Our featured blog review for today comes from Round 1 judge Dr. Cheryl Vanatti, an education specialist and former teacher in Florida who blogs at Reading Rumpus. One of the books she recently reviewed was Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction finalist Inkling by Kenneth Oppel: Inkling is a master class in personification. Taking an ink blot and not only giving it …
REVIEW: The True Tale of a Giantess
Today’s featured finalist review is from the Elementary Nonfiction category: The True Tale of a Giantess: The Story of Anna Swan written by Anne Renaud and illustrated by Marie Lafrance. The author of the review is Round 1 judge Ellen Zschunke, an elementary school librarian and Cybils returnee who blogs at On The Shelf 4 Kids. When she reviewed this …
REVIEW: Fox the Tiger
Happy Friday! Today’s featured title is Easy Readers finalist Fox the Tiger (My First I Can Read) by Corey R. Tabor. The review was written by Round 1 judge Jennifer Miller, a reviewer, writer, and specialist in children’s books who blogs at Raise Them Righteous. In her recent review, she wrote: Fox the Tiger is a sweet story perfect for …
REVIEW: Darius the Great Is Not Okay
Our featured review for this Wednesday comes from Round 1 judge Adrienne Gillespie, a current 6th grade teacher and former school librarian who blogs at Books and Bassets. A few months ago she reviewed Young Adult Fiction finalist Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram: It was a perfect read for a weekend. I got lost on Darius’ …
REVIEW: Pitch Dark
Today’s featured blog review comes from our very own Cybils blog co-editor (and Young Adult Speculative Fiction judge) Melissa Fox, a bookseller and mom who blogs at The Book Nut. She recently reviewed YA Speculative Fiction finalist Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda: I really liked this book. A lot. But I have NO idea how to describe it succinctly. See, …
REVIEW: Can I Touch Your Hair?
Our featured blog review for today looks at Poetry finalist Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship written by Irene Latham and Charles Waters and illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko. Round 1 Poetry judge, editor, and longtime Cybils participant Anastasia Suen posted a wonderful author guest post on her blog early last year. Co-author …
REVIEW: The Orphan Band of Springdale
Welcome to today’s featured blog review, courtesy of Round 1 judge Debbie Tanner, a librarian who blogs at The Book Search. Earlier last year, she posted a review of Middle Grade Fiction nominee The Orphan Band of Springdale by Anne Nesbet: It’s set in World War 2 and I really loved that it tells the story of what it was …
REVIEW: The Grand Escape
Cybils veteran Karen Yingling of Ms. Yingling Reads is our featured blogger for today–besides being a middle school librarian and book reviewer for School Library Journal, she’s also been a category organizer for Cybils and is a Round 2 judge for Junior/Senior High Nonfiction. Recently, she reviewed Senior High Nonfiction finalist The Grand Escape: The Greatest Prison Breakout of the …
REVIEW: Escape from Syria
Our featured review for today was posted at Quill & Quire, a children’s lit website sponsored by Canada Council for the Arts, by our Round 2 Graphic Novels judge Ardo Omer, who is a podcaster at Put a Blurb On It. In the written review of Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novels finalist Escape from Syria, written by Samya Kullab and illustrated …
REVIEW: Julián Is a Mermaid
Today’s featured review comes from Round 1 Board Books/Fiction Picture Books judge Nicole Levesque, a 4th grade teacher in Maine who blogs at Bluestocking Thinking. One of the books she reviewed for an installment of “It’s Monday! What are you reading?” last year was Fiction Picture Books finalist Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love, which Nicole read to her …