Editorial consideration
School Library Journal
School and public youth librarians selecting books for children and teens
In short
School Library Journal reviews books and media for children and teens, written for the school and public librarians who decide what goes on youth shelves. Its reviews feed the library databases used for ordering, so coverage can reach thousands of selectors at once. Submitters sign up for an account and upload PDF files to SLJ's digital book room. The official page states no lead time and no self-published policy, so ask your publisher whether and when it submitted yours rather than planning to a date.
Submission does not guarantee coverage. The outlet decides whether and what it publishes.
School Library Journal (SLJ) reviews books and media for children and teens, written for the school and public youth librarians who decide what goes on the shelves. It is a sibling publication of Library Journal, which covers adult titles.
Submissions run through a sign-up form. You request an account, and once it is approved you get a personal folder in SLJ's secure digital book room and upload PDF files there. For audio and video, the page asks for grade level, running time, copyright, release date, price, and an ordering address, and limits eligibility to material released in the current year for an audience from preschool through twelfth grade.
What the page does not say is just as important. It states no lead time before publication, no fee, and no policy on self-published titles. Do not calculate a submission deadline from a number you read somewhere else; ask your publisher when it submits, or ask SLJ.
Why it may matter
SLJ is the review source youth librarians rely on most, and its reviews feed the library vendor databases used for ordering. For a children's or young adult title, a review here can reach thousands of school and public library selectors at once. Submission does not guarantee coverage.
Do not confuse this with
Checked against the official submissions page. Confirmed: the book room sign-up route, PDF uploads, the audio and video requirements, and that no fee is mentioned. Not confirmed, because the page does not state them: lead time, who exactly may submit, self-published eligibility, and geographic scope. slj.com (opens in a new tab) refused our automated request directly, so treat these details as good but not certain and read the page yourself before you submit. School Library Journal's editorial reviews are separate from any sponsored content or advertising the publication sells. Only the editorial review is what librarians treat as a review. There is no paid review track.
Rules and deadlines change. We last checked this information on September 14, 2026. If you see something that needs updating, please tell us.
Work at this outlet? Confirm or correct this record.
Use your work email. If it is on the domain the record already links to, we send you a link that opens the record for you to confirm or correct. Otherwise a person reads it and gets back to you.