Children’s Book Committee

Young Reviewers Program

The Young Reviewers Program welcomes children from toddlers through high school students who read and review books that are currently being considered by the Children’s Book Committee (CBC). Started more than 20 years ago, the program supports the CBC’s longstanding mission to evaluate books for children, parents, librarians, and educators by focusing on how books can affect young readers.

Purpose of Becoming a Young Reviewer

Reviews help the CBC to create our Best Children’s Books of the Year lists and Children’s Book Awards. Some Young Reviewers have been in the program for years and many have highlighted their experience on school and scholarship resumés.

For more information about our program, please email youngreviewers@bankstreet.edu or click the button below to fill out our registration form.

Registration Form Submit a Review Children’s Book Committee

The Children’s Book Committee

Members of the CBC have a wide range of experience in the world of education, writing, and book publishing, but the voices of children through the Young Reviewers Program provide the committee with valuable insights into the literature we read throughout each year. Reviews are shared with committee members at weekly meetings and, at the end of the year, the CBC will consider many criteria when compiling the Best Children’s Books of the Year List, including the thoughts of our Young Reviewers. Excerpts from some reviews are shared on social media and at our awards ceremony in the spring.

Children's Book Committee June Pick

Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School

Author: Tiffany Jewell

Statistics intertwined with deeply personal anecdotes of the global majority expose systemic racism in schooling. An extensive list of recommended readings, resources, and insightful short bios of all contributors.

Our Young Reviewer Says:

In “Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School,” the author Tiffany Jewell discusses heavy topics such as separation of students through prejudice disguised as ‘educational differences’. She touches on how people outside of the school system would never be able to recognize how racially separated schools are. One example given is that special education classes are almost all people of color who have been labeled with a learning disability. Read more…

–Logan, grade 8, Port Washington, NY.

Past Monthly Picks