Pssst!by Adam RexHarcourt Children’s BooksBuy From Amazon | Buy from BookSense Pssst! is a funny, light-hearted fantasy that uses snappy text and surreal post-modern oil-and-acrylic illustrations to tell the tale of a girl who visits a zoo with crafty animals who all want something from her. This results in a surprise ending and one of the year’s most unforgettable illustrated …

Animal Poemswritten by Valerie Worth, illustrated by Steve JenkinsFarrar, Strauss & Giroux The poems about twenty-three different animals (some common and some very unusual) are told using free verse–not a typical choice in collections for children these days (at least not when it’s the sole type of verse). And these poems are spectacular in their use of imagery and metaphor. …

A Crooked Kind of Perfectby Linda UrbanHarcourtBuy from Amazon | Buy from BookSense "I teach middle school, and sometimes I find that I have more choices for my readers who like edgy YA stories than I do for those kids who read well but aren’t quite ready for teenager issues. A Crooked Kind of Perfect is a perfect kind of …

Results are now in for the first-ever Cybils, which recognizes childrens’ and YA books with a mix of literary quality and kid appeal. Click here for the list of winners, or download a printer-friendly version of the entire short list to take with you to the library or bookstore. 

One of the most complex and broad of all the categories, Fantasy and Science Fiction received 87 nominations. Shiela Ruth headed the busy panel that winnowed them down to five: Ptolemy’s Gateby Jonathan StroudHyperion: Miramax Magician John Mandrake (a.k.a. Nathaniel), rebel commoner Kitty, and wise-cracking, sarcastic djinni Bartimaeus are drawn together in spite of their differences to battle a powerful …

Although a manageable 35 titles were nominated in this category, organizers decided to split it by age group to level the playing field for books pitched to little kids. So there are 10 finalists: Ages 12 and under Amelia Rules, vol. 3: Superheroes by Jimmy GownleyRenaissance PressThis book has a great cast of characters and bright, colorful art that uses …

Another popular category with 63 titles. Here’s the short list: Drowned Maiden’s Hair, A Laura Amy Schlitz Candlewick This gothic page-turner features a feisty orphan, a houseful of secrets, and a villain preying on unsuspecting victims. Framed Frank Cottrell Boyce Harper Collins Take a small grey Welsh town. Add great works of art. Stir. Heat Mike Lupica Philomel A heartwarming …

The Top Five, from a long list of 40: Escape! written by Sid FleischmanGreenwillow Freedom Walkerswritten by Russell FreedmanHoliday House Immersed in Versewritten by Alan WolfLark Books Isaac Newtonwritten by Kathleen Krull; illustrated by Boris KulikovViking Juvenile Team Moonwritten by Catherine ThimmeshHoughton Mifflin

Eighty nominated YA books contended for a Top 5 berth: Book Thief, The written by Markus ZusakKnopf Books for Young Readers Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life, A written by Dana ReinhardtWendy Lamb Books Hattie Big Sky written by Kirby LarsonDelacorte Books for Young Readers Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist written by Rachel Cohn and David LevithanKnopf Books for Young …

Nominations: 111. Finalists: 5. Phew. Many thanks to the fiction picture book panelists who winnowed the looooong list: Emily’s Balloon Written and illustrated by Komako Sakai Chronicle Books A bittersweet glimpse into the mind of a toddler who has befriended a yellow balloon. Learning to Fly Written and illustrated by Sebastian Meschenmoser Kane/Miller A simple book with an important message, …