Help center
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions parents, teachers, and librarians ask us most. Can’t find yours? Get in touch.
What is Parental Compass?
+
Parental Compass is an independent, parent-owned book review platform. We read children's and teen books cover-to-cover and publish clear age ratings, content notes, and thematic guidance so families can decide what belongs on the shelf — without having to read every book first.
Related: About us
How do you decide what age a book is for?
+
Every book is reviewed by a human — a parent, teacher, librarian, or child-development specialist — using our published rubric. We look at reading difficulty, thematic maturity, and specific content like violence, language, romance, substances, and scary imagery. Each rating is checked by a second reviewer before it goes live.
Related: How We Rate Books · Our Review Process
Are your reviews written by AI?
+
No. Ratings and content notes are written by human reviewers. We use software to help catch typos, cross-check facts, and surface relevant books, but the editorial judgment on every page is a person's.
Related: Editorial Guidelines
Do publishers pay you for good ratings?
+
No. We do not accept payment from publishers, imprints, or authors in exchange for reviews or higher scores. Reviewers are paid a flat rate and have no visibility into affiliate or advertising revenue. See our Transparency page for the full policy.
Related: Transparency
How is Parental Compass funded?
+
We earn a small commission when parents buy books through our Amazon affiliate links, and we run privacy-respecting display ads on some pages. Both revenue streams are fully disclosed and neither influences a single rating.
Related: Affiliate Disclosure
Do I need an account to use the site?
+
No — browsing books, ratings, and collections is free and open to everyone. A free account lets you save reading lists, follow authors and series, and get personalized weekly picks by email.
How do you handle my data and my child's data?
+
We collect only what we need to run the site and never sell personal information. Accounts are for adults; we don't knowingly collect data from children under 13. Our Privacy Policy explains exactly what we collect, why, and how to delete it.
Related: Privacy Policy
A rating on your site looks wrong. What can I do?
+
We publish corrections openly. Send us the book, the reviewer's initials, and what you think is off through our contact form. A senior editor will re-review within five business days and, if we got it wrong, we'll update the page and note the correction publicly.
Related: Contact us
Can I submit a book for review?
+
Yes. Publishers, authors, and parents can suggest titles through our contact form. We prioritize books parents are actively searching for, new releases in age bands with high demand, and titles our community requests most.
Related: Contact us
Can I use your ratings in my classroom or library?
+
Educators and librarians are welcome to link to our pages and share reviews with parents. Please don't republish full reviews without permission. If you'd like a printable summary for a classroom or reading circle, contact us and we'll help.
Related: Terms of Use
Still have a question?
We read every message. Whether it’s a rating you disagree with, a book we should review, or a partnership idea, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact us