Editorial policy

This page explains how the guides for grown-ups are researched, written, checked and kept up to date, and how we pick the books we recommend.

Who writes the guides

Every guide is published under the name of Jonathan Seal, who created The Adventures of Niko and Lira and is responsible for everything on this site. We use research and writing tools, AI among them, to gather sources and draft. A guide goes live only after it has been checked line by line against its sources and Jonathan has read it.

The pictures of Niko, Lira and Lumingrove are Jonathan’s, made with AI image tools from his own designs and the series’ character guides.

Where our information comes from

When a guide says something about how children grow, feel or behave, it links to the source in its Sources list at the bottom. We go to the people who study children first: the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, Zero to Three and the Harvard Center on the Developing Child. For classrooms, NAEYC and CASEL. When a guide makes a specific claim from a study, we cite the study itself, not a news story about it.

We don’t cite other parenting blogs, AI tools, or any source we haven’t opened and read.

How we check a guide

• Every claim about children has a source, and the source really says it.
• Every book on a list is checked on its publisher’s page or Bookshop.org: the title, author, illustrator, age range, and that it’s still in print.
• Every link is opened to make sure it works and goes where it should.
• Anything about our own books matches the books.
• If we can’t confirm something, it comes out.

What the guides won’t do

• Give medical, therapy or diagnostic advice. The guides are ideas for reading, play and talking together. If you’re worried about your child, talk to your pediatrician.
• Promise that a book will teach your child a skill. We say what a story is about and how you might use it, and leave the results to the research.
• Take money to include a book. There are no paid places and no affiliate links on our book lists.

How we pick books

A book makes a list because we think it works for the moment the list is about, and each one comes with a line on why. Some lists include a book from this series. When they do, it’s marked as ours.

How we keep guides current

Every six months, each guide is reread, its sources are checked again, and its book list is checked for books that have gone out of print or new ones worth adding. We update a guide sooner when a source changes its advice. The “Updated” date on a guide moves only when what it says changes.

Corrections

If you spot a mistake, email hello@adventuresofnikoandlira.com with the page and what’s wrong. We check every report, fix what’s confirmed and update the date on the guide.

General information, not advice

The guides are general information for parents, grandparents and teachers. They aren’t medical or professional advice for your child. For that, talk to your pediatrician or another qualified professional.