Trust & Standards
Editorial Policy
Parental Compass exists to help parents choose books with confidence. Our editorial policy is the promise we make to every parent who trusts a recommendation on this site.
Last updated July 2026
Our editorial mission
We publish honest, parent-first reviews of children’s and teen books so families can decide what belongs on their shelves. We don’t review books to please publishers, algorithms, or any political side. We review them for the parent standing in a bookstore aisle asking, “is this okay for my kid?”
Independence
- Parental Compass is privately owned. We are not owned by, funded by, or partnered with any publisher, imprint, author, or literary agency.
- Publishers may send us review copies. Receiving a copy never guarantees a review, a positive rating, or placement in any collection.
- We do not accept paid reviews, sponsored ratings, or “featured book” placements. Ever.
- Advertising on the site (including Google Ads and Amazon affiliate links) is completely separate from editorial. Advertisers cannot see or influence ratings.
Standards for a review
Before a book is published on Parental Compass, at least one reviewer has read the complete text. We do not rate books based on trailers, summaries, marketing copy, or AI-generated blurbs. Where we quote from a book we quote from the primary source.
- Every rating cites the sources it’s based on.
- Every content warning tells you what type of content triggered it, not just a score.
- Every reviewer discloses conflicts of interest before writing.
Fairness
We aim to be fair to authors and honest with parents at the same time. We describe what is in a book — frequency, intensity, context — and let parents decide. We avoid loaded language and we distinguish between our judgments (“we think”) and observations (“the book contains”).
Corrections
When we get something wrong we fix it, note the change, and date the correction at the bottom of the review. Parents, teachers, and authors can flag issues via our contact page; we read every message.
Author & publisher requests
Authors and publishers may request a re-review if a book has been substantially revised. We do not remove reviews on request; we may update them. Legal notices should be sent through the address on our contact page.
Related standards
- Review Process — the steps from selection to publish.
- Rating Methodology — how we score each dimension.
- Who Reviews Books — the humans behind the reviews.
- Transparency Statement — ownership, funding, and correction history.