We recently had a debate at LitPick whether we should be only having books submitted to us by authors and publishers reviewed by reviewers in the target age range for the book or just let any reviewer review any book.
Not all reviewers are created equal though, and we have found that a young reader can write a good but immature review. Whereas, an older reader of a children's book may completely miss the messaging and value of the story and illustration because they review the book from a more mature perspective. Can you imagine an adult reviewer of a children's book commenting that the book's language was "childish?" Hello...that's why it is a children's book, written for them...but we have received this comment from one of our adult reviewers. On the other hand, when one of our young adult reviewers reviews a YA book and says it is one of the best books she has ever read and she can't wait for the next book in the series, that's a powerful endorsement.
To help with our debate, we decided to compile from the Internet thoughts on targeted vs. non targeted book reviews. You can find the compilation here, but let me warn you, there is no easy answer...
The Power of Targeted Book Reviews: How They Impact Authors, Publishers, and Readers
