In the Spotlight

About The Children’s Book Review

The Children’s Book Review, named one of the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) Great Web Sites for Kids, is a resource devoted to children’s literature and literacy. We publish reviews and book lists of the best books for kids of all ages. We also produce author and illustrator interviews and share literacy based articles that help parents, grandparents, caregivers, teachers, and librarians to grow readers.

Meet The Children’s Book Review’s Team of Contributors

Bianca Schulze

Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review and the bestselling author of 101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up (Walter Foster Jr. 2016), an Amazon “Best Book of the Month” in October 2016. She is a reader, reviewer, mother, and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature and help grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

Favorite childhood books: Animalia by Graeme Base, The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton, Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl, The Twits by Roald Dahl, Where’s Waldo? by Martin Handford, Superfudge by Judy Blume, Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Luisa LaFleur

Luisa LaFleur reviews bilingual books for The Children’s Book Review to help parents choose the best books for their budding linguists. She was born in Argentina, attended school in NYC and speaks three foreign languages—Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. Formerly an editor in NYC, Luisa is currently a stay-at-home mom to two little ones.

Favorite childhood books: The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss, The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen, Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary, Frecklejuice by Judy Blume, and Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great by Judy Blume.

Denise Mealy

Denise Mealy is a former web content provider who stays at home to change diapers and write books. She likes to read, cook, dance, travel, and forward pictures of spam sculptures to friends. If she could have dinner with any author, dead or alive, it would be a toss-up between J.K. Rowling and Jane Austen. They would probably eat pasta. Yes, definitely pasta. Visit: https://dccmealy.com. You can also find her on Twitter: @dccmealy.

Favorite childhood books: Juniper (and the rest of the trilogy) by Monica Furlong, Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn, The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien, The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder and many, many more.

Anna Iacovetta

Dr. Anna Iacovetta, a classroom teacher who taught every grade, K-12 together with undergraduate students. Her passionate interest in children’s literature led her to earn a doctorate in Literature for Children and Young Adults from The Ohio State University. Anna is currently a part-time professor and book reviewer who resides in Cleveland, Ohio, where she lives with her husband and two young children. Twitter: LiteraryGal82

Favorite childhood books: Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes, Encyclopedia Brown, Charlotte’s Web, Kirsten: An American Girl, and collection of fairy tales by the Grimm Brothers.

Jen Harrison

Dr. Jen Harrison currently teaches English Composition and Composition Skills at East Stroudsburg University. She completed her Ph.D. in Children’s and Victorian Literature at Aberystwyth University in Wales, in the UK. There she also acted as an instructor teaching undergraduate courses on literature and literary theory, as well as further education courses on Children’s Literature and Creative Writing. After a brief spell in administration, Jen then trained as a secondary school English teacher and worked for several years teaching Secondary School English, working independently as a private tutor of English, and working in nursery and primary schools as a substitute teacher. After moving from the UK to the USA in 2016, Jen is pleased to have returned to higher education. Her current research focuses on three primary areas in the field of children’s literature: reader-writer relationships, thing-theory, and the supernatural; she is a reviewer for the International Research Society for the Study of Children’s Literature (IRSCL), as well as the Children’s Book Review. Jen also writes an academic blog on Children’s Literature, Worrisome Words: https://theworrisomewordsblog.weebly.com.

Favorite childhood books:

Nicki Richesin

Nicki Richesin is the editor of four anthologies The May Queen, Because I Love Her, What I Would Tell Her, and Crush. She is a regular contributor to Huffington Post, Daily Candy, 7×7, Red Tricycle, and San Francisco Book Review. Nicki has been reading to her daughter every day since she was born. For more information, visit: https://nickirichesin.com/.

Favorite childhood books: The Maggie B. by Irene Haas, Best Friends for Frances by Russell and Lillian Hoban, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Magic by Betty MacDonald, East of the Sun, West of the Moon by Kay Nielsen, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, and The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Nina Schuyler

Nina Schulyer‘s new novel, The Translator, has received starred reviews from Booklist and Shelf Awareness. Her fist novel, The Painting, was nominated for the Northern California Book Award and was named a ‘Best Book’ by the San Francisco Chronicle. She’s a fiction editor for www.ablemuse.com and teaches creative writing at the University of San Francisco. For more information, visit her at www.ninaschuyler.com.

Favorite childhood books: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, Silver Pennies by Blanche Jennings Thompson (I still have this book!), Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl, What Do People Do All Day by Richard Scarry, and Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.

Amanda Lynch

Amanda Lynch is a writer, editor, and blogger who grew up in Florida, knowing she belonged somewhere else. She now lives in the DC Metro Area with her husband and three amazing little boys. She is the Eco-Friendly/Green Living Contributor over at the Prime Parents’ Club and strives to live earth friendly in a world of disposable diapers. When not writing about Anabel and Jared or chasing around a curly-haired boy, she cheers for the Gators (in all kinds of weather) and occasionally remembers to sleep. You can also find her on Facebook, or Twitter as @thebookprincess.

Favorite childhood book: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi, Just As Long As We’re Together by Judy Blume, Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss and The Stinky Cheese Man And Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka.

Gi Hallmark

Gi Hallmark, founder of The Children’s Blog, is a freelance writer and mother of two lovely girls. She currently resides in Charlotte, NC, where she enjoys reading and reporting about a variety of children’s topics. For more information, visit: www.thechildrensblog.com or follow @thechildrnsblog on Twitter.

Favorite childhood books: Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff, Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett, The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume, and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

More friends of TCBR …

TCBR Advisor

Erik Schulze

Erik Schulze is TCBR’s acting advisor. He is a distinguished and agile resource who continually helps TCBR to innovate and grow. He’s our “idea guy” and continuously pushes us to deliver an engaging resource for our readership. Schulze comes from a background in new media, consumer e-commerce, publishing and curation, finance and banking, software design, directory and social platforms, digital learning, and more.

Favorite childhood books: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, Put Me In the Zoo by Robert Lopshire, Call of the Wild by Jack London, James and The Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, Superfudge by Judy Blume, and Cross Country Cat by Mary Calhoun.

TCBR in the Press

The Huffington Post

Awards and Accolades

If you have ever had the pleasure of watching the amazement and enthusiasm of a child who has just learned something new, then you will appreciate these precious words from Dr. Seuss: