On the day we announced the Cybils finalists, Jen Robinson called on everyone to buy copies of the winners from Amazon, while Sheila Ruth charted whether the books rose in popularity. Did we make a difference? Can we add "marketplace clout" to our list of accomplishments? The answer is a qualified yes. We affected the sales rankings, sometimes dramatically, for …
An interview with Joyce Sidman
The first-ever winner of a Cybil for Poetry is Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow: Poems by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes. It was selected by the committee based in part on its wonderfully rich language and imagery. The book, a series of riddle poems in pairs, incorporates a variety of poetic forms, ranging from free verse …
Welcome to the Cybils
Results are now in for the first-ever Cybils, which recognizes childrens’ and YA books with a mix of literary quality and kid appeal. Click here for the list of winners, or download a printer-friendly version of the entire short list to take with you to the library or bookstore.
The 2006 Cybils
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 …
Let’s do it!
Because Kelly and I are such amazingly efficient people, all our calls to publishers have been made, all the i’s are dotted on the press release, and we’re just sitting on our hands waiting for TypePad to publish the list. So why wait? Why indeed. I have fiddled with the settings and the results will post just before noon Central …
Countdown …
We plan to publish the winners today at 2 p.m. Chicago time, so you have just enough time to treat yourself to a fabulous lunch before rejoining us. See you again soon.
Only one more day
It’s 1:37 a.m. and once again the insomnia genie has cursed me. I get three wishes that won’t come true, and all of them involve being able to shut my eyes. So I thought I’d update you all on how Cybils is going. We still haven’t received the absolute, final, this-is-really-it decision from two categories, but I’m not going to …
Meet Jen Webb
Jen Webb writes at No Flying, No Tights, which features reviews of graphic novels for teens, and she’s judging this same genre for Cybils. A librarian in Lexington, Mass., she writes that her alternate career choice would be "rock star by day/superhero by night." She recently sent us answers to a few questions: Q. How long have you been blogging? …
Hey, we’re famous!
How do you know when you’ve arrived? We seen signs of it in how publishers respond to us. Take, for example, this contest from Chronicle Books. They’re giving away a gift basket of their best books from the past year. Scroll down and you’ll notice they list "Cybils finalist" along with the other honors for Tour America and An Egg …
Show me the money
I’d like to thank whoever ordered the gluten-free baking flour. I have a brother who’s allergic to wheat, so I empathize. And the person who bought an Epson printer for Christmas–I hope it’s treating you right. You rock. Hey, remember the sitcom "Soap"? It’s still tickling someone’s funny bone out there in Cybils land. But he or she can’t compare …