Diagon Alley. District 13. Narnia. Rivendell. Forks.

Books can take readers anywhere, and many people don’t realize that reading can be just as addictive as Netflix. It can show readers a new world, a new perspective, and open them up to new stories. It can, however, be difficult to find just the right book. Many readers turn to reviews to tell them which book is worth reading. 

“Reviews are used for the reader that is looking for their next great read,” librarian Shawn Rhoden said. “Just like going to the movies, or buying a product, especially online, consumers want to know that they are getting value for their money. With books, it’s more about looking at the value of time. Is the book with the time a reader is going to invest in it? That’s what a review will do. Like reviews for movies and products, book reviews will vary from positive to negative. The review will all depend on a reader’s preference in literature. Someone may write a review that is less favorable, but their reasoning may lead a reader to want to read the book, because it appeals to their taste.”

The library needs people to review books that they read, so other people can have those recommendations. Not many people have been doing so. 

“I don’t think they’ve done reviews on them because they didn’t know this was an option,” Rhoden said. “I’m excited to get the word out so that students can begin doing reviews.”

There are a few ways Rhoden says staff and students can do this. 

Option 1: Log into your Destiny Library account from the schools webpage (under the student link). To log in to your account, your username & your password are your 6 digit student id (HINT: you will have to add at least 1 zero before your student id).

• Once you are logged in, locate the book to review by searching for it. Click on the cover of the book, and then click on the title of the book, and you’ll see a button to click to add a review. Students should always make sure they proofread and edit the book.
• When you write a review, be sure to describe the plot, avoid spoilers, find the hook, make your, opinion clear, use your voice, include the good and the bad, think about your audience, and give it a star rating.

Option 2: TIK TOK review. We have a Wildkat Library TIK TOK!! and we love students doing Tik Tok reviews. Make the Tik Tok review and tag us at wildkatlibrary. You can also record one and email it to Rhoden at [email protected].

• If someone wants to write reviews or do Book TOKS (Tik Toks for Books), the best thing to do is read reviews that are already available and watch Book Toks on Tik Tok. Just remember, always use your own words and do your own work. You never want to copy someone else’s book review and use it as your own.
• Students that have their interest peaked in this should go for it. They don’t have to stop at just the library either.

“People can review books in many different ways,¨ Rhoden said. ¨Readers review books on sites such as Amazon and Goodreads. Many readers often write blogs. In fact, several years ago, I had a book review blog called, ‘What I Read Yesterday.’ In my blog, I reviewed YA books. So if a student is really eager to write reviews consistently and they read a lot, I would recommend checking out blogs that exist to see how blogs should look.”