Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the Looky Rating System (LRS)
How does the Looky Rating System (LRS) work?
The Looky Rating System (LRS) scores books on a 0–5 scale across six Content Intensity categories — Violence, Love & Romance, Mental Health, Language, Substance Use, and Fear — plus four Story Themes: Fantasy, LGBTQ+ Representation, Sci-Fi / Futuristic, and Disability & Neurodiversity. Intensity scores reflect how strong or frequent that content is. Story theme scores measure how central the theme is to the plot — they are presence indicators, not warnings. Our AI analyzes book descriptions, categories, and metadata to provide spoiler-free ratings that help families make informed reading choices. Official full-text scans are labeled separately.
Is a high LGBTQ+ Representation score a warning?
No. Unlike intensity-based categories such as Violence or Language, the LGBTQ+ Representation score only measures how prominently LGBTQ+ characters, relationships, or identity themes appear in the story — from a brief mention (1) to a central storyline (5). It is a presence indicator, not a judgment of appropriateness, and many families use it to find books with representation. BookLooky does not rate any identity as inappropriate, and our ratings are intended to inform individual family choices — they should not be used as the sole basis for removing books from schools or libraries.
How do you determine age recommendations?
Age recommendations are determined through a multi-step process: First, our AI analyzes the book's description, categories, and publisher information against multiple sources of information and age-appropriate content guidelines. We consider vocabulary complexity, theme maturity, and content intensity. The system assigns one of four age brackets: 4+, 8+, 13+, or 18+. Our AI also provides a confidence score and detailed reasoning for each recommendation, ensuring transparency in our methodology.
How accurate is the AI analysis?
Our AI analysis uses a custom AI agent created for the purpose of rating books. Each analysis includes a confidence score when available. AI catalog ratings are estimates based on descriptions and metadata — they are not verified against the full text unless labeled as an official full-text LRS scan. While useful for most books, we continuously improve the system and welcome corrections. If you believe a rating is wrong, use Suggest a Correction on the book page; our team reviews suggestions independently of any publisher relationship.
Can publishers pay to change their scores?
No. Publishers and authors may pay for official full-text transcript processing and related deliverables — not for a target score or favorable rating. Payment is for the scan service; billing and rating review are handled separately. Anyone may suggest a correction on a book page, and corrections are reviewed against our published rubric without regard to whether a publisher paid for an official scan. See How LRS Ratings Work at booklooky.com/how-it-works for details.
Is this service free?
Yes. Searching the catalog and viewing LRS ratings is free and does not require an account. A free reader profile (email confirmation only—no password) saves starred books, scan history, and extra cover scans in My Books. Official full-text scans and library bulk catalog processing are paid services for authors, publishers, and institutions.
How can I submit a book for rating?
There are two ways to get a book rated: 1) Use our Book Scanner feature - simply scan or upload a photo of the book cover, and our AI will automatically analyze it and add it to our database. 2) Search for the book by title - if it's not in our database yet, you can request an analysis and we'll process it within 24-48 hours. All ratings are added to our public database so other families can benefit.
How can publishers use this service?
Publishers and authors can print official Looky Rating System badges after a full-text scan, look up catalog ratings for free, or contact us about bulk analysis. Ratings are non-judgmental and meant to inform families, not restrict access. Visit booklooky.com/for-authors for packages, the official badge, and manuscript upload.