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 February Pick

The Color of Sound

Author: Emily Barth Isler

Everyone knows that 12-year-old Rosie is a prodigy on the violin, but no one knows that she sees music in colors. Can she confide in Shanna, the mysterious girl?

Our Young Reviewer Says:

“For those born outside societal norms, the consequences can be severe. I love how synaesthesia is explained, likening it to seeing breathing in winters as steam or while swimming as bubbles. People with synaesthesia, like Rosie, can see sound in the form of color. While some may view this as a sickness, the author suggests that it can be a gift (if given a chance). I like how Isler emphasizes that even the gifted require years of hard work and sacrifice (isolation) to achieve greatness.”

–Riya, age 12, Mumbai, India.

Past Monthly Picks