Following the example of our long-standing supplement Series made easyThe new publication will include 500 titles of the series literature.
Responding to the needs of the audience, SLJ created a new resource.
Fiction series made easy will be released in December 2024. Following the example of our long-standing supplement Series made easy (Direct Mail), the new publication will include 500 titles of the series literature.
“We envision being able to cover books that we wouldn’t normally have space for in our traditional monthly issues,” says Shelley Diaz, SLJ Reviews Director.
“But we know that librarians need these reviews more and more,” she adds. School policies generally require librarians to get two professional reviews before making a purchase for their collections. Right now, librarians need to follow the guidelines or they’ll be more likely to challenge books, Diaz says.
In addition, there is the enormous number of book series that are published every month, which makes standardized review assignments impossible.
“We want to cover more series in general,” says Diaz. This includes Hi-Lo series, manga and especially decodables, “a new area where librarians, publishers and the community want more guidance.”
Given the strict guidelines in the current climate, Diaz points out the potential impact on popular series. “There may come a time when a library is unable to acquire the latest Wimpy Kid or Magic Treehouse movies,” says Diaz.
resources
SMS focuses on non-fiction series and is published twice a year in April and November. It includes 850 to 1,100 titles.
Revised submission guidelines are available at slj.com/reviewsubmissions.
