Children and Young Adult Literature (CYAL) Book Reviews Spring 2024

Students and teachers review children’s and young adult literature that supports engagement with textual literacy for both classrooms and individual learners. We review newly released and soon-to-be-released texts designed for the pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade audience. Topics address issues of social justice, provide voice for marginalized youth, foster discussion regarding children’s concerns, offer accessibility through low-level, high-interests texts, and promote cross-curricular lessons in the classroom.

Submission Guidelines for Book Reviews

• • Books must be no older than 2 years or due for publication within the next 12 months

  • Books must be written for a pre-K through grade 12 audience

  • Books must fit into one or more of the following categories:

    • Promoting social justice

    • Providing a voice for marginalized youth

    • Providing high-interest text with low-level accessibility

    • Meeting a subject area of topical interest

    • Demonstrating new/unique formats or having components that incorporate new formats

    • Fostering discussion among students about children’s concerns

    • Including characters, setting or information on inclusiveness and diversity

    • Making interdisciplinary connections in cross-curricular settings or in content areas other than language arts

Book reviews include two reviewers: one adult and one child/young adult. The guidelines for each are listed below.

Guidelines for Adult Reviewers

• • Name of book, author, publisher, date published/to be published, suggested age of reader

  • Brief (one paragraph) discussion of book (plot, characters, etc.)

  • Brief (one paragraph) discussion of why this book was reviewed and to whom it might appeal

  • Mention any concerns educators might need to consider before using or recommending this book

Guidelines for Children and Young Adult Reviewers

Depending on the age of the reviewer, we ask for 1-2 sentences (pre-K to grade 3), 1 paragraph (grades 3-5), or 1-2 paragraphs (grades 6-12) about the book.  Any of the following topics would be appropriate to discuss:

• • • Why you thought this book was important

    • Why you would or would not recommend this book to someone

    • What types of people might also enjoy this book and why

    • What you liked best or least about this book

Please direct all questions to the book review editor through jolle.cyal@gmail.com.

Publishers or authors interested in having CYAL books reviewed by JoLLE

Please send your books to:

JoLLE
315 Aderhold Hall
The University Of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602

Permission to Publish

In submitting a manuscript to The Journal of Language and Literacy Education (JoLLE), you agree to the following terms of publication, which must be acknowledged via email:

Approval and Acceptance. We mutually agree that publication of the manuscript and/or art is contingent upon its acceptance for publication by JoLLE and upon its meeting editorial standards.

Warranty. You warrant that the submission is original; that it contains no matter which is libelous or is otherwise unlawful or which invades individual privacy or infringes any proprietary right or any statutory copyright; and you agree to indemnify and hold JoLLE harmless against any claim or judgment to the contrary. If JoLLE consents to publish your manuscript and/or art, and you consent to publication, you grant and assign to JoLLE for its exclusive use the entire copyright for the work submitted.

Previous Publication and Permission. You warrant that the manuscript and/or art has not been published elsewhere in whole or in part and that no agreement to publish the manuscript and/or art or any part or version thereof is outstanding. Should the manuscript and/or art contain any material that requires written permission for inclusion in, such permission shall be obtained at your own expense from the copyright owner and submitted with the manuscript.