Book Review Revamp!

A couple of months ago I mentioned on the blog that I would be splitting the Young Adult book reviews section into two new categories, Young Teen (14-16) and Older Teen (16+). I had planned to put the new section up sometime in April, but as I worked on the new age divisions I decided to do some more substantial remodeling of the book review category pages and individual review pages.

Last night I finished the revamp, and you can now visit the new and improved Sparrow Tree Square Book Review Collection! Here's a quick summary of the changes:

• The age category pages now feature the book cover images for each review available instead of just the titles.

• Each review page has new links to Amazon.com, WorldCat.org's library search, and, for public domain books, Project Gutenberg.

• Young Adult books have been split into Young Teen (14-16) and Older Teen (16+).

• Sparrow Tree Square's book review request policy has been updated to reflect the fact that Sparrow Tree Square does not focus on reviewing recently published books and does not often accept requests for reviews.

There may be a few bugs here and there, so if you find any broken or inaccurate links or images, please send a report to editor@sparrowtreesquare.com!

Alternatives to Disney Merchandise

Recently, Disney has been under fire for giving the character of Merida from Brave a sexualized makeover. While Disney has responded by pulling the new artwork from their website, Merida's new look will still appear on Disney merchandise such as clothing and toys for the time being.

If you're concerned about the message Disney is sending children with images like the "improved" Merida, consider shopping for your child's clothes and toys from these companies instead:

For Toys:

Magic Cabin

Magic Cabin sells toys, dolls, games, and art supplies that promote imaginative play. Many of their products are made of natural materials, including their beautiful Waldorf-style dolls. Some of their items can be a bit pricey, but they offer plenty of affordable playthings as well.

Children's Book Week 2013: Best Public Domain Books for Middle Grade Readers

This year for Children's Book Week, I'm sharing some of my favorite public domain children's books. Today, I'm wrapping up with my picks for some of the best public domain books for middle grade readers ages 8-14:

 The Alice Books by Lewis Carroll

Project Gutenberg has Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, and Carroll's original version of the first Alice book, Alice's Adventures Underground available online. For some reason it's difficult to find an online edition with the classic illustrations by John Tenniel, but Arthur Rackham's version is quite nice as well!

Children's Book Week 2013: Best Public Domain Books for Young Readers

This year for Children's Book Week, I'm sharing some of my favorite public domain children's books. Today, here are my picks for some of the best public domain books for young readers ages 4-8:

The Tales of Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter's picture books have been beloved by young readers for over a century. You can read all of her books online at Project Gutenberg, complete with her lovely watercolor illustrations.

Children's Book Week 2013: Introduction

Illustration by Jessie Wilcox Smith

Children's Book Week starts today, and as usual I'll be devoting this week to celebrating the best in children's literature. In 2011 I shared some of my favorite children's books that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages, and last year in 2012 I highlighted some wonderful children's book series.

This year, I'm getting in touch with Sparrow Tree Square's roots by sharing some of the best children's books available in the public domain. The copyrights of these books have expired, so they can be shared and reprinted for free. Websites like Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive, and the Online Books Page from University of Pennsylvania allow anyone with access to an internet connection to read some of the greatest works of literature ever written.

In past years I've posted daily Monday through Friday during Children's Book Week, but I've decided to condense things a little bit this year. My picks for the best public domain books for young readers ages 4-8 will be going up on Wednesday, May 15, and my picks for the best public domain books for middle grade readers ages 8-14 will be going up Friday, May 17. I hope that you check back on those dates, and that you enjoy Children's Book Week!