Review Crew Guidelines

Welcome to the Teen Review Crew! We have a few guidelines to ensure that all reviews that we post are truly informative and helpful to our library patrons and the greater Westbury community.

Please remember that the use of AI to complete your reviews is not acceptable.

Guidelines for Book Reviews:

1. Books reviewed must be available through the Westbury Memorial Public Library. You can check our catalog online by using this direct link

For book series, review the first book in the series only, as they will determine whether or not they want to continue after the first one. When you know which book you’d like to review, please email us your choice before you begin: teenzone@westburylibrary.org

2. Each book should be rated on a 5-star scale. ½ star is the lowest rating a book can receive, while 5 stars is the highest rating a book can receive.

1/2 star = so bad you couldn’t even finish it.

1 star = you really didn’t like it & wish you hadn’t wasted your time.

2 stars = meh, you’ve read better.

3 stars = a good book.

4 stars = a great book.

5 stars = reserved utterly AMAZING. Try not to overuse.

3. Each book review should be at least 2 short paragraphs, and no longer than 3 paragraphs in length. Always include the title, author, and format (book, ebook, audiobook) in each book review. No spoilers! Remember, you are helping others choose their next book to read. You can summarize, but do not give away any plot twists or surprises that would ruin their reading experience. Try to include positives and negatives in each review. The negatives don’t have to be horrible, but can be worded gently like, “I prefer more rounded characters,” or “I wish the author included less technical data.”

Good book reviews will mention at least 3 of the following: Plot (both big picture climax & resolution as well as smaller plot points or twists) Characters, Setting or World Creation, and Author’s Writing Flow (did you plod through it or was it an edge-of-your-seat page-turner?) Other details (these will depend on the genre and the novel): technical details, historical accuracy, emotions evoked, imagination, thought-provoking, eye-opening to other cultures, inspiring, educational, etc.

4. Review and edit your book reviews for clear writing, spelling and grammar.

5. When finished, email your book review to: teenzone@westburylibrary.org

One review per week max, please. We will email you back within one week with any necessary revisions. Please make all revisions within one week of receiving it and send back your final version for publication. *We will never ask you to change your opinion or your message. We may have some notes asking for clarity, more detail, or edits on mechanics.

7. Once we have your final version, we will upload it to the YA Review Crew blog page and will send you the URL to your own published book review!

8. Each published book review = 2 hours of volunteer service. Just email the Teen Zone - teenzone@westburylibrary.org to request a letter verifying service hours when they are due to school/clubs/counselors. We keep a tally throughout the year and will include all of your contributions to date if necessary.

Guidelines for Hoopla Film Reviews:

Sign up for a free account with the library’s streaming service Hoopla here and submit a review of any available movie or tv show to teenzone@westburylibrary.org. Earn 2 hours of community service by answering the following questions:

1. What is your first and last name and grade?
   
2. What is the main plot of the film? (Try not to give too much away!)
   
3. What is the best/appropriate age for someone to watch this film? Or, what is it rated?
   
4. What did you like best and least about this film? Would you recommend this show/movie? Why or why not?!
   
5. What is your opinion of the streaming platform, Hoopla?
   

5a. Does it have a good variety of content?

5b. Is it easy to search for specific items?

5c. Would you recommend this service to a friend?

Why or why not