Navigating the Reviews

The LULAV Method

I believe that God’s Word is Light and Life to our spirits. The truths of scripture are the lens through which I consider the content of every book.

The main question I ask when reviewing a book is:

Will this book reinforce what the child is learning from the Word of God?

If the answer is “YES” and the book is “well-written,” the review will go on! 

All of us hold varying degrees of stringency on how we apply the scriptures when raising our children. I try to address any theological grey areas of a book, within the review. This may seem “picky,” but we are all different and I want people to be able to make an informed decision.

REVIEW LAYOUT

Finding What You Need & The Feed!

When you land on Aunty Lulav’s Books for Life, the Review Feed will be your Welcome. It displays the most recent review. HOWEVER, there is SO MUCH MORE! Use the SEARCH and SUBJECTS fields to peruse the Review Database and find books!

Subjects & Categories & Searching

The SEARCH Field provides flexibility. Not only can you search for Topics, Titles or Key Words, you can search for Authors, Illustrators and even a favorite Publishing House from the database.

Categories are broad groups, such as Christian, Secular, Non-fiction, Holidays, etc.

SUBJECT searches are where the real fun begins. If you are looking for a book about Spring, select it in the Subjects’ drop-down menu and all the book reviews related to Spring will populate in the feed. If you want a book about Being Yourself, or Healing & Miracles, select it and the reviews will be there in the feed.

Special Categories

Some books are awarded the “Aunty Lulav Favorites” star. Others the “Oldie But Goodies” designation. The Oldies are great books, even though they are published more than 10 years prior. You may have to find them on the secondary market.

LULAV Rating

Each book receives Aunty Lulav’s rating of 0-5 Waves of the Lulav! This rating reflects the opinion of Aunty Lulav, based on the Lulav review method.

Scriptural Underpinnings & Positive Themes

Many books, even if they are not explicitly “Christian” are built on good foundations and reflect Biblical values. In this section, I break down elements of the story and share how they reflect scripture.

Not everything has to be a “Bible lesson,” in fact as Believers, sometimes we over-teach! However, it is nice to know some specific scriptures you can highlight when discussing a book with your child.

Illustrations

This section gives a brief overview of the book’s illustrations.

Representation

The complexion of Heaven will include every tribe, race and ethnic group – Revelation 7:9-10. Earth also mirrors that beauty back to the eyes of Father God.

It is important that the stories we write and illustrate, reflect these beautiful truths. I mention such representation here.

A PAUSE

If I have any concern or hesitancy, or anything in the writing or illustrations that might affect very sensitive children, I will mention it here. You know your child and can decide.

If there is a theological grey area, where an issue is not clearly delineated in the scripture, I will mention it here. My goal is not to split hairs, but to give you enough details to make an informed decision about a book.

A Word About Word Count

With Children’s Picture Books, you find a wide range of length and depth of plot. An 18-month-old will not sit still for a story with a lengthy plot. Typically, an older child will want more of a story arc. That said, every child is unique. There are always exceptions.

A GENERAL rule of thumb is the higher the Word Count, the older the audience.
A lower Word Count is usually more suitable for a younger audience.

Nuts & Bolts

Author & Illustrator, Author Website, Publication Date & Publishing House, ISBN # and AMAZON.com LINKs are provided as a convenience in the event you wish to further investigate or purchase a book.

Aunty Lulav’s Books for Life receives NO proceeds for purchase of any book from this site. The only exception would be a book purchased which was written by Aunty Lulav herself. 

One Important Note

If the message in a book conflicts with the teachings of scripture, or has a dark message or illustrations, it simply will not be reviewed.

You will NOT find negative-critical reviews from Aunty Lulav. This is not a forum to tear down or dominate or disagree. When there is a controversial thought within a book, I will point it out so parents can choose.

My heart is to let every word that comes out of my mouth (and pen) be uplifting and helpful for building up others!  Ephesians 4:29

LASTLY – Call me a Purist. . . .

Stories including Santa, Elves, Reindeer, or Eggs and the Easter Bunny, will not be included in the reviews. Honoring the scriptural accounts of Jesus’ birth and resurrection is my main focus rather than honoring traditions.

Stories dealing with Fairies, Halloween, Witches, Zombies, and Occult Themes likewise, will not be reviewed in adherence to scriptural admonitions. Deuteronomy 18:9-14, Leviticus 19:31 & 20:6, Isaiah 47:9-15, etc

I hope the reviews help you. 

Feel free to send me suggestions and comments. However, I can not guarantee that any particular book will be reviewed on Books for Life.

Enjoy these priceless moments, nurturing your child through literature!  

It is the sweetest journey you will ever take!

Love, 

– Aunty Lulav