Reviewing+the+Reviewers

** Due March 7th **
 * Reviewing the Reviewers: Young Adult Literature Blogs **



An RSS aggregator or reader is a Web 2.0 tool that allows you to bring together posts from your favorite blogs & frequently updated sites. Readers are a tool to bring web content to you so you don’t have to go out and find it. For a simple explanation of RSS feeds and readers, watch this video: [|__RSS In Plain English__]. When you’ve finished, set up an account with one of the readers. [|__Google Reader__] is the most popular. When you have set up your account, you’ll need to choose some blogs to subscribe to. You may subscribe to as many as you like, but I’m requiring that you follow ** two **for this assignment. For a list of recommended YA book review blogs, go to [] or go to the "[|Review Resources]" page of our class LibGuide. If you choose a blog not listed, please clear it with me first.

After subscribing to your two book review feeds, be sure to check the posts regularly. You'll need to monitor the blogs for at least four weeks, so get signed up for your blogs ASAP! Please address each of the following areas in your reflection. I've included questions to prompt your thinking.

Monitor the resources for at least four weeks. Again this means you need to get signed up soon!

Consider the blogs’ authors · What are your bloggers’ qualifications for writing reviews? Do you trust them? Why or why not? Are they “book professional?” (Librarian, teacher, author, etc.) How do the bloggers' backgrounds affect how you interpret the reviews?

Keep track of your reaction to the blogs. · Do you enjoy reading them? Why or why not? Are they helpful professionally, or just fun to read? How might you use these professionally? Would you use them in addition to print reviews? Instead of print reviews? Not at all?

Think about the format · What do you think of receiving professional reading via a reader? Do you like receiving reviews in small daily doses, or do you think you’d prefer one big review journal? How might the format (a blog) affect the review?

Read all the posts · Does your blog contain other kinds of posts, like giveaways and interviews? If so, what is your response to these?

Pick a YA book review from each blog. Find at least one published journal review for both titles. Compare the reviews. · How did your bloggers’ reviews compare to the professional reviewers? Were their responses similar or different? Why? Do you think this is due to personal taste, professional background, different publishing mediums, or something else? To find book reviews, please go to the "[|Review Resource]" page of the class LibGuide. Please include links to or copies of each review, including the blog reviews, with your assignment.