About Our Reviews
Many of the biggest book industry reviewers - like Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews - do not list the name of their reviewers. We have decided to follow that policy, not because we are “big” like them, but because many voices went into each review. Yes, only one person can put pen to paper (or actually, fingers to keyboard) but that one voice was influenced by many contributors.
Input for each book was requested from three sources:
- Actual stepparents (admittedly more stepmoms than stepdads, but that's par for the course when reading parenting books), as well as the spouse of the stepparent (the bio parent of the child. Both these parenting figures are impacted by stepparent issues.
- Professions that touch upon either step parenting issues, or books generally: counselors, psychologists, librarians and teachers
- Other book reviews. These include not only "major" reviews from the book industry, but also reader reviews from online book retailers
In Addition to Our Reviews . . .
If a book has any major reviews (meaning from major newspapers or websites, or recognized book industry sources like Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal or the American Library Association (Booklist), we include that under our review. Sometimes a review is too lengthy, so we had to select a portion that best described the nature of the overall review. If the review was too long to list in full and it is available online, we've made the name of the reviewing organization a link to the full review.
We are not including book reviews from other authors. If you want to consider these, they might be provided on the back cover image or each book which we provide, or in the "editorial review" section on Amazon (although they are not really what we'd consider an editorial review - like a newspaper or journal). To us, and many in the book world, those gushing reviews by other authors are deemed to be very unreliable. They are often from a writer with the same publisher, or perhaps just seeking to publicize their own book by the exposure on another book's cover.
How Did We Choose the Books to Review?
To see which were the most popular books on step parenting, we did what the majority of people do when looking for a book: we went to Amazon. We did try some local Barnes and Noble brick and mortar stores, as well as the nearest libraries, but the B & Ns had not one single book on step parenting, and the libraries had only a few. This lack of respect for the subject of step parenting seems incredibly short-sighted given half the nation is divorced, with many of those families having kids and remarrying. (But this oversight is a pet peeve best left for another day. But if you feel like giving some heck to your local librarian or B & N manager on this subject, we say "go for it!")
Under the Amazon categories "step parenting," "step parenting books," and "stepparenting books," we chose the most popular selling books (this is as of August, 2022). We've included a link to each book at Amazon, but almost any online bookseller should stock them as well if you prefer to go elsewhere.
Do We Get Paid If You Buy Books from Amazon Via Our Links?
We hope so! We have signed up as a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Your price for the book is the same regardless if you went to Amazon directly or via one of our links.
Our reward is pennies on the dollar for the referral, but we hope - at minimum - enough people will find our site and buy books that it will cover the minimal monthly hosting cost of the website. At about $100 a year for website hosting that means if many hundreds of books are purchased, the site is paid for (and there might even be left over money for a nice bottle of wine - which always goes well with an evening book).
What's important is that you read the books, however, not necessarily buy them. We are truly glad to guide you to quality books either way. You can learn about the best books available here and then see if your library stocks them, or if not, perhaps they will order a title you feel they should have.
Step Parent, Stepparent or Step-Parent?
We noticed that not just in common usage, but in books as well, we've seen: "step parent," "stepparent" and "step-parent," not to mention "step parenting," "stepparenting" and step-parenting." We take no sides in the spelling battle. Technically, all are listed in various dictionaries as being acceptable spelling. You may see all three in the reviews as it was left to the reviewer to use what they felt most comfortable with.
Want to Contact Us?
If you know of a step parenting book you recommend that we did not review, please use the Contact Us form below. Or, you are welcome to share your thoughts about any of the books we have reviewed.
Thanks for visiting our website. We assume that means that you, like us, want to get and share the best information on effective step parenting, and believe books are one of the best and least expensive ways to learn about a subject. We hope we've directed you to some great books and that the ones you choose will make a real impact in the lives of you, your spouse and your children.
And can we recommend that when you finish reading a book, that you donate it to your local library so others can benefit? We hope you enjoy your visit here. Thank you!
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