Pre-Screening Kids’ Books | a journey in finding limitations
Pre-Screening Kids’ Books
A Journey in Finding My Limitations
Like most parents and educators I know, before handing a child a book to read, I like to have a good idea of what is in the book by spending time screening the book.
For many years, I would read every book before my child did. I would stay up late each night flipping through books to get a good overview of the book. Then I would do a more thorough read of the books that I deemed worthy of a closer look. Eventually, the rate I had to read to keep up with my child, and ultimately children, became impossible. It was increasingly frustrating to invest in a “chapter book” only to find halfway through that the book was unsuitable for my child. Add to that the frustration that comes when multiple books in a row are found to be unsuitable.
Add to that the frustration that comes when you deem multiple books in a row unsuitable.
What a waste of time!
I tried to simplify and speed up the process by utilizing Amazon and Goodreads reviews. I would scroll to the 1 and 2 star reviews to get a good idea on what other readers found to be questionable or unsuitable content.
This was helpful but had its limitations. I had to sift through many reviews just to find the information I was seeking.
Some books did not contain any warnings (even after sifting through reviews) about some questionable content I came across after reading the book. And then, some reviews led me to believe that I would not be comfortable with the contents of the story, when in fact, after I read the book, I found nothing to be alarmed about. In other words, reviews are subjective.
Is this Age-Appropriate?
I like to know exactly what is in the book so I can judge for myself whether or not my child is ready for the content — in order for that to happen, I would have to read the exact wording or see the exact pictures that are in the book.
Which brings us back to the time issue. Using Screen It First, we can share images of questionable content so that, as a community of parents and educators alike, we can save time by quickly reviewing content in books that could be an issue for our own unique situations…taking subjective opinions out of the equation.
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