Join the Teen Review Crew!
Read books and watch movies for volunteer credit — all you have to do is write a review!
The TRC (Teen Review Crew) is for Brown County teens in grades 6-12 who want to earn volunteer hours by submitting qualifying book and movie reviews. Each approved review counts as one hour of volunteer service with the Brown County Public Library and you can earn up to 8 hours per year.
To be part of the TRC fill out the TRC Review Request form and Emmy, our Children & Teen Librarian, will contact you with a recommended list of titles, or you can suggest your own. Once you’ve read your book or watched your movie, just follow a few simple guidelines when writing or recording your review. Accepted reviews will be published on the Brown County Public Library website and promoted on our Facebook and Instagram accounts and you will get volunteer credit!
Qualifying Content
- Books or movies must be age appropriate
- Titles must be available through the Brown County Public Library (check our online catalog to see if it’s in our collection)
- Traditional books, e-books, graphic novels and movies are permitted
- Reviews should be publication ready, so proofread carefully
- All reviews must be your own thoughts, plagiarism is not allowed!
Review Guidelines
- Make sure to include the title, author and genre (fantasy, science fiction, mystery, romance, etc.)
- Briefly describe what the book or movie is about without giving away the entire story — no spoilers, please!
- What did you like about the book/movie? (Good characters, exciting plot, etc.)
- What did you dislike?
- Is it part of a series?
- Would you recommend this title to other teens?
- On a scale of 1-5, how many stars would you give this title?
- Written reviews should be 250 – 300 words in length
Video Review Guidelines
- Video reviews should be a maximum of 3 minutes long
- Record your video in front of a neutral background (not a pile of your dirty laundry :))
- Use a tripod or have someone else record you. Selfie videos are fine but remember, it’s about the review, not your pretty face so try not to get too close
- If possible, show a copy of the book or movie you are reviewing
- Write a script — make sure to include the title and author of the book or movie and follow the general review guidelines
- Video submissions must be accompanied by a completed Teen Review Crew Video/Photo Release form