Our featured blog review for today looks at Fiction Picture Books finalist Creepy Pair of Underwear! written by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Peter Brown. A few months ago, Round 1 judge Jennifer Dieleman reviewed this book on her blog, picturebooks4learning: I teach younger children, so I tend to stay away from books that will give them nightmares. I love …
REVIEW: Spirit Hunters
Round 1 Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction judge Katy Kramp is a public librarian who blogs at A Library Mama, and she brings us our featured review of the day. A couple of months ago she reviewed finalist title Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh: Here’s a super-creepy book by We Need Diverse Books founder Ellen Oh for those who want to …
REVIEW: Soupy Leaves Home
It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day! For an excellent look at the history of King’s time period, check out the March graphic novel series by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and illustrated by Nate Powell. (March, Book 3 was one of our winners in last year’s contest.) The featured finalist review of the day also looks at a YA graphic novel: …
REVIEW: Shark Lady
The category of the day today is Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction, and the featured blogger is Jen Naughton, a writer and homeschool educator who blogs at Geek Reads Kids. Recently, she reviewed Elementary Nonfiction finalist Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist, written by Jess Keating and illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens: I’d …
REVIEW: We Need More Nuts! (Penguin Young Readers, Level 2)
Cybils category chair Jennifer Wharton blogged about today’s featured title back in October on her blog Jean Little Library, where she writes book reviews of titles for all ages as well as posting about the library life. We Need More Nuts! (Penguin Young Readers, Level 2) by Jonathan Fenske is a finalist this year in the Easy Readers category: Fenske’s …
REVIEW: The Hate U Give
As we enter the Round 2 judging period, we have the opportunity to look at reviews of our fabulous finalist titles from throughout the previous year, and our first such review looks at Young Adult Fiction finalist The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. This widely buzzed title was reviewed by high school teacher William Polking at the group blog …
REVIEW: Wonder Woman: Warbringer
Today’s finalist review is one of six worthy competitors from the Young Adult Speculative Fiction category–Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo, author of the acclaimed Shadow and Bone trilogy. This novel brings readers a new story featuring the beloved DC character recently rebooted on the silver screen. Round 1 judge and YA author Tanita Davis reviewed it on Finding Wonderland …
2017 Finalist Reactions!
We love seeing them! Here’s what we found across social media over the past couple of days: Ahhhhhhhh The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart is a Cybils Finalist (in the Elementary/MG Speculative Fiction category: https://t.co/pUeBF9dRTb )!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so, SO thrilled and over-the-moon about this!!! @KidsBloomsbury @bloomsburykids https://t.co/erjE1QctrC — Stephanie Burgis 🐲 …
2017 Cybils Finalists
2017 was a difficult year, all around. Participation was down (we had to put Audiobooks on hiatus!), several judges and category chairs had personal or family crises, and we had issues with getting access to all the books. It wasn’t easy for the Cybils this year. However, we rallied — we had 1426 books nominated across all the categories — we …
2017 Finalists Announced TOMORROW!
It’s the last day of the year, and you know what that means, right? The Cybils finalists will be announced TOMORROW. Check this space at 9:30 PST to see all the amazing books that made it through. Happy New Year!