The Middle Grade Fiction category of the Cybils Award didn’t exactly lack for nominations. So how do you go about selecting the best of the best? Well sometimes a book rises above and beyond the literary pack. In A Drowned Maiden’s Hair, author Laura Amy Schlitz manages to combine great writing and an atmospheric text with situations and characters that …
An Interview with Mélanie Watt
Out of over 100 nominated picture book titles, Scaredy Squirrel rose to the top to collect the Cybils Award. The book stars a squirrel who’s afraid of everything and won’t leave his comfort zone, until one day…well, you should really read the book. What sets this book apart from the pack is its kid appeal. Kids of all ages–including grown-up …
Review of the Day
Silver City
Our own Sheila Ruth contributes today’s review, a fantasy about children defending their planet. Sheila writes Wands and Worlds, perhaps one of the best-known blogs for fans of science fiction and fantasy, and was the first volunteer to sign up for Cybils duty. We’ve all been awed by her keen insight, publishing acumen and organizational wizardry. She prompted us to …
Review of the Day
Dairy Queen
Today we bring you a review of a Young Adult Fiction title by our own Graphic Novels coordinator, Liz B. Liz reviews books for a wide range of age levels at her wonderfully named blog, A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy. She’s always up on the kidlitosphere’s news and hot topics, and also features a Buffy Quote of …
Review of the Day
Return to Labyrinth
What do you do when one of your favorite movies comes out in a comic-book sequel? A. Fortis at the group blog ReadingYA: Reader’s Rants approached Return to Labyrinth with some trepidation: Sorry if it sounds a little harsh, but the movie was one of those cherished pre-teen experiences that I didn’t want marred by some inferior fan-fic crapfest. At …
Review of the Day
The Looking Glass Wars
Erin is a "teenage girl [who] rants and raves about the important things: books, quotes, writing, reading, and life" at Miss Erin. And, she’s the youngest member of the Cybils team, serving on the Fantasy/Sci Fi nominating panel. Today she reviews Frank Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars. —————————————————————– I went into this novel – "the true story of Alice in …
Review of the Day
Flotsam
Rebecca Hogue Wojahn is a reader, a writer and a librarian. As an author of fiction and non-fiction for children ages four and up, she knows what’s happening in children’s books! Rebecca is currently reading for the Non-fiction (MG/YA) panel, but still has time to review books outside of her Cybils reading duties. Today she reviews a title nominated for …
Review of the Day
Loving Will Shakespeare
Today’s book of the day is Loving Will Shakespeare, by Carolyn Meyer, a Young Adult Fiction title brought to us by Jackie from interactivereader. Jackie is a librarian who works with teens, and a prolific reader. She’s the interactive reader because she likes to share her feelings about whatever book happens to be passing through her hands. She blogs about …
REVIEW OF THE DAY
Immersed in Verse
Today’s review comes from Mindy, panel organizer for the Non-fiction (MG/YA) Cybil. Mindy is a librarian who writes excellent book reviews at propernoun.net. She keeps up with the best of the best each year and her blog is a wonderful resource when looking for new titles for children of all ages. Mindy reviews a Non-fiction title for the poetry-addled teen …
REVIEW OF THE DAY
Sold
Author Carolyn Lehman (Strong at the Heart) reviews books and discusses writing and speaking to and about survivors of abuse at her blog, Strong at the Heart. The Cybils are thrilled she’s agreed to serve as a judge for the Non-fiction (MG/YA) category. This week Carolyn reviewed Patricia McCormick’s Sold, a novel nominated for the Young Adult fiction Cybil. Here …