The best ARC platforms for children's and middle grade books
Most ARC platforms are built for adults who read for themselves. A children's book is reviewed by an adult who reads it for, or to, somebody else - a parent, a teacher, a librarian. That one difference decides which platform is worth paying for, how many readers you can expect, and what kind of file you send.
Below is what each platform says about children's books on its own site, what it costs, and which kind of book it suits. Checked in November 2026.
The short answer
- Picture books and early readers, on a small budget: Hidden Gems or BookSirens. Expect a small batch of readers, not volume.
- Middle grade: consumer reader pools fill poorly. NetGalley's librarians and educators, or teachers and parents you invite yourself, are the better route.
- Books aimed at schools and libraries: NetGalley, and Edelweiss+ if you are selling to library systems.
Children's ARC platforms compared
| Platform | Children's books | What to expect | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden Gems | A children's genre covering picture books through simple chapter books, with sub-genres such as preschool and middle grade | 5–15 readers for books aimed at young children; 5–10 for middle grade | $20 deposit covers the first 10 readers, then $3 per reader; billed only for readers who sign up |
| BookSirens | A dedicated children's category with sub-categories for fantasy, mystery, science fiction, nonfiction and action | A real audience but a busy shelf: hundreds of new children's ARCs are added each month | $10 per ARC plus $2 per reader it finds; invited readers free |
| NetGalley | Separate categories for children's fiction, children's nonfiction and middle grade | Librarians, educators and booksellers among its members - people who choose books for a class or a shelf | $575 for a six-month solo listing; co-op listings cost less |
| Booksprout | No children's-specific guidance on its author or pricing pages | Unknown - test with one small campaign | $9 a month covers one campaign of up to 25 copies |
| Edelweiss+ | A trade catalogue, not a reader pool | Library selectors and retail buyers, not Amazon reviews | $200 a year plus $90 per title |
From each platform's own pagesHidden GemsHidden GemsBookSirensBookSirens pricingNetGalley catalogNetGalleyBooksproutEdelweiss, checked November 2026 - except NetGalley's price, which it does not publish and quotes directlyNetGalley, and Edelweiss+ rates, last checked July 2026. Confirm prices before you pay.
Why the numbers are small
Hidden Gems is the only platform that publishes what a children's campaign actually fills to, and the figures are modest: 5 to 15 readers for a book aimed at young children, 5 to 10 for middle grade.Hidden Gems It also says why. Most of its readers are adults, so books an adult can read aloud to a small child do much better than books written for a ten-year-old to read alone.
That holds beyond one platform. An adult reader pool is a reasonable stand-in for parents of young children. It is a poor stand-in for middle grade readers, who don't have reviewer accounts, and whose books reach them through a teacher or a librarian.
The upside of a small batch is a small bill. At Hidden Gems' rates, a campaign that fills to 15 readers costs $35: the $20 deposit plus five readers at $3.Hidden Gems On BookSirens, 15 readers found by the platform cost $40.BookSirens pricing
Picture books: check the file first
A picture book lives in its spreads. A reflowable EPUB can split a spread across two screens or shrink the art to a thumbnail, and a reviewer who sees that reviews the formatting. Send a fixed-layout file or a PDF, and open it on a phone and a tablet before any reader does. BookSirens lets readers filter for books offered as PDF as well as EPUBBookSirens, so offer both if you can.
Middle grade: go where the adults who choose are
For middle grade, the people worth reaching are the ones who put a book in front of thirty children at once. NetGalley lists librarians and educators among its members and has its own middle grade categoryNetGalleyNetGalley catalog, which is why it is one of the few places where a trade-facing listing can pay for an indie children's author. It is also the most expensive option here, so look for a co-op listing through an author association before paying for a solo one - the prices are in NetGalley for indie authors.
Plan for a longer window too. Teachers and librarians read on a school calendar, so send copies 60 to 90 days ahead - there's a full schedule in when to send your ARCs.
The readers no platform has
The most useful ARC readers for a children's book are usually people you can already reach: parents in a school group, a teacher who used your last book in class, a children's librarian, a homeschool co-op. No marketplace lists them, and ten of them are worth more than fifty strangers who mostly read thrillers.
What you need for that group is somewhere to collect them and a way to see who followed through. A free ARC reader sign-up form gives you one link to share; each person confirms their email and you approve who joins. And because a children's batch is small, every reader who takes a copy and never reviews costs you a tenth of the campaign - which is where knowing who actually reviews pays off by the second book.
For every other genre, and for how these platforms compare on review rates, see ARC sites compared and the ARC playbook by genre.
Sources
- Children Advanced Reader Copies - BookSirens, Checked November 2026.Vendor-reported
BookSirens' own description of its children's category: hundreds of new children's ARCs added each month, with sub-categories for fantasy, mystery, science fiction, nonfiction and action. Readers can filter by format (ePub/Mobi or PDF).
- Pricing Plans - BookSirens, Checked November 2026.Vendor-reported
Promote plan: $10 per ARC plus $2 per reader BookSirens finds, promoted for 3 months; readers you invite are not billed. Author plan: $100/year for unlimited ARCs across 2 pen names. Books must be accepted. Site-wide, about 75% of downloads result in a review.
- Find Titles - NetGalley, Checked November 2026.Vendor-reported
NetGalley's catalog lists Children's Fiction, Children's Nonfiction, and Middle Grade as separate categories.
- How It Works - NetGalley, Checked November 2026.Vendor-reported
- How It Works - NetGalley, Rate current as of July 2026.Vendor-reported
NetGalley does not maintain a public pricing page; the $575 six-month solo listing rate is quoted directly by NetGalley. Confirm with them before committing.
- Pricing - Booksprout, Checked November 2026.Vendor-reported
Four monthly tiers - Growing Author $9 (1 active campaign, 25 copies each), Pro Author $19 (3 campaigns, 50 copies), Bestselling Author $29 (10 campaigns, unlimited copies), Publisher and Review Service $59 - with 17% off billed yearly. A free account exists for setup, but running a review campaign needs a paid plan. No free trial; 30-day money-back guarantee. Booksprout says authors can expect about 8 reviews for every 10 participants.
- Review Copies - Edelweiss+ (Above the Treeline), Rates effective 1 February 2025.Vendor-reported
Standard review-copy rates: $200 annual fee plus $90 per title uploaded.