P.J. Rooks
Biography of a Children's Books Reviewer

A child is born. And a children's book reviewer too!

Webmaster's note: P.J. loves reviewing for you. Show your appreciation by shopping Amazon through this box, or by following the links in her reviews!

As a mother determined to stay home with Claire, my beautiful baby girl, I turned to freelance writing and soon found myself doing research for a company that gathered and analyzed the latest data from the fields of psychology and neuroscience then put together seminars, books and videos for educators across the country. What an eye-opening experience that was! It's what eventually led me, stumbling, into becoming a children's book reviewer.

I learned so much about what children need to learn and grow. I wanted my daughter to see the world -- to hear engaging stories that capture humanity and spark compassion. I wanted her to feel unconditionally loved, secure and ready to explore. I wanted to ignite her curiosity -- and, of course...

I wanted these books to have vivid pictures that would hold her interest.

As it turned out, tracking down books that fit these guidelines is, well, a bit of a project. Heck, I thought, if I'm going to do all this research, I'd at least like to share it. Thus, my own blog, Claire's Booklist, was born and I became, quite unexpectedly, P.J. Rooks, Children's Book Reviewer.

It is, without a doubt, my greatest honor to be the first tour guide in Claire's life journey. And I am excited to have this opportunity to write children's book reviews for Best Children's Books, where I can search out books that are both light-hearted and world-wise. I hope that these books will help to open my daughter's mind to a world of endless fascination and I thank you for giving me the chance to share them with you and your child, too.

-- P.J. Rooks

P.J. is our "little kids" reviewer. Return to her children's book reviews.

Best Children's Books home.