TeenReads.com & KidsReads.com

These sites are probably the most comprehensive websites I’ve found in terms of book related topics. While there are several similarities between the two, there are also noted differences because of their focus on different ages. Either site could be used by teachers, parents, or students to involve students in reading. The sites are easy to navigate, and could be interesting even for disinterested readers.

TeenReads.com
TeenReads.com focuses on books written for teen audiences. There are sections for reviews, author interviews and information, special features, book series, books that are coming soon, book clubs, books that have been/will be turned into movies, and even an Ultimate Reading List of over 300 books that go beyond the typical school and summer reading lists.
The About Us page is helpful in explaining the purpose of this website. It says, “We at Teenreads.com bring teens info and features about their favorite authors, books, series and characters. We are a part of The Book Report Network, a group of websites founded in 1996 that share thoughtful book reviews, compelling features, in-depth author profiles and interviews, excerpts of the hottest new releases, literary games and contests, and more with readers every week. Teenreads.com is THE place online for teens to talk about their fave books --- and find the hippest new titles!”
Perhaps my favorite feature of this site is the Ultimate Reading List. The site explains that one of their goals is to inspire teens to read. They have compiles this list of more than 300 titles that they, “think are perfect choices for reading and discussing.” The best part about the list is that the entries were compiled from the suggestions of teen readers – not just teachers or librarians. The titles on the list range in genre, difficulty, and topic, so there should be something for everyone. Each entry shows a picture of the book’s cover and gives the title, author, genre, ISBN number (International Standard Book Number - for easier book identification), a link to Amazon.com, a link to a review, and a short description of the book.

KidsReads.com
This website is very similar to the TeenReads.com site described above, but with a focus on books for younger (middle grade) readers. The site has many of the same features as TeenReads.com (reviews, author information/interviews, “books into movies,” features, and a “cool and new” section), and is run by the same company. However, since this site is geared toward younger children, there are a few other activities and links that are more kid (than teen) appropriate. These features include trivia games and word scrambles all related to quality children’s literature.