Round 1 Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction judge Sherry Early wrote our featured review for today–she’s a homeschooling mom and longtime Cybils judge (and, one could add, a fixture of the Kidlitosphere) who blogs at Semicolon. In the fall, she reviewed Cybils EMSF finalist The Goblin’s Puzzle: Being the Adventures of a Boy with No Name and Two Girls Called Alice …
REVIEW: Fresh Delicious
Our featured finalist review for today comes from Round 1 Poetry judge Carol Wilcox, a reading coach and literacy intervention teacher (and Cybils veteran) who blogs at Carol’s Corner. A couple of months ago, she reviewed Poetry finalist title Fresh Delicious: Poems from the Farmers’ Market by Irene Latham, illustrated by Mique Moriuchi: “I was talking with a group of …
REVIEW: In the Shadow of Liberty
Happy Cybils Round 2 and Happy 2017, everybody! If you haven’t had a chance to check out our finalists announcement, go have a look. From this point forward, we’ll be featuring reviews of finalist titles (and, to avoid any conflicts, the reviews were all written prior to the announcement of the shortlists). Today’s featured review looks at Young Adult Nonfiction …
REVIEW: Allie, First at Last
What if it felt like everyone in your family was a winner except you? Allie Velasco, the protagonist of Allie, First at Last by Angela Cervantes, comes from an exceptional family–and now it’s time for her to prove herself, too. This Middle Grade Fiction nominee was reviewed by Round 1 judge (and Cybils veteran) Sarah Sammis of the blog Puss …
REVIEW: Princess Princess Ever After
Today’s featured nominee is not your typical princess story. In this one, two princesses team up to rescue a prince, and end up finding their own happily ever after. Round 1 Graphic Novels judge Alexandra Cenni (For the Sake of Reading) reviewed Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O’Neill earlier this year on her Goodreads feed, and said: “There’s a lot …
REVIEW: Steam Train, Dream Train Colors
Happy Boxing Day! Today’s featured review is from Fiction Picture Books/Board Books Round 1 judge Sue Morris, who blogs at Kid Lit Reviews. She features a wide range of children’s books, from picture books to middle grade, as well as board books, like Cybils nominee Steam Train, Dream Train Colors by Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. In …
REVIEW: Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! The Cookie Fiasco
Since we’re on the verge of a major cookie-eating holiday, it seems seasonally appropriate to feature a book that’s cookie-themed: Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! The Cookie Fiasco by Dan Santat. The review was written by our Elementary/Juvenile Nonfiction chair Jennifer Wharton, who is not a stranger to the Early Chapter Books category, where this book was nominated. In her …
REVIEW: The Wild Robot
Today’s review is kind of a hybrid–it’s a nominee in the Audiobooks category, but the review is specific to the print version. The reviewer is Adrienne Gillespie, Round 2 Audiobooks judge and blogger at Books & Bassets. The book is The Wild Robot by Peter Brown, a middle grade novel about Roz the robot, who gets stranded on an island …
REVIEW: Highly Illogical Behavior
Happy Monday! Today’s featured review is a nominee from the YA Fiction category: Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley. Earlier this year, Round 1 judge William Polking (a high school teacher and coach) reviewed the book for Guys Lit Wire, a group blog devoted to highlighting great books for guys and the people who love them. According to William: …
REVIEW: The Girl from Everywhere
Our featured blog review for today comes from Cybils regular Katy Manck of the blog BooksYALove. Katy is a librarian-at-large (how cool is that?) and a Round 2 judge this year in Middle Grade/YA Nonfiction. She also reads a wide range of other YA books, such as YA Speculative Fiction nominee The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig. Here’s how …