When KidInfo recommends a book, toy or other product, we want you to know exactly how we got there. This page explains our criteria, the labels we use and the rules we follow.
Every list explains itself
Each book list or product guide tells you:
- who it is for (ages, stage, situation)
- how items were chosen and what was left out
- what evidence we used
- the criteria we applied
- the limitations of our research
- who reviewed it and when it was last updated
Desk research vs. hands-on testing
We label every guide with the kind of research behind it:
- Desk research. We compared publisher and manufacturer information, independent sources, safety records and expert guidance. We did not physically test the items. Most of our guides start here, and we say so.
- Hands-on tested. Someone actually used the item, and we keep a test log with notes and photos. We only use this label when that record exists.
We never describe personal testing that did not happen.
How we evaluate books
We consider:
- Literary and illustrative quality. Writing, storytelling and art.
- Reading fit. Whether the length, language and format suit the stated age and reading stage.
- Engagement. Whether it is likely to hold a child’s interest, and why.
- Relevance and representation. How well it fits the list’s topic and reflects the range of children who will read it.
- Accessibility. Formats such as audiobook, large print, dyslexia-friendly editions or bilingual versions where we can confirm them.
These are judgment-based criteria, so we explain our reasoning in words rather than with scores. We check bibliographic details (author, illustrator, edition) against publisher or library records. We avoid simplistic reading-level claims; reading levels vary between systems and children.
How we evaluate toys and products
Our default toy criteria and weights are:
| Criterion | Default weight |
|---|---|
| Age and safety suitability | 30% |
| Educational and play value | 25% |
| Durability and quality | 20% |
| Ease of use | 15% |
| Price and value | 10% |
These weights are editorial defaults. A specific guide may adjust them, and if it does, it says so.
We only publish numerical scores when the inputs are substantiated by real evidence for each criterion. If we cannot substantiate a score, we describe strengths and drawbacks in words instead. We never show star ratings we did not earn through a documented method, and we never present invented customer reviews.
Safety checks
For toys and children’s products we:
- check the manufacturer’s stated age grading and warnings;
- check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall database (cpsc.gov/Recalls) for the specific product and recheck it when the guide is refreshed;
- flag common hazards for the age group, such as small parts, magnets, button and coin batteries, cords and strings, balloons and projectiles;
- record the date of our recall check on the guide.
A recall check is a point-in-time check. Always look at the CPSC site yourself before buying, especially for second-hand items.
Prices
Prices change constantly. We do not show a price unless we have verified it from a current source, and we remove prices that may be out of date. We may describe a general price range instead. We aim to list more than one retailer where we can.
Sponsorship and affiliate links
- Affiliate commissions do not decide which products appear or their order.
- Companies cannot pay to be included in or ranked higher in our editorial lists.
- Any sponsored placement will be visibly labeled and kept separate from editorial recommendations.
- Affiliate and sponsored outbound links use
rel="sponsored".
See our affiliate disclosure.
Updates
Each guide shows when it was last updated and is scheduled for review. If a product is recalled, discontinued or replaced by a new version, we update or remove it. Spotted something wrong? Tell us through our corrections process.