We are concluding our series about the power of fREADom and the importance of book choice with a post from Melissa Fox. Her essay touches on each of the key elements of the fREADom concept. Melissa Fox has been part of the CYBILS Awards since its early days. In addition to being the Elementary/Middle-Grade Fiction chair, she is the Board …
D is for DISCOVERY | #fREADom guest post by Terry Doherty
Terry Doherty wears a few hats for the CYBILS Awards. She is the social media coordinator, she is the ‘librarian’ for our Goodreads shelves, and she is also the incoming president of our Board of Directors. Before volunteering more actively with the CYBILS, she was the creator and Executive Director of the Reading Tub, a nonprofit for family literacy. Some …
A is for AFFIRMATION | #fREADom guest post by Gary Anderson
Prior to joining the CYBILS Awards Board in 2023, Gary Anderson served as the YA Fiction chair, and was a judge in multiple categories [Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, YA Speculative Fiction, High School Nonfiction, and YA Fiction]. He is a retired high school English teacher, published author, and one-time “substitute librarian” at the high school where he once taught. …
E is for EMPATHY | #fREADom guest post by Tanita S. Davis
Tanita Davis is an award-winning author. She has written 8 novels for young readers, and her short fiction can be found in Hunger Mountain and Cicada magazines. She is currently the CYBILS Awards Board Vice President. When my book HAPPY FAMILIES was among the hundreds banned in 2023 by the Katy ISD, a public school district based in Katy, Texas, I wasn’t shocked. …
R is for RECOGNITION | #fREADom guest post by Charlotte Taylor
Charlotte Taylor is a CYBILS Awards board member, having recently served as Board President. She served as the Elementary/Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction chair from 2009-2023, and this year is the chair for the High School Nonfiction category. Charlotte takes comfort in placing as many library holds as she can realistically read. If only her day job as a professional archaeologist, and …
What is fREADom?
fREADom is the belief that readers should have the opportunity to choose the books they read. It recognizes that a parent has the right to set boundaries for their own children, but not the youth population at large. The CYBILS Awards believes in the power of books, and we affirm the words of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, whose research showed how …
A #CYBILSAWARDS FIRST: Summer Call for Judges
You spoke. We listened. In post-awards surveys over the last few years, the #1 request from judges has been to have more time to talk about books. One of the top requests from from category chairs is to get “all the books” nominated. To meet those challenges, the Board of Directors has voted to have two Calls for Judges. Our …
Join the #CYBILSAwards Community
We hope you’ve had a chance to explore our library on Goodreads. Maybe even recommended a book to us. [Thanks for that, BTW.] Let’s be honest. Bookshelves are nice and all, but what’s more fun – and what our judges keep telling us (hint) – is the chance to talk about books (hint hint)! In the last three surveys, our …
The #CYBILSAWARDS Library is on Goodreads
If you’ve been part of or followed the CYBILS Awards over the years, you know that we love to chat about great books for kids and teens. We share our judges reviews, we post new releases, we get recommendations. We love it all! Over the years, our judges tell us that one of the reasons they volunteer is because they …
#CYBILS2022: An Invitation to Share
Dear Reader, First, thank you for all you do to connect young readers with books representing them and their worlds. Since you are here, you already know that celebrating and amplifying inclusive books for children and teens is near and dear to our hearts. With the 17th annual CYBILS Awards about to get underway, we want to ensure that our …