The KosherBooks.org resource was created by observant Jews and offers detailed (!) ratings for over 4,500 children’s books. Here are the ratings criteria.
Some excerpts from a recent Mishpacha profile:
I started kosherbooks.org with my good friend, Sharon Schwartz, 23 years ago, when our kids were becoming readers.
We both loved reading and wanted our kids to have that outlet, but we were each trying to pre-read our books, since we were careful about what came into our homes. We found ourselves rereading the same books over and over again when we couldn’t remember if they were appropriate.
…
About three years ago, website developer Margalit Brown tracked us down. She told us our list needed to be a searchable website, and offered to create it for us. Now you can search by title, author, or grade range.
We’d love to add a plug-in that will allow users to print their search results, or download them to a spreadsheet, and we’re looking for a volunteer programmer or donations to fund the process.
Finger on the Pulse
Some people don’t believe in the concept of censorship — of course, they’re not our intended audience. On the other end of the spectrum, there are very frum people who never thought of censoring their kids’ books, who’ll look at the title and book flap and say, “Oh, this is cute.”
Sometimes there are the books you read as kids, but when you reread them you start realizing, “Do I want my kids reading about Christmas parties or boyfriends?”
Parents need to have their finger on the pulse to chap what’s going on. Modern books can look fine but be really dangerous, and insidiously so. It’s a new thing — you’ll have a totally normal book and smack in the middle, a problematic character crops up.
Increasingly, young adults and children’s books heavily promote alternative lifestyles. These elements are often totally gratuitous to the plot, which is what scares me. Literature is trying to normalize what shouldn’t ever be normal, and they’re doing it to younger and younger children, with definitions and explanations.
(Excerpted from Family First, Issue 673)
Again, find the useful site here.
Note: The reviews do not address the pictures and illustrations, presumably because they are subject to change.