We’d be remiss if we didn’t thank all those who made Cybils possible.
Our organizers are a brilliant, dedicated lot who put this together quickly and professionally. The public immediately took to nominating their favorite books, thanks also to the dozens of bloggers who spread the word.
More than 80 volunteers from every walk of life came forward to read and confer and read some more. Publishers made sure every panelist and judge received a review copy, despite our chaotic, hasty organization.
But two groups deserve special shout-outs. First, we gratefully acknowledge the authors and illustrators whose vision, hard work and passion have kept us all so enthralled. And then there are the kids who gather in our libraries or sit wide-eyed in our classrooms or cuddle in our laps, eager to enter whatever magic realm unfolds before them on the page.
To both of these groups we express our heartfelt admiration and affection. We hope these awards mean something to you, who mean so much to us.
–Anne and Kelly
Please keep reading for the complete list of winners. For the short lists published in January, look here.
Below is the list of winners. Each group of judges and organizers has provided some insight into why their selection rose above the rest:
Fantasy and Science Fiction:
Ptolemy’s Gate (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 3)
Jonathan Stroud
Hyperion: Miramax
Ptolemy’s Gate receives the first Cybils for Fantasy and Science Fiction for its richly imagined fantasy
world, strongly realized and unique characters, delightful language
and well-honed plot. As a concluding volume of a trilogy, it delivers
everything a final volume should do, taking the story arc to its peak
with a climax that is both action-packed and emotionally charged. At
the same time, Ptolemy’s Gate stands alone as a story and will
inspire readers, children and adults alike, to seek out the previous
installments and revisit the world of Bartimaeus over and over again.
Fiction Picture Books:
Scaredy Squirrel
by Melanie Watt
Kid’s Can Press
This eponymous squirrel hits little kids and big alike right where they live: in the numbing comfort of routine and abject fear of The Unknown. This is a tiny book with a big lesson about bravery. Watt makes the most of each page, using repetition and exaggeration to hilariously dissect Scaredy Squirrel’s paranoia, from the minutiae of his daily habits to a tour of his emergency kit. When the unexpected finally occurs, the joke’s on all of us. Field-tested in libraries and living rooms and at bedsides by the judges, Scaredy Squirrel elicited the most giggles per page and requests for re-reads among a variety of age groups, including parents.
Graphic Novels:
Ages 12 and Under:
Amelia Rules! Volume 3: Superheroes
by Jim Gownley
Renaissance Press
Amelia Rules celebrates the power of imagination when school lets out
for summer vacation. There’s plenty of time for dressing up in capes,
fighting a gang of evil ninjas, and investigating the evil conspiracy
known as the Legion of Steves. Amelia McBride’s adventures are
portrayed with warm-hearted good humor. There’s plenty of slapstick
comedy, which combines with an exploration of some of the serious
issues of childhood – moving, growing up, and the secret a new friend
tries to hide. Jimmy Gownley’s art shifts styles based on his
character’s vivid inner worlds, portraying superhero space battles
and silent movie romances with ease. Amelia Rules can be easily be enjoyed by readers of all ages
Ages 13 and Up:
American Born Chinese
Gene Yang
First Second
American Born Chinese skillfully explores the idea of identity by
weaving together three distinct stories – the traditional tale of the
Monkey King, Jin Wang’s longing for acceptance by his classmates, and
popular Danny being plagued by his cousin Chin-Kee who embodies the
worst Chinese ethnic stereotypes. Gene Yang uses humor when portraying
the perils of adolescence, and his colorful art easily adapts to the
tonal shifts of the three stories.
Middle Grade Fiction:
A Drowned Maiden’s Hair: A Melodrama
by Laura Amy Schlitz
Candlewick Press
It’s a mystery story, it’s a ghost story, it’s delightully gothic and eerie. In A Drowned Maiden’s Hair we have a protagonist with a very authentic
child voice, and her motivations and feelings are described in clean,
nuanced lines. Maud is also a person of her time and place; she never comes
off as anachronistic. The story, too, is something of a time and place–the darkness of the Hawthorne estate was like an L.M. Montgomery novel gone
delightfully to seed.The adoption of the plucky orphan by the wealthy lady
is a trope of the Victorian novel, and yet does not come off as trite or
formulaic. It is as if Schlitz had taken familiar characters and plotlines
from Victorian fiction and injected them with a realism and emotional force
that transcends its familiarity, making it seem new again. Truth–be it
in the cries of a widower, or in a tearful confession–is what lets Maude
see her true role and path, and ultimately brings redemption.
Non-Fiction, Middle Grade and Young Adult:
Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
by Russell Freedman
Holiday House
The story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott has been told many times by
many different people and has almost become legend, but in Freedom
Walkers, Russell Freedman is not sharing folklore or the iconic
stories of civil rights heroes like Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks. This
book tells how ordinary men, women and children planned and worked together to
peaceably stand up against the injustice of the segregated transportation system–and
won. Their heroism makes the reader ask, "Could I do this? Could I stand up to the
threats? Could I walk to school every day for almost a year to make justice happen in my
hometown?" Well-chosen historic photographs bring to life the American
South of the 1950’s. The true story is gripping and well documented. This is a
read-in-one- sitting kind of book, which will appeal to young teens up
through adults.
Non-Fiction Picture Books:
An Egg Is Quiet
written by Dianna Aston; illustrated by Sylvia Long
Chronicle Books
Don’t be surprised if some future master birder cites this book as an early influence. Multiple layers of thoughtful, poetic text–about not only birds but also insects, reptiles and sea creatures–make An Egg Is Quiet a book that readers can enjoy quickly or in depth, depending upon their level of interest. The handwriting font gives the feeling of a scientific field journal, and the artwork is of the first class, with outstanding visual variety and clarity. The endpapers alone are breathtaking.
Poetry:
Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow
written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes
Houghton Mifflin
Three cheers for Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow! Each
poem is a nature riddle–guessing the answers will keep children
hopping. Joyce Sidman’s rich, rhythmic language and Beth Krommes’
intricate scratchboard illustrations make the Cybils poetry winner a
book to return to again and again.
Young Adult Fiction:
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist gives us a glimpse into one iconic night
of new love. This fast, fun story is filled with heartache and romance, fear
and discovery, and a healthy mix of sadness and exhilaration. The narrative
gives the alternating perspectives of Nick (supplied by
Levithan) and Norah (supplied by Cohn); these narrative voices
ring true from the moment Nick and Norah first meet, through the starts and
stops of discovering one another and figuring out how to trust in the
feelings and each other and themselves. We loved the pace of the story, the
development of the lead and supporting characters, and the music and city
which served as the perfect backdrop to Nick and Norah’s fabulous night.
