Summerstock theater, blockbuster movies, dance camp, the circus. Summertime is the perfect time to perform in or watch a show. I’ve rounded up here some fascinating Cybils titles about great women performers who broke barriers and overcame obstacles for their moment in the spotlight. Pick one up to share with your kids before your next show. —Annette Bay Pimentel Ballet …
List Fun: Cybils Books of Jewish Interest
As a synagogue librarian and Past President of the Association of Jewish Libraries, I am very happy that the diverse selections of the Cybils judges include quite a few books of Jewish content. By now we’ve all heard the “windows and mirrors” maxim, that authentic literature about any minority provides insight for outsiders and validation for members. Jews have a …
List Fun: Ghost Stories for All Ages
Whether or not you believe in ghosts, stories that feature these ethereal characters are a creepy delight for readers of all ages. These ten books, selected from past Cybils nominees/finalists/winners, highlight the best tales about ghosts. Some of the ghosts are friends, others are foes; some stories are pretty funny while others are downright terrifying. There’s something for every reader! …
List Fun: Math-Related Picture Books
Curated from past Cybils nominees and finalists, these ten picture books introduce a wide range of math-related concepts: from basic counting to using numbers to solve real-life problems. –Amy Johnson, Sunlit Pages Animal 123 by Britta Teckentrup (2012 Fiction Picture Books Nominee)Britta Teckentrup’s beautifully textured illustrations are a perfect introduction to numbers and the concept of adding one more. Using …
Announcing the #KidLitCon 2016 Theme, Logo, and Hotel
Attention, Cybils bloggers and the people who love them! It’s time to save the date for our annual “family reunion” of kidlit bloggers and authors, the Kidlitosphere Conference. Kidlitcon 2016 will be held October 14th and 15th in Wichita, KS. This year’s theme is Gatekeepers and Keymasters: Connecting bloggers, librarians, teachers, authors, and parents to promote literacy. As you probably know if …
List Fun: Favorite Series for Beginning Readers
Some series are so beloved they are recognized by Cybils in some form every single year! Every eligible book published to date in the series listed below has been nominated for Cybils in the Easy Readers/Early Chapter Books category. –Katie Fitzgerald, Story Time SecretsEasy Readers/Early Chapter Books category organizer Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee This series …
List Fun: 10 Cybils Finalists/Winners that Also Received ALA Awards
I happen to love awards. All the awards. I like following the hype and buzz and then seeing if my favorite (or one I’ve at least seen or read) wins. So, I suppose, it’s no surprise that one of my favorite things to do every year is compare the Cybils outcome and see how they fared against the “big” awards, …
REVIEW: Infandous
Young Adult Fiction finalist title Infandous by Elana K. Arnold takes center stage in today’s featured blog review, which comes courtesy of Kirkus Reviewer and inveterate Cybil-ite Leila Roy. Leila, who blogs at Bookshelves of Doom, was a Round 1 judge this year in YA Fiction, and back in the spring she posted about Infandous for Kirkus and gave it …
REVIEW: Listen, Slowly
Round 1 judge Debbie Tanner of The Book Search is a former classroom teacher, current elementary school librarian, who created her site and blog as a way to help people find books that match the skills they want to teach. A few months ago she reviewed Middle Grade Fiction finalist Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai, the National Book Award-winning author …
REVIEW: Roller Girl
Today’s featured review looks at Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novel finalist Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, a Newbery Honor Book which has been described as a great read for kids who loved Smile by Raina Telgemaier. The review is from NoHigh5 News, the blog of Massachusetts 5th grade teacher and Apple Distinguished Educator Mike Lewis. His blog is just one of …