Dawn Mooney is a Round I judge on our Fiction Picture Books panel this year, as well as a blogger on 5 Minutes for Books, a community of people who love books, reading, and sharing their reviews and opinions on literature for readers of all ages. Dawn is also a stay-at-home mom and former preschool teacher, so the FPB panel …
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Boom by Mark Haddon
Karen Yingling, a middle school librarian, is new to the Cybils this year, but she's been blogging about books for MG and YA readers–especially boy readers–since 2006 at Ms. Yingling Reads. She reads voraciously (as proven by her "Voracious Reader" blog merit badge) and reviews lots of fantasy and sci-fi, with some realistic fiction and other genres thrown in here …
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Extraordinary Ernie and Marvelous Maud by Frances Watts
Melissa Taylor is one of our Round I judges for Easy Readers and Short Chapter Books this year. She's also a teacher, a freelance writer, book editor-at-large for Colorado Parent magazine, a mom–and a blogger who posts reviews of kids' books ranging in age from board books to middle grade fiction. She blogs at Imagination Soup and Bookmarkable. This fall, …
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Spilling Ink by Ellen Potter and Anne Mazer
Sarah Mulhern Gross is a 6th grade teacher who has blogged about books, reading and writing at The Reading Zone since 2007. She's also one of the brains behind the recent ARCs Float On campaign to get more books into classroom libraries. Sarah has spent a few years as a loyal Middle Grade Fiction judge, but this year she's lending …
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Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai
Sherry Early of the Semicolon blog is one of our Middle Grade Fiction Round I judges this year, and a familiar face at the Cybils. Don't miss her extensive Saturday Reviews roundups of books from around the blogosphere–or her book reviews, booklists, and other fantastic resources for readers, parents and homeschoolers. One of the books Sherry reviewed earlier this fall …
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Crossing the Tracks by Barbara Stuber
Amanda Snow of A Patchwork of Books is no stranger to the Cybils. This year she's a Round I judge for Young Adult Fiction, a perfect role for someone who's a Youth Services Librarian. On her blog, she reviews a wide range of YA and children's books, as well as posting interviews, book challenges, memes and other fun goodies. One …
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The Buzz on Bees by Shelley Rotner & Anne Woodhull
Abby Johnson, aka Abby (the) Librarian, is in her third year on the Cybils, where she's served on the YA Fiction and Middle Grade Fiction panels. This year she's a Round I judge for Non-Fiction and Information Picture Books. On her blog, she reviews books and talks about life as a children's librarian. Recently, Abby reviewed Cybils nominee The Buzz …
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Meanwhile by Jason Shiga
If you've never visited Betsy Bird's blog A Fuse #8 Production, then you're missing out on one of the pillars of the kidlitosphere. No jive. Now housed on the prestigious School Library Journal website, Fuse #8 examines children's books in illuminating and entertaining detail, as well as covering other topics related to the world of children's literature. Betsy is a …
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Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman
Wild Rose Reader's Elaine Magliaro has been a longtime Cybils advocate and participant, and this year she's on our Round I Poetry panel. A former elementary school teacher and school librarian, she's a children's poet in her own right, and posts some of her own work to her blog as well as blogging about children's poetry books and resources. Earlier …
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Baxter, the Pig Who Wanted to Be Kosher by Laurel Snyder
Jennifer Wharton is a Round I Judge for Fiction Picture Books this year, though you may remember her from last year's Easy Readers and Short Chapter Books panel. Jennifer is a Youth Services Librarian in Wisconsin and she blogs about books and library programs at Jean Little Library, which is named for her personal collection of over 2,000 books. Earlier …