Tell us. What do these three things have in common: extraterrestrials, a Jewish musician, and a conspirator to kill the President of the United States. You guessed it! Each of them is the subject of a 2023 CYBILS Awards nonfiction nominee! Debbie’s Song is a picture book biography for an elementary audience. Both Is There Anybody Out There? and Hanged! …
Middle-Grade Monday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 12.25.2023
Thanks to the magic of scheduling, we can share reviews AND spend time with family and friends. That’s our kind of multi-tasking. Navigating tweendom is neither straightforward, predictable, nor easy. Yet the “process”of trying to figure out who you are is universal, whether it’s 1905 or 2023. In the historical fiction novel A Sky Full of Song, Soshana is a …
Perfect Pairings 2023: 10 Book + Gift Ideas
You love books. You love gifting books. You worry. What if [name] doesn’t like books? Our answer: They haven’t opened your gift! What makes yours so special? You chose the book because you know they like [pick subject]. Just in case you still want to add a little extra to your book gift, we have some curated pairings for you. We …
#CYBILS2023 Books by Previous Winners
Turning 18 has made us a bit nostalgic … and yet looking forward, too. That got us thinking … wouldn’t it be fun to see how many 2023 CYBILS Awards nominees are written by previous winners? So we dug into the archives to find which CYBILS Awards winners of yore who have new books being considered this year. Quite a …
Baked-In Book Deliciousness: A Foodie Book List
Want to know the yummiest thing about this book list? Aside from the celebration of all things food? That no matter the cuisine, food brings us together. From memories of a special dish to multi-generational stories, there is something for everyone’s taste here. All made delicious with a pinch of sweetness, a dash of humor, and a cup full of …
Game On! a #CYBILS2023 Book List
This week, the name of the *game* is book lists. Each day we will have a list, built around a theme. These are books our judges are reading, as they were nominated or submitted for the 2023 CYBILS Awards. From the sweet science to the beautiful game and Olympic sports to chess and robotics, these books will inspire and engage …
Food, Family & Home: A Harvest of Books
Welcome to our #CYBILS2023 book feast! Today’s book list give a nod to Thanksgiving but more broadly embrace broader themes of family, sharing, and celebration. There are sweet picture books and savory novels. There are title foods and books about big emotions. Some served with a side of humor or fantasy, too. And, in what may be a CYBILS Awards …
Nonfiction Tuesday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 11.7.23
Yes, Nonfiction Monday is a thing, but why not Nonfiction Tuesday. Nonfiction can be read – and celebrated! – every day of the week. Yes?! Plus, Tuesdays deserve some book love, too! Our Nonfiction Tuesday party is all about facts. So here’s what you need to know. There will always be 3 books, one for each audience: elementary, middle-grade, high …
The Big Book (List) of 20 Questions: #CYBILS2023
What do you do when you have nominated books whose titles are questions? You make a list! This collection of “20 questions” explore some of kids’ favorite things (like weird animals and aliens); answer questions they ask themselves, help them process growing up and emotions, and, yes, a few talk about poo! (eww!) This post contains affiliate links to amazon.com …
A #CYBILS2023 Book Spook-tacular
As has become our tradition, we are going to kick off our #CYBILS2023 book lists with a collection of seasonal tales nominated during the current awards cycle. From saving Halloween to scary things in the basement, and delicious monsters to zombies, we’re sure you’ll find something to sink your teeth into during the spooky season. There are 31 books on …