Guides

Recommends Reviewer Guide

NSTA Recommends is a unique system of teacher reviews, intended to provide educators with information about the best materials in science education. To understand our philosophy, just look at the name: Those materials that have full reviews in our searchable electronic database are those we recommend for purchase. They are well above average in quality and value--the ones we Recommend. For that reason, it's likely that the majority of the books reviewers receive will not receive full reviews. But your book may be the exception.

The Recommends system includes dozens of classroom teachers and teacher educators, so we have the unique opportunity to integrate our unique experiences into our reviews. But since no reviewer would have access to all (or even most) of the publications of a certain genre for a grade level, here are some reviewer tips.

Once you've received a book to review, consider these steps:

I. Scan the field:

  1. Is this book unique? Or are there many others in the general subject area for the grade level? (One way to do this is to put key words into the Recommends system itself.) Talk about the book with colleagues.
  2. Look at the grade level to which the book is marketed. Your review should "take the publisher at its word" rather than change the target audience. (Note that some home school curricula have significantly different content at various grade levels; in general, we are using public and independent schools as our gauge.)
  3. Critically examine the topic and the grade level compared to the National Science Education Standards. Some traditional topics are no longer considered appropriate at various grade levels, or even at all.
  4. Think about the market audience. We recommend books to teachers and schools, not to grandparents as gifts! (An expensive consumable book would probably be a gift, not a school book. A coffee-table size book of photographs may be too expensive for average classroom use. A book with secondary content, bound in an elementary format, won't get read.)
  5. What we don't review: Classroom textbooks (including textbooks for introductory college science education classes), workbooks for children (consumables), books that are exclusively mathematics or social studies. We seldom consider "leveled reading sets" that are structured to correlate with a textbook, but don't have a unique science value in themselves. But we do with enthusiasm review books that integrate social studies, mathematics, or language arts with science.

II. Examine the content carefully:

  1. Make sure the science is accurate. (Don't assume that just because the book has a high quality format the science is as great.) If necessary, ask a colleague.
  2. Check for safety. Omission of standard safety precautions automatically excludes a book from consideration.
  3. Check for conformance to NSTA policies. That includes National Standards, policies on teaching of evolution, and others. Contact your liaison if you are unsure.
  4. If the material covers controversial or sensitive issues (such as cloning, animal rights, or AIDS), it should reflect a balanced and fair treatment. However, this does not include presenting religious opinions about science topics (such as creationism).

III. Consider the presentation:

  1. Reading level of a text is important, but not the only criterion for grade level appropriateness. Is the print clear, legible, of the right size for the audience? How about white space? Is the text on a dark background or some other graphic that makes it difficult to read?
  2. Is the language, grammar, typesetting accuracy professional? A single typographical error wouldn't automatically eliminate a book, but a sloppy publication process would certainly not reflect a "much above average" publication.
  3. The graphics and photos should be accurate. (Many misconceptions arise from the art.) They should be captioned and should support the text, not just be decorative.
  4. Is the binding practical for the purpose? Remember, some books come in both a library binding and a paperback binding, so you can't simply comment that the book is "sturdy." But if the book is intended to be copied, does it open completely? If the book is meant to be read aloud, is it big enough? Are the photos big enough for a group to see? 
  5. The length of the book is only important in relation to its content. A book for primary readers is different than a book for middle schoolers. Does the length match the purpose?
  6. Read the fine print. Is it legal to copy the student pages? Is the book actually new, or a reprint of an old standard? 
  7. Make sure that the photos, graphics, and other details don't reflect any bias. (The human characters should be multiethnic. Animals should act like animals.)
  8. Technicalities: Sometimes books seem good, but are not recommended because of problems that drive teachers up the wall. These include:
  • Worksheets without permission to copy them
  • Worksheets on small, perfect-bound pages, which can't be copied without tearing the book apart
  • Worksheets on dark watermarks or backgrounds
  • Activities without enough detail to do the work
  • URLs at the end of the book (or inside) that don't work
  • Incomplete references 
  • Glossaries that only cover a few of the terms in the book

IV. Then reflect:

  1. How would you use it in the classroom? (Please don't tell us: "It would be nice to have in a library or media center." Lots of nice books gather dust. Be specific.) Would this book be used for integration, for group work, for independent projects, for extension, etc.?
  2. Is this related to a specific benchmark? Can it help you achieve a specific classroom objective? 
  3. If you had a limited budget, would this be the book you would purchase?

V. Notes on media:

  1. We sometimes review videotapes, CDs, DVDs and computer software. Be especially critical of these. In general, CD or DVD format is considered state-of-the-art. Videotapes would have to be exceptional to be considered.
  2. Digital media should reflect the unique capacity of that format, not be (sequential) videos burned into optical disks. They should be searchable, with content appropriate to diverse learning styles. They should take full advantage of the medium.
  3. All of these materials should be clearly marked and easy to use. If you are spending time trying to make the product run, it shouldn't be recommended. Installation of software should be simple enough for the average classroom teacher to do on his or her own.
  4. Watch for pacing. Many videos are notorious for racing through conversation without wait time; others are so slow that average student classes would rather watch paint dry.
  5. Best practice discourages showing any audiovisual in isolation. Ask: "Does this material fit naturally with inquiry activities, group activities, or other active forms of instruction?"
  6. Ask: "Why is this material on a CD (DVD, etc.)? If it's on the Internet, or is simply text, perhaps it shouldn't be there. A video version of something on television is probably not something we'd recommend, either.

VI. Now the review:

  1. If you feel the book is average (or below), don't do a review at all. Simply open the reviewers' box and put in a few sentences to that effect: "This is one of many books on the topic of (furry animals, science fair projects ...) and I do not think it is well above average." Or if you found content errors, state that (and maybe give an example). That's all you have to do. You have done your job--well! Keep the book with the compliments of Recommends. Another will follow. Please note: We need to know why you are not Recommending the book, but this information is for our records only. Your name will not be associated with a negative review that is made public in any way.
  2. If the book is above average, and you would truly recommend it to a colleague on a limited budget, prepare a review of 250-500 words, and cover the following things.

  1. Begin at the end. "My Book" stands out among books about ... because of its ..., its ..., and its ... I would use it for ... (Remember the wisdom of newspaper reporters. Let your readers know right up front why you've chosen to Recommend.)

  2. Don't list the contents. But tell the reader in just a few sentences what the book contains, and what it does. Why is it unique? Valuable? Worth buying?

  3. Say a little about the technical details. Reading level? Graphics? Format? (But only if it's relevant.) 

  4. How will the book be used? (Why won't it merely sit on the shelf of a media center?) 

  5. Why is it better than others of its kind?

  6. Be descriptive. The vocabulary you use helps to convey your impressions. Are the photos stunning, or just good? If the lively text and charming illustrations make you wish there was a child around to share it with, let the reader know that. Avoid quoting long passages from the cover of the book. We're interested in why you think the material is important for educators, not why the publisher does.

  1. Use a familiar tone, speaking to another educator at the appropriate level. Let them know why you recommend the book, and why it is much better than others of its kind. Remember: if it's not better than others of its kind, then it's not Recommended!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. I don't think this product should be recommended. Do I have to write a review?

No, there is no need to write an elaborate review of a substandard product. Remember, we're only recommending products, not publishing reviews of everything. However, we do need to know your justification for not recommending it. Log in to the reviewer site, and write a few sentences about why you are not recommending the book. Were there content errors? Or do you think there are better materials available?

2. I received a whole series of books. Do I have to review each one?

Yes, please do. But to make it simpler, first write a generic review that addresses the common features of all the individual books. Then you can customize each one by adding a paragraph about each book, and enter the individual reviews into the database. The reason for individual reviews is that the quality of materials can vary quite a bit even within a single series, especially when the books are written by different authors.

3. I can't get my review to paste in the box.

First, be sure to leave your word processing application open until you are finished cutting and pasting. Copy the text of your review, then use the shortcut keys to paste it in (CTRL-V or COMMAND-V). If you still can't get it to paste, you can send the review as an e-mail attachment to an NSTA Recommends staff member. Always keep a copy of your review for your records!

4. What if I can't make the deadline?

When you are selected to be a reviewer, the expectation is that you will review materials in a timely manner. However, we also understand that life has a way of surprising us. So if an emergency has arisen and you are not going to be able to complete your review on time, please let us know. If the delay is going to be longer than a week or two, we may ask you to return the product so that we can send it to someone else to review. If we have okayed you to submit a late review, please ignore any late notices you might get. These are generated automatically for all late reviewers.

5. I submitted my review ages ago and I'm still getting late notices.

If you are getting late notices for a review that you have completed, please don't just ignore them. We need to track down the reason that the review has not been properly added to our database, so the quicker you let us know that there is a problem, the sooner we can fix it.

6. Why haven't I gotten anything to review in a long time?

The most likely answer is that there are a lot of reviewers, and it can take a while to get around to everyone. You may also want to check your reviewer profile to make sure all the information is current. If it is, then feel free to send an e-mail to Emily Brady (ebrady@nsta.org) informing her that you have not received anything in a long time. This will help Emily when she's assigning materials.

7. How can I update or edit my reviewer profile?

You can edit your reviewer profile online when you log in to the site at http://recommendsadmin.nsta.org/default.aspx. In addition to making sure we have current contact information, please also verify that the grade levels and subjects you are qualified to review are updated. These subjects are the ones that the database will use to suggest reviewers for specific materials. This will ensure that your name comes up when a suitable product is received. Please remember to check this record frequently to make sure that the information is current.

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