School Library Journal Review, June 1, 2007
Original URL: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6448967.html
 

Gr 4–7—These titles are designed to help children critique the media and understand the motives
behind the production of popular entertainment. Each one makes it clear that producers create
movies, magazines, TV programs, and online sites with particular audiences in mind, and that they
target them by showing these specific population groups what they want to see. The authors also
show how the media influences their audience and promotes particular values. All of the titles are
organized around five basic questions: Who made the message and why? Who is the message for?
How might others view the message differently? What is left out of the media? How does the message
get and keep my attention? The books are written in a breezy style and have plenty of popping colors
and photos. Sidebars labeled "Try it out!" suggest interesting activities that children can do to get
firsthand experience with creating media and commercials. Each book has a spread indicating various
jobs within each field. All of them show children how media is created and manipulated to attract
attention and not necessarily to reflect reality. They also emphasize that what is left out of productions
can be just as important as what is included. Overall, these are useful and attractive books that
encourage children to begin thinking about media with necessary skepticism.
—Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, NJ