Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess (Olympians) by George O’Connor First Second Books Nominated by: Nicola Manning Continuing his encapsulation of the lives of the Greek gods, O’Connor turns his attention this time to the goddess of wisdom. From her birth from the skull of Zeus to her triumphs and tragedies, we get a full-blooded look at one of the most powerful of …

Beach Tail, A by Karen Lynn Williams Boyds Mills Press Nominated by: Jessalynn Pinsonault While following his father’s direction to stay close to the lion he drew in the sand, a young boy makes the tail longer and longer as he explores the shore. Finding himself far away from the beach umbrella, the boy figures out how to get back …

Borrowed Names: Poems About Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J. Walker, Marie Curie, and Their Daughters by Jeannine Atkins Henry Holt Nominated by: Jenny Moss This collection of extended poems for young adults reads as if it’s a novel–a skillful blend of verse, plot, and character development–offering readers a fresh understanding of the complex emotional depths shared by mothers and daughters. …

Brain Jack by Brian Falkner Random House Children’s Books Nominated by: Hallie Tibbetts When Sam Wilson hacks into the computer system of one of America’s largest companies, he has no idea that his actions will bring about, in the words of The Washington Post, a “National Disaster.” Or, for that matter, that he will get caught. An action-adventure containing shades …

Call, The (The Magnificent 12) by Michael Grant Katherine Tegen Books Nominated by: Ben Michael Grant has crafted a great beginning to a new series that is guaranteed to leave you wanting more action, more plot development, more laugh-out-loud humor and the next book in the series. The Call follows a 12-year-old boy named Mack who is just a “medium” …

Easy Readers Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Spring Babies by Erica Silverman Harcourt Nominated by: Madigan McGillicuddy In this endearing sixth episode of the series, Cowgirl Kate and her horse, Cocoa, meet and discover baby animals on their farm. Told in four short chapters, the stories are empowering and gently dramatic. The two friends go on a night watch to see …

Looking for last minute holiday gifts? The Cybils nomination lists are a great source of book ideas for the children and teens (and children's book loving adults!) in your life. To make your holiday shopping easier, I've done some housekeeping on the lists to make them easier to read. To help you make informed decisions, I've also added links to …

How often does anyone get to say they've had an ode written about them? Forget the Grecian urn–the Cybils have now been immortalized in a poem by NFPB Round I judge Doret Canton of The Happy Nappy Bookseller. We present it to you forthwith: Nonfiction picture booksStrewn about my placeAll in the name ofChildren's and Young Adult Bloggers Literary AwardsKnown …

Last but most definitely not least, our third successful Cybils Challenger is Middle Grade Fiction Round 1 judge Jennifer Donovan of 5 Minutes for Books. On her personal blog, Snapshot, she not only gave a really nice plug for the Cybils (and the Cybils Challenge), she also wrote a very enjoyable post describing her reasons why she liked certain not-yet-nominated …

The Cybils have always been an international award. From our first year, our criteria have specified that books published in English anywhere in the world during the eligibility year were eligible. We have had at least one finalist published outside the U.S. that I know of. In 2007 the UK edition of Incarceron, by Catherine Fisher and published by Hodder …