Amanda Snow of A Patchwork of Books is a repeat Cybils panelist, and this year she's a Round I judge for the Young Adult Fiction category. Amanda is a children's librarian in Virginia who reviews all genres of children's books (and even some adult books) on her blog.
Cybils YA nominee Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger was featured on Amanda's blog earlier this year in a thoughtful and informative review post. Though main character Samar is of Indian heritage, she goes by Sam and pretty much considers herself a normal teenager–that is, until Uncle Sandeep comes along and she gets a bit more intrigued by her own family and background. Amanda says:
The plot is current and realistic and Samar is a beautiful, hope-filled character.
Read the full review here.
