vertical layout or both, and is this important? What about font choices?

Interplay of Textual and Visual Images: Analyze the relationships between the text and the illustrations. Does the text alone hold the reader’s attention? What kind of gaps does the author/illustrator leave for the reader to fill in? Are details purposefully left out to create tension? How does the story flow from page to page? Are there borders that separate objects, cross over in language and image from page to page, or tell a story within the borders? Are there any stories within the main story? Are there parallel texts or ideas being presented?

Themes: Throughout the book, the author may develop a theme. Does the author have an issue that they keep raising? A point, motif, or idea that recurs throughout the book? These are the author’s themes – arguments or life lessons that the author particularly wants to emphasize.

Examine the Experience of the Author and Illustrator: Does the author/illustrator have experience with the culture or population that they are representing? Is the author/illustrator a cultural or #OwnVoices insider (e.g., Do they self-identify as a member of the community portrayed in the book?)?