Angelmonster Today’s review of the day comes courtesy of Mindy Rhiger, creator of propernoun.net, and our own Cybils MG and YA Non-Fiction coordinator. Mindy started her blog way back in 2003 (the dark ages as far as the kidlitosphere is concerned), as a way to help her to remember more about the many books that she reads. She works for …
REVIEW OF THE DAY
Freedom Walkers
Two reviews for MG/YA non-fiction today, both short and sweet. Ida Walker of Sweet Tea and Magnolias and Emily M. of EmilyReads took on Russell Freedman’s Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Here’s Ida’s review: The story is told in a manner that keeps the reader interested. Though factual, it’s not dry. The photographs enhance the text, …
The Nominations
Fiction Picture Books
This is it, everyone! The long list for the eighth category–Fiction Picture Books–is finally complete. What took so long, you may ask? Well, there are 111 titles nominated for a Cybil in the Fiction Picture Books Category. I’ll no longer waste your time with an introduction here. On to the list… Kelly Herold, Fiction Picture Book coordinator and Cybils co-creator
The Nominations
Fantasy/Sci Fi
The last month has been amazing, watching the nominations come in. I thought that I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction, but I had no idea there were so many excellent books in the genre published in one year. The nominating committee is having a great time reading all these good books, but it’s going to be difficult …
The Nominations
Graphic Novel
Graphic Novels fly off the shelves–in libraries, in bookstores, and in classrooms. It’s no surprise, then, that each year, more and more Graphic Novels are being written for children as young as six years old. Liz B. of A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy coordinated the Graphic Novel category and presents a list of 35 titles. Some of …
REVIEW OF THE DAY
Team Moon
Today’s review of the day is of a title nominated for the Non-fiction (Middle Grade and YA) category. Kimberly Pauley, of YA Books Central and a member of the Non-fiction (MG and YA) nominating committee, thinks Team Moon rocks (hah!) for a number of reasons. Here’s the why in her review: An inspiring look at the Apollo 11 Mission a …
The Nominations
Middle Grade Fiction
When we began setting up The Cybils and seeking coordinators for the various prize categories, selecting a chairperson for the Middle Grade Fiction category was, as the kids say, a no-brainer. Betsy, author of A Fuse #8 Production and a librarian at The Donnell Central Children’s Room in NYC, reviews a book a day, most often in the Middle Grade …
REVIEW OF THE DAY
The Year of the Dog
Like many of our volunteers, Andi at A Wrung Sponge is a children’s librarian, and the name of her thoughtful blog is meant to suggest how she soaks up all she reads: So here I am, wringing it out. Just wanted a place to reflect … and see if anyone else is reading the same things. In this review of …
REVIEW OF THE DAY
Just in Case
Today is Young Adult Fiction day at Cybils, and we highlight TadMack, a member of our YA Nominating Committee. TadMack is "Another random over-educated Californian… MFA English & Creative Writing", with a tentative release date for her first YA novel set for next winter. TadMack blogs with a team of other writers at Finding Wonderland: The Writing YA Weblog and …
The Nominations
Non-fiction (Middle Grade and YA)
In the time of awards season, some of you may be wondering, why another children’s book award? We’ve already mentioned that we seek to strike a balance with our awards, by finding the best in kid-friendly, entertaining, and worthy books for the youngsters. But, there’s another reason behind The Cybils. Many genres are overlooked during awards season, most notably Poetry, …