REVIEW: 7 Ate 9: The Untold Story

Round 1 Board Books/Fiction Picture Books judge Ami Jones is today’s featured blog reviewer. A familiar face around the Cybils, Ami is a youth services librarian in New Mexico, a mom, and book blogger at A Mom’s Spare Time. Last month she reviewed Fiction Picture Books nominee 7 Ate 9: The Untold Story written by Tara Lazar and illustrated by …

REVIEW: Elizabeth and Zenobia

Our featured reviewer for today, Jenna Grose, is a Round 2 Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction judge and aspiring librarian from Canada. She blogs about a variety of books for children and adults at her blog, Falling Letters. Elizabeth and Zenobia by Jessica Miller is a nominee that follows the spooky Gothic tradition; in her review, Jenna said: A delightful tale …

REVIEW: The Search for Olinguito

Cybils veteran and Round 1 Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction judge Carol Wilcox is the author of today’s featured review. Carol, an educator and mom, has been blogging at Carol’s Corner since 2007. Yesterday, she posted about Middle Grade Nonfiction nominee The Search for Olinguito: Discovering a New Species by Sandra Markle: Markle follows the scientists’ journey with an an engaging story …

REVIEW: Princess Cora and the Crocodile

Today’s featured blog reviewer Valerie Byrd Fort is a Round 1 judge in Easy Readers/Early Chapter Books. She’s a former elementary school librarian who’s currently a stay-at-home mom and professor of children’s literature at the University of South Carolina. On her blog Library Goddess, she reviewed Early Chapter Books nominee Princess Cora and the Crocodile, written by Laura Amy Schlitz …

REVIEW: Landscape with Invisible Hand

The featured blog review for today comes courtesy of my very own co-blogger at Finding Wonderland, Round 1 YA Speculative Fiction judge Tanita Davis. Tanita is a YA author, blogger, and woman of many talents, and a particularly perspicacious reviewer. Earlier this year, she wrote about YA Speculative Fiction nominee Landscape with Invisible Hand by M.T. Anderson: This novella-length satire …

REVIEW: Here Lies Daniel Tate

Calling all suspense fans! Today’s featured review looks at YA Fiction nominee Here Lies Daniel Tate by Cristin Terrill, a page-turning read about a young con artist who takes on more than he bargained for. Round 1 YAF judge Pamela Thompson, a YA librarian and book reviewer, wrote about this one on her blog Young Adult Books – What We’re …

REVIEW: We Come Apart

Our featured blog review for today is from the Poetry category: We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan. Longtime Cybils judge Sandy Brehl, an education outreach presenter who blogs at Unpacking the POWER of Picture Books, reviewed this nominee on her Goodreads page: The distinct and alternating voices of Jess and Nico are each heart wrenching, reflective of …

REVIEW: Amina’s Voice

As someone who has relatives from India and Pakistan, I’ve really been wanting to read Middle Grade Fiction nominee Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan. After reading a review on Round 2 judge Alex Baugh’s blog, Randomly Reading, I’m even more excited to read it. According to Alex: Amina’s Voice is one of the first novels to come out of the …

REVIEW: Shackles from the Deep

Today’s featured review comes from Heidi Grange, an elementary school librarian who blogs about a wide range of kids’ books at Geo Librarian. Heidi is a Round 1 judge for Junior/Senior High Nonfiction, and earlier this year she reviewed Junior High nominee Shackles From the Deep: Tracing the Path of a Sunken Slave Ship, a Bitter Past, and a Rich …

REVIEW: Yvain: The Knight of the Lion

Our featured blog review for today is from returning Cybils Round 1 judge Benedict Hutchinson, who blogs at A Goblin Reviews Graphic Novels. (His mom is our very own EMSF chair Charlotte Taylor!) Earlier this year, Benedict reviewed YA Graphic Novels nominee Yvain: The Knight of the Lion written by M.T. Anderson and illustrated by Andrea Offermann. The art is …