1,091. That’s how many teen-written reviews Jackie read over the summer. Actually it's more, but we won't count the ones that were plagiarized. Of course, this was done in between Harry Potter parties, tie-dying, book bowls, copious amounts of slimy plaster, writing clubs, and making teenagers put petroleum jelly on their noses. Despite former panelist's opinions, she is not the Mistress of the …
Meet Sheila Ruth, Fantasy & Science Fiction Organizer
Sheila is an empty-nester this year and is looking to fill those long, lonely hours with Cybils goodies, er goodness. She has never taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, but she does have a lifelong love of fantasy and science fiction, kindled at a young age by writers such as Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, Norton and Tolkien, and rekindled by Rowling. …
Meet Jen Robinson, Literacy Evangelist
Jen Robinson divides her time between running around after her daughter, Baby Bookworm, and running her company, FabTime. FabTime is a small software firm that does reporting for companies that make computer chips. Baby Bookworm is a small person who cackles gleefully as she pulls the bookmarks out of books. When her responsibilities to Baby Bookworm and FabTime allow, Jen …
Meet Liz Jones, Graphic Novels Organizer
Liz Jones has participated in the Cybils graphics group since she was knee high to a grasshopper, or at least, since about 2007. In this time, she has enjoyed blogging about the titles she reads at lizjonesbooks.livejournal.com, as well as spreading the word about the diversity and quality of graphics in her largely graphic-free locale by: 1)sharing them with her …
Meet Kerry Millar, Middle Grade Fiction Organizer
It wouldn't be Fall without a lot of freshly sharpened pencils, my requisite new pair of school shoes, plenty of apple cider, homemade pie on Sunday and the Cybils. If I had to choose between my prize-winning apple pie and the Cybils, I'm not sure I could. I love pie a whole lot. Therefore, I love the Cybils a whole …
Meet Gina Ruiz, DoDA, er, Nonfiction MG/YA Organizer
Gina's been with the Cybils in one capacity or another since it started and thinks its a most wondrous thing. Gina has spent four years as a graphic novel panelist, last year she dabbled in poetry and this year (gulp) she is teaching Defense of the Dark Arts – er, make that she's an organizer for the nonfiction MG/YA category. …
Judging Deadline
While the deadline to apply for judging for this Cybils season isn't until Thursday, it looks like we have nearly enough applicants in every category. A few genres, like Poetry and Nonfiction, have once again needed to recruit people to fill empty slots. Young Adult and Science Fiction/Fantasy usually have far too many candidates and the winnowing process is tough …
Meet Jone MacCulloch, Poetry Organizer
Editor's note: Jone has written us a shadorma, a poem with a meter of 3-5-3-3-7-5. Estactic Organizerfor Poetry Northwest girl Been with the CYBILS from startChases dragonflies Jone writes for two blogs; Check It Out and Deo Writer, her poetry blog.
Meet Mary Ann Scheuer
Multi-tasking Mary Ann is how she introduced herself lately – but perhaps that's apt as we delve into the world of Book Apps that seem to do so many things at once. Mary Ann is a school librarian, mom to three, grad student and blogger. Each day she spreads a love of reading with 300 elementary students in Berkeley, CA …
Warning: English major, cannot do math
For some reason, I didn't order enough bookmarks. I printed up 2,000 and about 40 people requested them. I don't know why 40 doesn't divide evenly into 2,000 but — horrors — I have run out of bookmarks! I still have more than half of you to go. Aak. I need to take a stack to Kidlit Con but otherwise, …