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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 — 2025–2026

Time: 9:00 – 11:00 AM

Location: Shoreline Conference Center, Professional Library, Building H

Sep

Sat, Sep 13, 2025

9:00 - 11:00 AM

Nov

Sat, Nov 15, 2025

9:00 - 11:00 AM

Jan

Sat, Jan 10, 2026

9:00 - 11:00 AM

Mar

Sat, Mar 7, 2026

9:00 - 11:00 AM

May

Sat, May 2, 2026

9:00 - 11:00 AM

Jun

Sat, Jun 6, 2026

9:00 - 11:00 AM

Reminder:

PSC 2025 dues are due January 1, 2026. 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

Dream

by O'connor, Barbara (2025)

AD+

Idalee's mom is a country singer and has gone on tour with her band, leaving Idalee in their big boarding house under the care of the tenants there. Idalee wants to be a famous country songwriter. ...

Reviewed by Anne Apr 17, 2026
Grades: 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade

Get Real, Chloe Torres

by Maldonado, Crystal (2025)

R

The concept of Get Real, Chloe Torres is engaging--three estranged friends go on a post-graduation road trip to Las Vegas to attend the reunion show of their favorite middle school boy band. Chloe,...

Reviewed by Stacy Apr 14, 2026
Grades: 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade

Jewel Heists

by Abdo, Kenny (2024)

AD

Jewel Heists is interesting but not necessarily a book that young readers would select to read. From the High-Stakes Heists series which covers heists dealing with banks, hobbies, museums, trains,...

Reviewed by Karen I. Apr 14, 2026
Grades: 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade

Mystery Driver : The Story Of Alice Johnson And The First Soap

by Tracy, Elizabeth (2025)

R

Alice hears about and is excited by the opportunity presented by the first soap box derby, which was only open to boys, but she entered anyway. Her dad, a pilot who'd taken her up since she was an...

Reviewed by Jodie Apr 12, 2026
Grades: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade

WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL TENNIS

by GOLDSTEIN, MARGARET J (2025)

AD+

Part of the Lerner Sports "Women Got Game" series, Women's Professional Tennis is filled with engaging, active photography that will inspire young players, especially our girls. The book starts wit...

Reviewed by Tanya Apr 9, 2026
Grades: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade

BUNNY IN THE MIDDLE

by DENISE, ANIKA A (2026)

AD+

In this board book it deals with what it is like to be the bunny in the middle of the family.

Reviewed by Kay Apr 9, 2026
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten

The Gone Book

by Close, Helena (2025)

AD+

Since his mother ran off, 5 years ago, Matt has been keeping a "Gone Book" where he records his emotions. His dad has done his best to raise his three sons, stopped drinking, and is now obsessed wi...

Reviewed by Teresa Apr 9, 2026
Grades: 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade

The Very Fine Clock

by Spark, Muriel (2025)

AD

First published in 1968 this is an interesting time capsule of a story written by the acclaimed adult writer Muriel Sparks and illustrated by Edward Gorey. A clock called Ticky, who can talk, and ...

Reviewed by Paula Apr 5, 2026
Grades: 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade

HIP-HOP AROUND THE WORLD : BEATS WITHOUT BORDERS

by MORALL-BAKER, MONICA B (2025)

R

This book is in a series by Lerner about hip-hop music's history and activism. The chapters follow a sequence where they dive into the beginnings of hip-hop and then move on to current artists and...

Reviewed by Erin Mar 31, 2026
Grades: 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade

Hannah And The Wrong Note

by Goth, Shane (2025)

AD-

Hannah and the Wrong Note follows a young piano player who strives for perfection in her music. When she plays what she considers a “wrong note,” it unexpectedly comes to life, dancing and staying ...

Reviewed by Deborah Mar 30, 2026
Grades: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade