Because graphic novels by their nature engage readers on multiple sensory levels. When a story is told through pictures, there is more on the page for readers to explore, and having “background music” can add to the reading experience exponentially. WHEN STARS ARE SCATTERED by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed illustrated by Victoria Jamieson and Iman Geddy Dial Books Finalist …
#CybilsAward Book List: Civic Engagement
Election day was last Tuesday, and whatever you feel about the outcome, there is one thing I have noticed: there are more books talking about civil rights, voting, community building, sustainable living, environmentalism, and activism for kids! We thought we’d feature a few that were nominated this year. This Little Voter by Ann Bonnie, Illustrated by Carol Herring little bee …
#CybilsAwards Book List: Forests!
I love fall (honestly: who doesn’t): the changing colors, the crisp air, the falling leaves. And there’s something about fall that makes me want to take a walk through a forest. (I’m usually a beach person!) There’s so much to enjoy in a forest, and here is a collection of our current 2022 nominees and submissions to celebrate all things …
SONNY’S BRIDGE by Barry Wittenstein #CYBILS 📚🎶
SONNY’S BRIDGE:JAZZ LEGEND SONNY ROLLINS FINDS HIS GROOVE by Barry Wittensteinillustrated by Keith Mallett  Charlesbridge Publishing Finalist – Elementary/Middle-Grade Nonfiction2019 CYBILS Awards The Book Elementary/Middle-GradeBiography, Black History, Music, Nonfiction  Sonny’s Bridge is a tribute to the prolific jazz musician Sonny Rollins. Sonny was born in the vibrant times of jazz music. As a kid, Sonny played the saxophone and …
DEAR JUSTYCE by Nic Stone #CYBILS 📚🎶
Welcome to the inaugural CYBILS Awards Book Playlist. If you love listening to music as you read, these posts are for you! Each post pairs a curated Spotify playlist with one CYBILS Awards finalist or winner. If you have a playlist request, be sure to drop us a line at cybilsawards [at] gmail [dot] com. DEAR JUSTYCE: A NOVEL (Dear Martin …
New Feature: CYBILS Awards 📚🎶
We are excited to introduce our newest blog feature: Book Playlists! This idea has been on our drawing board for quite some time, and being able to start creating them is, well, music to our ears. Our goal is to publish a Book Playlist for a CYBILS Awards finalist or winner every 6-8 weeks. Each post will feature one book …
#BannedBookWeek Spotlight Post
We recently welcomed Riya Fernando to our Volunteer Team, and are so glad to have her on board. When she offered to create a book playlist for Banned Book Week built around THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas (2017 YA Fiction Finalist), our answer was an emphatic “Absolutely!” Make sure to celebrate this week by reading your favorite books …
#CybilsAwards Backlist Book List: Aliens!
For our last Backlist Booklist of the summer (keep an eye out; the call for judges for our 2022 season is coming soon!) I thought we’d tackle aliens. Maybe it’s because Jordan Peele’s Nope is in the theaters, or because the solution to Wordle the other day was Alien (got it in three!), or because of the images from the …
#CybilsAwards Backlist Book List: Sisters
I have a sister and four daughters, so it goes without saying that I love stories about sisters. From Little Women to Twins, stories about sisters are some of the most classic ones out there, highlighting both the joys and paints of having sisters. So why not celebrate sister stories with a list of good Cybils books featuring sisters. Twins …
#CybilsAwards Back List Booklist: Road Trips!
It’s summertime, and summer vacation usually means traveling. Road trips, trips to relatives, visiting family and friends and places. This summer travel will probably involve long airline delays and canceled flights (though it seems everyone I know is spending the summer in Europe…). My preferred way to travel is the road trip; it’s just a lot more laid-back than flying, …