Common Sense Media Review
By Polly Conway
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mostly safe spot for teens to share their love of books.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
Goodreads is a website for book lovers to review books, share recommendations, and track reading history and goals. It's also a social network where kids can see what their friends are reading and can join discussion groups for their favorite books. The bulk of the site is review-based, but there are also quizzes, quotes, and biographical author information to delve into.
Is It Any Good?
Goodreads is the largest and most popular site of this type online, and it shows. It's a well-designed outlet for book lovers to share their likes and dislikes, and the recommendation system is spot-on, spurring kids to read even more books. Young bookworms will love the related activities, including quizzes like "The Ultimate Percy Jackson Quiz" and "Awesome Harry Potter Quotes," and can join groups to discuss every detail of The Hunger Games. Every book imaginable is reviewed here, and kids can explore their favorite genres with ease.
Which brings us to the trouble with Goodreads and kids: there's no real filter between kid and adult content. While 13 is the recommended age for signing up, there's nothing stopping a teen from joining the "Fifty Shades of Grey Support Group." It's surprising that they haven't come up with a more kid-focused sister site. But as long as parents help teens establish responsible social networking habits, Goodreads can be a fun and safe place for teens to share their love of books.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what information it's OK to share online. Why should you be cautious about what you share in online social networks? Check out our Social Networking Tips for more discussion ideas.
Take your kids to a book signing at the local bookstore; they'll love to see and hear their favorite authors in person.
Share the books you loved as a child with your kids, then have a family discussion or read-aloud evening. Getting kids to talk comfortably about books will help them with the in-depth analysis they'll have to do in school.
Website Details
- Subjects : Language & Reading : discussion , forming arguments , reading , text analysis , Social Studies : cultural understanding
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : applying information , decision-making , making conclusions , thinking critically , Communication : conveying messages effectively , friendship building , Responsibility & Ethics : following codes of conduct , honoring the community , respect for others , Tech Skills : social media , Collaboration : respecting other viewpoints
- Genre : Social Networking
- Pricing structure : Free
- Last updated : January 17, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
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