In the foreword to his 1996 book, Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative, comics veteran Will Eisner said, "I hold that the story is the most critical component in a comic. Not only is it the intellectual frame on which all artwork rests, but it, more than anything else, helps the work endure." In the Graphic Novels category of the Cybils, …
2007 Nominations: Middle Grade Fiction
What do we mean by "middle grade" fiction? Is it defined simply by what it is not — it is not picture books, it is not early chapter books, it is not young adult. It’s "I’ll know it when I see it." Middle grade is for the kids who have mastered reading well enough to leave those early readers behind …
2007 Nominations: Nonfiction: Middle Grade and Young Adult
Middle Grade and Young Adult Nonfiction covers a wide swath of territory: from history, biography and science to sports, astronomy and dinosaurs. Homeschooling parents are using single-subject nonfiction books to supplement or replace textbooks. Teachers and librarians are recommending nonfiction titles to expand upon classroom subjects and to pique the interest of kids passionate about particular topics. And kids of …
2007 Nominations: Nonfiction Picture Books
Pick a topic. It can be anything, as long as it’s something kids want to know about: biography, history, biology, astronomy, gastronomy… whatever. Then write about it. Maybe in the form of a story, or a scrapbook, or just some really engaging prose. Just make sure it says something true, something surprising, in a way that hasn’t been said before. …
2007 Nominations: Poetry
The poetry committees will be looking for this year’s best poetry collection for kids. The key to this category is the word "collection", because picture books that tell a single, rhyming story belong in the picture book category. Collections need not be the work of a single author, but may be an anthology. Collections need not be picture books — …
2007 Nominations: Young Adult Fiction
You’ll find no dragons or magic, fairies or robots here. Just real people, in the real world, in real situations. In a good YA novel teens will find themselves and discover their world. A great YA novel will do both of those while respecting and appealing to its audience. We are looking for a handful of the greatest teen novels …
About Kelly Herold
We saved the best for last! Today we introduce our Director, Kelly Herold: Kelly here. I’m a co-founder of the Cybils (along with Anne Boles Levy) and this year during our second annual awards process I’ll be filling an organizational role only. I’ll be dealing with our troublesome (just kidding! Love you guys) blogger volunteers and serving as the publisher …
About Sheila Ruth
Today we meet Sheila Ruth, our Fantasy/Science Fiction organizer: I started reading Science Fiction in the fourth grade and never looked back. From Madeleine L’Engle, I quickly moved on to Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Andre Norton, Frank Herbert, and many others. When a teacher loaned me her copy of The Lord of the Rings in fifth grade, I fell …
About Anne Levy
Today we introduce Anne Boles Levy, Editor of the Cybils blog: Me and my big mouth started this contest last year when I left a smart-alecky comment on Kelly Herold’s blog. I said us blogging upstarts should up and start our own contest. Kelly, being one of these organized types, took me up on it. I began my foray into …
About Eisha Prather
Today we introduce Eisha, our Non-Fiction Picture Books organizer: Hey! I’m Eisha, and I’m the other half of the blogging team behind Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast (you’ve already met Jules). At our blog we review books for all ages, but we tend to emphasize children’s and YA lit. We also feature interviews with authors, illustrators and bloggers; participate in …