This week’s featured poetry books tap into “childish things” that are timely, timeless, and as engaging for adult readers as they are for the intended audience. There is that sense of wonder that comes with the lights, decorations, and all things abstract or unseen during the dawn of the winter season. Then there is the magic of it all … …
See Me Read! | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 12.21.2023
Fermented soybeans, beets, sardines … yum. Not to Gigi and Lola, but their grandparents enjoy them. And they love their Ojiji (grandfather) and Abuela (grandmother). With today’s featured books, young readers explore the unfamiliar and the universal. They will learn about Japanese and Guatemalan cultural traditions, and, at the same time, connect with Gigi and Lola in their feelings of …
Wee Ones Wednesday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 12.20.2023
Chris Van Allsburg said it better than we ever could … “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.” Plus, it’s a “seasonal” quote that perfectly illustrates the concepts behind this week’s featured picture books. Have You Seen My Sock? is all about that sock that inexplicably goes missing. In Invisible Things …
Nonfiction Tuesday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 12.19.2023
Welcome to Nonfiction Tuesday. Hope you brought a bookmark (or two or three). This week’s selections will captivate readers across a full spectrum of subjects and emotion. We are going to deep, dark places both physical (the Mariana Trench) and intangible (victim trauma). We’ll observe creatures most beautiful (birds) and humans at their ugliest (racism, sexism). Spend time lingering over …
Middle-Grade Monday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 12.18.2023
This week’s featured books have windows, mirrors, and sliding doors. Tweens will both connect with and learn from Anna, Mia, and the people in their lives. Through them they will learn more about cultural heritage, belief systems, belonging, and themselves, too. And, as you’ll see from our reviewers’ comments, we adults can learn a thing or two, as well. Summaries …
SpecFic Saturday | #CYBILS2023 Reviews 12.16.2023
Is it too corny to say this week’s SpecFic Saturday selections are out of this world? Probably not if you ask our reviewers! Whether it was Alysa Wishingrad’s Between Monsters and Marvels or Sacha Lamb’s When Angels Left the Old Country, the words “wonderful,” “delightful,” and “rich” repeated shemselves within reviews and across them. Read on. See for yourself. Summary …
Fri YA | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 12.15.2023
There’s no such thing as a “girl book,” but there is definitely such a thing as girl power. And it is on full display in today’s featured young adult books. Exhibit A: Perry Firekeeper Birch, the MC in Warrior Girl Unearthed (sequel to CYBILS 2021 YA Fiction finalist Fire Keeper’s Daughter). After attending a meeting at a local university, Perry learns …
See Me Read! | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 12.14.2023
Remember when we said that we’d alternate between book reviews and book lists on Thursdays? Well, scratch that! Our Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book panel is cranking out reviews, and we don’t want you to miss a single one. Today’s picks are inspiring stories of friendship, teamwork, and making a difference in the lives of others – and not just human! …
Perfect Pairings 2023: 10 Book + Gift Ideas
You love books. You love gifting books. You worry. What if [name] doesn’t like books? Our answer: They haven’t opened your gift! What makes yours so special? You chose the book because you know they like [pick subject]. Just in case you still want to add a little extra to your book gift, we have some curated pairings for you. We …
Wee Ones Wednesday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 12.13.2023
The closest we could come to creating a “theme” for this week’s featured board book and fiction picture book is to say they are about love. These books are for readers who ❤️ big machines. ❤️ building and construction ❤️ family and culture ❤️ spending quality time together. Bottom line: there is a lot of love in these “little” books. …