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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

MRS. ORWELL

by CHALUPA, ANDREA (2026)

R*

Chalupa and Revel trace the life of Eileen O’Shaughnessy Blair, the brilliant, sharp‑witted writer and political thinker whose partnership with George Orwell shaped some of his most enduring work. ...

Reviewed by Eve Jul 5, 2026
Grades: 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade

Gift Of The Broken Teacup : Poems Of Mindfulness, Meditation

by Wolf, Allan (2025)

R

In this beautifully illustrated collection of poetry, readers are practicing mindfulness and meditation while also being introduced to concepts like integrity and perseverance. The back third of po...

Reviewed by Jill Jul 5, 2026
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade

ALL ABOUT US : 20 TRUE TALES OF COURAGE AND DISABILITY

by LEAVITT, HANNALORA (2026)

R

Hannalora Leavitt writes about disabilities and profiles 20 people with disabilities with care and a personal touch. Leavitt lives near us, on Vancouver Island, and most of her profiles are of her...

Reviewed by Jodie Jul 4, 2026
Grades: 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade

Search For The Sunken Statue

by Beil, Michael D (2025)

R*

The Swallowtail Legacy Search for the Sunken Statue is the third book in Michael D. Beil’s Swallowtail Legacy series. This book could be read as a standalone. Lark and her family have moved permane...

Reviewed by Stacy Jul 3, 2026
Grades: 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade

THE HAUNTING OF WALKER POND

by TANDON, NANCY (2026)

AD+

Frankie and her best friend, Parker, are spending two weeks as Leaders In Training at a summer camp. After their previous paranormal adventure in "The Ghost of Spruce Point" they hope for a normal ...

Reviewed by Teresa Jul 3, 2026
Grades: 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade

The Best Garden In The World

by Courtley, Alice (2025)

R

In this beautifully illustrated picture book, readers meet Steve, a city squirrel, who has arrived in the forest intent on developing what he considers the best garden in the world. As Steve goes a...

Reviewed by Erin Jul 2, 2026
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade

This Is Orange : A Field Trip Through Color

by Poliquin, Rachel (2025)

R

Written in a conversational style, this book explores the color orange in a meandering and engaging way. Starting with the etymology of the English word, readers will find out that there once was ...

Reviewed by Paula Jul 1, 2026
Grades: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade

Once Upon A Diwali

by Mishra, Anita (2024)

AD+

Riya is not excited about the family’s Diwali celebration and being outside in the dark, especially since the fireworks make loud noises. As Mama explains why Diwali is important describing the ste...

Reviewed by Kathryn Jun 25, 2026
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade

MIRA, MIRA SHAPES

by HEUER, LOURDES (2026)

AD

This board book pairs Spanish word for shapes with English phrases to describe them and cut outs on each two-page spread.

Reviewed by Kay Jun 11, 2026
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten

Voces sin fronteras : our stories, our truth = nuestras historias, nuestra verdad

by Unknown Author (2018)

AD+

This is a bilingual (Spanish/English) collection of 16 graphic memoirs written by Latin American youth who immigrated to the US. Although there are common themes, the voices and drawing styles are ...

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