Do you write all the book reviews?
Yes, we write all of the text you find on this website with the exception of direct quotes from books. Direct quotes will always be displayed within quotation marks and with a citation noting the author.
As you may have discovered, some book review websites publish reviews that are eerily similar to each other. This can occur because website owners will pull review text from the promotion sheets sent out with new books. AI (artificial intelligence) is also quickly becoming a factor in the book review world.
At Beehive Books and Art we are passionate about books … and we dearly love writing our very own words and sharing with you our very own opinions about the books we review. We feel anything else would be remarkably disingenuous.
Where do you recommend I buy new books?
When buying new books online we recommend two websites – Bookshop.org and Thriftbooks.com.
By shopping at Bookshop.org you will support independent bookstores, and by doing so support a vast and diverse set of voices in the selection of the books we can choose to buy.
Thriftbooks.com is best known for selling used books, but they sell new books as well. Please note that the new new version of a book is not always available on their website. I use their Wish List tool to track books I want to purchase.
When buying new books in brick-and-mortar book shops we make every effort possible to purchase from independent bookstores and independent book sellers. Look for these sellers near you on IndieBound.org.
To better understand why the above choices are so important please take a minute to read the article Cost of Amazon. Each purchase we make matters. When we all vote with our dollars for each of our book purchases, then we are part of saving the independent voices of independent booksellers. Follow American Booksellers Association to learn more.
Can I send you a book to review?
Thank you for considering us but we have a policy of reviewing only those books that we encounter through our own research. We do not accept books for the purpose of writing reviews on the Beehive Books and Art website. Any books sent to Beehive Books and Art will not be reviewed and will not be returned to the sender. These books will be distributed free of charge in our local communities to sharing libraries, shelters, and other sources that connect children with books.
I wrote a children’s book. Can I send you my manuscript to get your opinion?
Congratulations on writing a children’s book. Writing any book is a big accomplishment. I do not provide a service to review manuscripts. Any manuscripts sent to Beehive Books and Art will not be reviewed and will not be returned to the sender. I encourage you to instead read the article I wrote called So You Want to Write a Children’s Book. I think you’ll find some helpful information there to guide your publishing journey. Best of luck!