Rod Serling, creator of "The Twilight Zone," said "Fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science fiction is the improbable made possible." In the Fantasy and Science Fiction category, that sentiment is at the heart of the best novels for children and teens. The winning novel published in 2008 will have amazing world building that brings newly discovered lands and worlds …
2008 Nominations
Easy Readers
Easy readers are books with simple words and short sentences for children who are learning how to read. While picture books are read to a child by an adult, easy readers are meant to be read by the child himself. Easy readers are the bridge between picture books and chapter books. (You’ll know you’ve found an easy reader when you …
Introducing Jackie Parker, Young Adult Fiction Category
Today we meet the category organizer for YA Fiction, Jackie Parker: I’m Jackie Parker, organizer of the YA Fiction category. This is my second year organizing the category, and my third year on the panel. As a teen librarian, YA literature is something I’m constantly immersed in at work, but it’s also something that I spend a lot of my …
Introducing Pam Coughlan, Fiction Picture Books Category
Today we meet Pam Coughlan, organizer for the Fiction Picture Books category: I am the mother of two girls, ages nine and twelve, and a voracious reader. Hence the Mother and Reader part of my blog name. At MotherReader, I review children’s literature from board books to Young Adult, but my heart is in picture books. Along with my occasional …
Introducing Tasha Saecker, Fantasy and Science Fiction Category
Today we meet our Fantasy and Sci-Fi category organizer, Tasha Saecker: I am the director of the Elisha D. Smith Public Library in Menasha, Wisconsin. Which, by the way, just won Wisconsin Library of the Year for 2008! When I started in librarianship, I was a children’s and teen librarian in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. From there, I returned to my …
Introducing Fiona Bayrock, Non-Fiction Picture Books Category
Today we meet Fiona Bayrock, our category organizer for Non-Fiction Picture Books: Adding international flavoUr to the organizer mix, I’m a Canadian children’s author specializing in "way cool" science aimed at the 10-and-under crowd. Publishing-wise, I’ve got books with Scholastic, Capstone, and Charlesbridge as well as 60+ articles, stories, and poems in magazines such as Highlights for Children, KNOW, and …
Introducing Sarah Stevenson, Deputy Editor
Today we meet Sarah Stevenson, Deputy Editor for the Cybils blog: I’m a freelance writer and artist, as well as co-founder (with writer Tanita S. Davis) of the YA literature blogs Finding Wonderland: The WritingYA Weblog and ReadingYA: Readers’ Rants, both founded in 2005. I also help out with the group blog Guys Lit Wire and participate in online literary …
Introducing Jen Robinson, Literacy Evangelist
Today we meet Jen Robinson, our official Cybils Literacy Evangelist: I’m Jen Robinson, and I’ve been blogging for nearly 3 years at Jen Robinson’s Book Page. My blog is dedicated to helping parents, teachers, and librarians to encourage kids to enjoy books. To that end, I publish mostly book reviews (picture books through young adult) and literacy and reading news. …
Introducing Snow Wildsmith, Graphic Novels Category
Today we meet Snow Wildsmith, organizer of the Graphic Novels category: I’m a teen librarian for the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in Charlotte, NC. I’m also a book reviewer writing for Booklist, VOYA, and ICv2’s Guide, as well as websites such as Manganews.net, reviewing graphic novels, manga, anime, and teen fiction and non-fiction. As an active member …
Introducing Kelly Fineman, Poetry Category
Today we meet Kelly Fineman, organizer of the Poetry category: I’ve been reading and writing poetry since I was a little kid, never thinking it would turn out to be something approaching a vocation when I was an adult. These days, when I’m not doing school visits or cleaning my house (neither of which I do often enough, I must …