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Review Guidelines, Adult

HomeReview Guidelines, Adult

Review Guidelines, Adult

A PDF version of this text is available here.

  1. When you receive a copy of a book for review, you will be given a due date for the review, usually about  months after the book is mailed. If for any reason you are unable to meet that deadline, please inform the editors immediately.
  2. AJL reviews should be no longer than 300 words in length. They may be considerably shorter. Avoid using all caps, hard returns, right justification, special fonts, bold text or double spaces after periods, as these have to be redone by the editors. Please send single space copy. ***Do not leave dashes in the ISBN***
  3. The review should convey a clear sense of the work’s intent and content and be framed in terms that the general reader can understand. Please provide an evaluation of the book’s quality, including writing style, accuracy, originality, importance, etc. Indicate recommended readership, type of library (academic, synagogue, etc.). Comparisons to other books in the field are welcome. Reissued titles are reviewed only if there is substantial change in the new edition.
  4. Spelling will follow Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary. Other aspects of style (capitalization, punctuation, quotations, and bibliography) will follow The Chicago Manual of Style. Note: it is not necessary to make page references following quotations from the reviewed book. Please do not use footnotes.
  5. Cite the book you are reviewing at the head of the review, using the following model:Magnus, Shulamit S. Jewish Emancipation in a German City: Cologne, 1798-1871. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1997. 336 p. $49.50 (4567891234561).

    Or video:

    Dotan, Shimon. Hothouse. Brooklyn, NY: First Run/ Icarus Films, 2006. 89 min. Sale (video, DVD) $398; rental (video) $125.

    Except for children’s book reviews, where the following citation model should be used:

    Kimmel, Eric A. Gershon’s Monster. Illus. by Jon J. Muth. New York: Scholastic, 2000. 23p. $16.95. (9780439108393). Ages 5–8.

    [See also a separate document for guidelines for Children & Teen reviews]

  6. Put your name, the name of the institution at which you work, the city and the state (or country) at the end of the review.
  7. Reviewers are responsible for the accuracy of statements included. Reviews will be edited for grammar, style, and length. For reasons of space, the Reviews editors may be unable to publish all reviews submitted. If this is the case, reviewers are free to publish their reviews elsewhere.
  8. Reviews of adult books should be emailed to Rebecca Jefferson at rjefferson@ufl.edu.(Last update: August 6, 2019)