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Puget Sound Council

For Reviewing Children's & Young Adult Literature

Connecting readers with quality children's and young adult books through trusted peer reviews.

Welcome

Welcome to the (new & improved!) review management system for the Puget Sound Council. Please access the features of this site via the menu bar above.

If you have questions or comments, cannot locate a book, or need to report an error, please contact pugetsoundcouncil@gmail.com.

For questions about membership, how-tos, and issues that are not site-related, please contact Eve Datisman at datseve@gmail.com.

Schedule of Events

General Meeting Dates: 2026–2027

Time: 9:00 – 11:00 AM

Location: Shoreline Conference Center, Professional Library, Building H

Jun

Sat, Jun 6, 2026

9:00 - 11:00 AM

Sep

Sat., Sept. 12, 2026

9:00 - 11:00 AM

Nov

Sat., Nov. 7, 2026

9:00 - 11:00 AM

Jan

Sat., Jan. 9, 2027

9:00 - 11:00 AM

Mar

Sat., Mar. 6, 2027

9:00 - 11:00 AM

May

Sat., May 1, 2027

9:00 - 11:00 AM

Jun

Sat., June 5, 2027

9:00 - 11:00 AM

Reminder:

PSC 2026/27 dues are due January 1, 2027. Oral reviews must be posted by Wednesday 11:59 PM before the meeting.

The Shoreline Conference Center Professional Library is open 7:00 – 4:30 weekdays during the school year. Members are encouraged to drop by and pick up books at your convenience. Please call Tina Marier at 206.393.4225 or email tina.marier@ssd412.org to make sure the room is available.

How to Review Books

Important:

When finished writing a review, make sure you change the "Published" setting to "Yes." Otherwise, it will not be visible to others.

Oral Reviews

Books reviewed at the following meeting. Usually first-time authors, particularly noteworthy books, or discussion-worthy books. Oral books are returned and donated to charities.

Written Reviews

Books not reviewed orally. After reviews are submitted, these books may be added to your library collection.

Steps to Review

  1. Select the books you wish to review. We have a responsibility to review all books sent to us by publishers — please review them in a timely manner.
  2. At the meeting, separate your books into Oral and Written piles.
  3. Use the scanner to enter your choices. Select your name from the dropdown, choose oral or written, and scan the ISBN for each book.
  4. To enter a finished review: Log in, go to Reviews → My Reviews To Do, select a book, fill out the fields, and set "Published" to save.

Rating Scale

R* Highly Recommended. Superior book; should be part of every collection.
R Recommended. Superior in style, liveliness, integrity and format.
AD+ Additional Plus. Good solid book but has some minor flaws.
AD Additional. Satisfactory but will be excelled by other books in its field.
AD- Additional Minus. Mediocre.
M Marginal. Contains many weaknesses; might be considered only as supplementary material or to meet special localized subject needs.
NR Not Recommended. Does not meet library standards in style, content, or design.
NR* Not Recommended*. Appropriate for another kind of collection or different age levels.

Recent Reviews

Smallest Bird : A Friendship Story

by Belin, Joy (2025)

AD

What should you do if you want to make friends with the smallest bird? This book coaches a young boy as he befriends a small bird in his backyard. Theirs is a gradual building of trust that eventua...

Reviewed by Teresa Sep 16, 2026
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade

All the Ways to Be Pretty

by Khan, Shamaila (2025)

R*

Author wrote this story "to provide Muslim parents with a starting point for conversations about beauty from an Islamic perspective." Helpful story for all parents to read and discuss with their c...

Reviewed by Karen I. Sep 15, 2026
Grades: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade

FAIRY TRAILS : JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

by TRUKHAN, EKATERINA (2026)

AD

In this toy and moveable board book with sliders there is a very abbreviated Jack and the beanstalk storyline. Jack sells the cow, mom throws the beans out the window, the stalk grows and Jack cli...

Reviewed by Kay Sep 15, 2026
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten

Aya has never seen a bear

by Blackcrane, Gerelcimeg (2026)

R

Aya and her grandparents are Oroquen, hunters who live more traditionally in the mountains of Northern China. One fall day, grandpa wants to take Aya into the woods in search of bears. They make th...

Reviewed by Tanya Sep 12, 2026
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade

A KID LIKE ME : A GRAPHIC NOVEL

by FEUTI, NORM (2026)

R*

We sometimes forget that boys struggle with friendships too. When Ethan starts a new school year, he feels like he stands out with his flip phone, discount clothing, and ripped backpack. His best f...

Reviewed by Stacy Sep 11, 2026
Grades: 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade

How to read a very serious book

by Messier, Mireille (2026)

AD+

How to Read a Very Serious Book is a humorous picture book that presents a series of exaggerated tips for appearing to read a “serious” book. The book suggests actions such as wearing fake mustache...

Reviewed by Noelle Sep 9, 2026
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade

THE HOME WE DREAMED

by BUDISAN, ANCA SANDU (2026)

R

In The Home We Dreamed, Anca Sandu Budisan paints a beautiful tale of her family's home in Romania across generations. The book tells the story of her grandparents and the home (and life) they work...

Reviewed by Molly Sep 9, 2026
Grades: 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade

You Had Me At Hello World

by Wang, Rona (2025)

AD

Char Tang is a coder and desperately needs to escape her small town and her angry/abusive step-father. She gets the opportunity when she wins a spot at an elite camp at MIT. There she has a meet cu...

Reviewed by Anne Sep 9, 2026
Grades: 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade

The lonely lighthouse : the story of the Sable Point Lighthouse

by Owens, Stephaine (2026)

AD

Little Sable Point Lighthouse is the oldest remaining brick lighthouse on the Great Lakes. The narrative follows its construction, the keepers who tended it, the long stretch when it stood abandone...

Reviewed by Eve Aug 30, 2026
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten, 3rd Grade

IT STARTED WITH A BOOK BAN

by LODDING, LINDA RAVIN (2026)

AD-

Edwin, dressed up like a green Martian for Monday's dress-up day at school, is sad to find half empty shelves in the library. Ms. Paige, the librarian, explains that space books may mean people's ...

Reviewed by Jodie Aug 29, 2026
Grades: 3rd Grade