Middle Grade Fiction finalist The Land of the Cranes, by Aida Salazar, is the subject of today’s featured blogger review: This MG novel in verse is GORGEOUS and devastatingly sad. I’m so glad I listened to it because the narration by Dani Gonzalez is incredible and adds so much to the experience. Click here to read the full review by …
REVIEW: Displacement
Our featured review for today looks at Young Adult Graphic Novels finalist Displacement by Kiku Hughes: Powerfully written and beautifully illustrated, Displacement tells the story of the Japanese-Americans who were forced out of their homes and their established lives and stripped of their civil liberties. Read the full review here (along with several others), written by Round 1 judge Rosemary …
REVIEW: We Are Water Protectors
Today on the Cybils blog, we are happy to feature a blogger review of Fiction Picture Books finalist We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade: I am rarely speechless, but this book nearly achieves that for me. The incredibly symbolic and fluid and moving illustrations are masterpieces, page by page. Click here to read the rest of …
REVIEW: In The Red
Our featured review for today takes a closer look at Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction finalist Into the Red by Christopher Swiedler: This exciting survival story made for an intriguing read. Survival stories on earth can be mind-blowing, but trying to survival almost impossible circumstances on Mars?! Not to mention, the main character, Michael, struggles with an anxiety disorder, that definitely …
REVIEW: Sofia Valdez and the Vanishing Vote
Today’s blogger review brings us back to the Early Chapter Books category, with a peek at finalist title Sofia Valdez and the Vanishing Vote by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts: In this latest title in “The Questioneers” chapter book series, Sofia’s teacher announces that the class can vote on a pet for the class. The class narrows the …
REVIEW: Clap When You Land
Our featured review for today looks at Young Adult Fiction finalist Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo–specifically, the audiobook version: The audiobook production brings another level to this book, not just because Acevedo herself narrates half this book but because her writing begs to be performed. Her writing is magical and lyrical and her slam poetry background adds such …
REVIEW: How We Got to the Moon
Today’s blogger review features Middle Grade Nonfiction finalist How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure by John Rocco: John Rocco is an author-illustrator who wanted to create with this project a book he would have loved to read as a kid. He accomplished his goal in spades—creating a beautiful …
REVIEW: From the Desk of Zoe Washington
Middle Grade Fiction finalist title From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks is the subject of today’s featured review: From the Desk of Zoe Washington, a middle-grade novel by debut author Janae Marks, is a quick but impactful read. With themes of racism and wrongful conviction, it’s a timely read that’s as thought-provoking as it is engaging. Although …
2020 Cybils Finalists: The Ones that Got Away
One of the things that makes a first-round panelist’s job so hard is the act of working with everyone to narrow down the list to five to seven books. When you have nearly 100 books on the list (or more sometimes!) that means, inevitably, really great books were not going to make the shortlist. We’d like to take a minute …
Twitter 2020 Cybils Finalists Roud-Up!
It’s been a little more than a week since we announced our finalists for 2020 Cybils and we love to see the Twitter celebration! And since y’all might have missed it, we thought we’d share some of our favorites here! We're honored to share that THE STORY OF CIVIL WAR HERO ROBERT SMALLS is a @CybilsAwards 2020 finalist in the …