Nonfiction Books

The following are the basic criteria applied to nonfiction books:

• Relevancy
  • Is the book directly relevant to the topic?
  • If appropriate, is it relevant to the Australian situation?
• Recency
  • Is it up-to-date? Books are sometimes reprinted in a new format but without significant revision of the text. Check date of original publication and ignore reprint dates.
• Accuracy
  • Is the information accurate?
  • Is it free from bias or are there points which are either over-emphasised or omitted completely? (A biased book can be useful if used appropriately.)
  • Is it free of cultural bias, condescension, paternalism?
  • Is the subject matter so simplified or generalised as to make the book inaccurate or useless?
  • If opinion is given along with fact, are the two distinguishable?
• Readability and usefulness
  • Is the reading level of the material appropriate to the year level?
  • Is the material presented in a manner suitable to the year level, e.g. Many interrelated ideas or a few ideas repeated; diagrams and illustrations; presentation simple or complex?
  • Are the illustrations clear, accurate, relevant and close to the section of the text with which they are associated?
  • Does the book have an index and a table of contents?
  • Is the information presented in a logical sequence?
• Appeal
  • Is the appearance of the book aesthetically pleasing?
  • Will it appeal to the year level for which it is intended?

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Fiction Books

It is recommended that as wide a knowledge of fiction books as possible be acquired. It will be necessary however to rely on reviews and/or recommendations in many cases for selection purposes.

The following are the basic criteria applied to fiction books.

• Plot
  • Credibility; originality; logical sequence; satisfactory ending.
• Characterisation
  • Believable characters; appropriate behaviour and speech for age, background etc. of character; consistency.
• Setting
  • Clearly depicted; accurate representation of time and place; illustrations matching setting.
• Suitability
  • Reading level; size of print; complexity of plot; subject matter; ratio of text to illustration; type of illustration.

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Picture Books

Many of the criteria applied to fiction books can be applied to picture books. The following criteria should also be applied:

• colour and style consistent with mood;
• visually appealing;
• size of book appropriate to year level;
• cover illustrations attract interest of age level.

(Adapted from Library management for small schools. (1984). Brisbane: Department of Education.)

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Please contact Helen Hooper if you have any comments, suggestions or additions.

Updated February 2002 by lbcy,
Information and Research Support, James Cook University.