Scholars, Teachers, Librarians, Parents, and Other Adults

Write-ups will be between 50 and 500 words, with 100-300 words on average. The basic standard is that you like the book well enough to give it as a present to a young reader in your life. Write-ups express your own love of the book you are describing, so they should be written in your own voice. If a write-up is accepted for Calliope, we may as for additional information about the book or corrections.

 Books may have multiple write-ups, and anyone can review a book, although the write-ups will be vetted by Calliope’s advisory board to ensure quality. We seek to publish additional write-ups for each book by scholars, teachers, librarians, parents, and young readers themselves, so please submit write-ups for book that you love even if the book is already on the website. 

Write-ups may include the following information:

1. If the book is new to Calliope, begin with a sentence or two of summary (more if the book is older and not well attested online)

2. A description of what the book does particularly well that leads the writer to recommend it

3. Recommended audience, if applicable (kids 8-12, Harry Potter fans, reluctant readers, anyone who likes history, etc.)

4. Any caveats for parents or readers, such as that the book includes sex, excessive violence, or offensive stereotyping (even the best books have aspects that do not age well)

5. If the book is hard to get, suggestions about where to find it (e.g., Naomi Mitchison’s Sun and Moon is out of print, but you can find it on used book websites.) 
   

You can submit your write-up here.

Young Readers

Young reader write-ups should tell us a little bit about the book, like what happens and who the main characters are, then say why you like the book. Was it funny, sad, or exciting? Who was your favorite character, and why? Finish up with who should read the book. Is it great for everyone, or just for older kids? Maybe it reminds you of another book, and fans of that book might like this one. Put your first name at the end of your write-up (we don’t need your last name) and your age.

There is no word limit. Your write-up can be as long or as short as you like. Please also add the name of the book and the author at the top, so that we can be sure to get the right book. You can add your write-up here.

Formatting:

Body

• Names that end in s: Use s’ for the possessive. Example: Odysseus’ journey

• End the write up with a dash (-) and your full name if over 18. Example: - Lemony Snicket

• End the write up with a dash (-) and your first name and your age if 17 or younger. Example: - Jacqueline (age 9)

If submitting your write-up by email, include a header

Header Format: The header should include the books title, the names of the Author(s) and illustrator(s), if there are any, the publication date, and any tags (see below) that you would recommend. If the book is a reprint, include the reprint date, followed by the original date of publication in brackets (e. g. 2014 [1930]). If the book is part of a series, include the series name and volume number in parentheses after the title.

Here is an example: 

Title: The Lightening Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, vol. 1)

Author: Rick Riordan

Date: 2005

Tags: Middle grade, Novel, Audiobook, eBook, Mythology, Perseus, Odyssey, Gigantomachy, 21st century worlds, English

Tags:

We add tags later, but it helps us out if you recommend which tags to use. Our tags are in the lists below. Add any that apply, and any that you think are missing.