BOARD BOOK FINALISTS Copy That, Copy Cat!: Inventions Inspired by Animals Katrina Tangen, illustrated by Giulia Orecchia Barefoot Books Nominated by: Abi Full of rhyming riddles, die-cut cues, and lift-the-flap reveals, this board book introduces kids to biomimicry. They will love guessing which animals inspired inventions we use today like snowshoes or sonar! Aimee Smith, Keep a Book Out Mister …
CYBILS 2023 Easy Reader & Early Chapter Book Finalists
Easy Readers Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other StoriesJarvisCandlewick PressNominated by: Linda Baie Bear and Bird are the best of friends. So best of friends, in fact, that they would rather make the other happy than always tell the truth. Is it wrong to lie to your friends? What if your lie is to protect their feelings? Bear and …
CYBILS 2023 Nonfiction Finalists
ELEMENTARY Glitter Everywhere!: Where it Came From, Where It’s Found & Where It’s GoingChris Barton, Chris, illustrated by Chaaya PrabhatCharlesbridgeNominated by: Gary Anderson Strong opinions about glitter are common, but whether you love it or hate it, this book is a fascinating look at the history and science of all things sparkly! Readers will learn what iridescence is, how it …
CYBILS 2023 Graphic Novel Finalists
ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE-GRADE A First Time for EverythingDan SantatFirst Second BooksNominated by: Maria Marshall In this humorous and heart-warming middle-grade graphic memoir, Dan Santat recounts the life-changing “firsts” of his middle school life: first time being ridiculed, first party, first school trip to Europe, first Fanta, and of course, first love. It is impossible not to get swept into Dan’s story, and …
CYBILS 2023 Speculative Fiction Finalists
ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE GRADE FINALISTS Conjure IslandEden RoyceWalden Pond PressNominated by: Amber Delphinia Baker is happy with her life, living with her grandmother and her dad who is deployed, moving often from military base to military base, but when her grandmother falls ill, Del finds herself in a place she never thought she’d be – at a magic school run by her …
CYBILS 2023 Poetry Finalists
Animals in PantsSuzy Levinson, illustrated by Kevin Howdeshell and Kristen HowdeshellHarry N AbramsNominated by: Becky L. Animals in Pants by Suzy Levinson is a fun and playful collection full of poems about, well, animals in pants. It’s this premise—coupled with colorful, saucy illustrations—that will capture the attention of toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary kids, but they’ll stay for the amusing …
CYBILS 2023 Middle-Grade Fiction Finalists
Farther Than the MoonLindsay LackeyRoaring Brook PressNominated by: Anne-Marie Strohman Lindsay Lackey’s Farther Than the Moon is the story of Houston and Robbie, brothers who dream of going to space. When Houston is accepted to a month-long astronaut camp, he’s over the moon. But Robbie’s cerebral palsy and epilepsy mean he must stay home. As Houston struggles with the program’s …
Announcing the 2023 CYBILS Awards Finalists
We may not be the first to wish you a Happy New Year, but we are very excited to be the first to tell you about the 2023 CYBILS Awards finalists! Our judges read more than 1,240 books across nine categories and three audiences. In some categories – like Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, and Poetry – judges were reading all the …
CYBILS 2023 Young Adult Fiction Finalists
Ander & Santi Were Here: A NovelJonny Garza VillaWednesday BooksNominated by: Linh Ander Martínez’s life is in a time of transition. They grew up embracing the seamless mixture of language, food, and people in their San Antonio neighborhood. Their family has a successful taqueria which gave Ander both their foundation and their inspiration as a muralist. Ander & Santi Were …
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 …