Welcome to our very first review of the Cybils 2017 blog season! We’re starting at the top of the category list with a nominee for Easy Readers: King & Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code, written by Dori Hillestad Butler and illustrated by Nancy Meyers. This mystery starring a dog and his girl is part of a series, …
Interview with Tina Kugler
Where did you get the idea for Snail & Worm? My answer has two parts, actually: first I decided I wanted to write a funny easy reader, and then I discovered my characters. At one point in my life, I owned an independent children’s bookshop, and later I worked in the Youth Department of a public library, so children’s books are …
REVIEW: The Infamous Ratsos
One of our Round 1 judges this year in Easy Readers/Early Chapter Books is Kristi Bernard, who is well known around the Kidlitosphere as a longtime proponent of diversity in children’s books on her blog Kristi’s Book Nook. Last month she reviewed Easy Reader finalist The Infamous Ratsos by Kara LaReau, illustrated by Matt Myers. About the book, Kristi said: …
REVIEW: Big Cat (I Like to Read)
I must admit–it was the laugh-out-loud goofy illustration on the cover that drew me in to pick this title for today’s featured review. Easy Readers nominee Big Cat (I Like to Read) by Ethan Long is about two siblings who love playing with their enormous cat–sometimes to the cat’s dismay. The book review comes from Round 1 Easy Readers/Early Chapter …
REVIEW: Duck, Duck, Porcupine!
You’ve met (virtually, anyway) Jennifer Wharton, our category organizer for Elementary and Middle Grade Nonfiction. But have you visited her blog yet? If not, go check out Jean Little Library for a review of Easy Reader nominee Duck, Duck, Porcupine! by Salina Yoon. (You’ll also find tons of other book reviews from picture book to middle grade, and posts about …
Cybils 2016: Easy Reader/Early Chapter Books Judges
Round 1 Maggi RhodeMama Librarian@mama_librarian Niki BarnesDaydream Reader@NikiOhsBarnes Kristi BernardKristi’s Book Nook@kristibernard Heather HibbettsBooks and Giggles@booksandgiggles Claire NolandA Field Trip Life@claire_noland Round 2Beth SchmelzerBest Books by Beth Amanda BoyarshinovThe Educators’ Spin On It@ABoyarshinov Kimberly MoranWritten Reflections@kagmoran Miranda RosbachMy Book Bloom@bookbloom Veronica FranklinGrounded Wanderlust@verilyfranklin
Interview with Grace Lin
First off, congrats! We adored Ling and Ting: Twice as Silly. Can you tell us a bit about how you came up with the idea for the book? Thanks! I was so thrilled that Ling and Ting received a Cybil! Ling and Ting started as a picture book originally titled Ling, Ting and Ming (sorry, Ming, you got axed). In …
List Fun: Favorite Series for Beginning Readers
Some series are so beloved they are recognized by Cybils in some form every single year! Every eligible book published to date in the series listed below has been nominated for Cybils in the Easy Readers/Early Chapter Books category. –Katie Fitzgerald, Story Time SecretsEasy Readers/Early Chapter Books category organizer Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee This series …
The 2015 Cybils WINNERS!
Happy Cybils Day! As always, we want to thank all our judges for their reading, discussing, and ultimately deciding on our fantastic winners. And to our organizers who rose to the challenge of wrangling said judges, making sure everything ran smoothly, on top of everything else that was going on in life. (Life, it does get in the way of …
REVIEW: A Pig, a Fox, and a Box
Our featured blog review for today is Easy Reader finalist A Pig, a Fox, and a Box by Jonathan Fenske, reviewed by Round 2 judge Emily Andrus. Emily, a children’s librarian in Arizona, posts book reviews, booklists, resource ideas, storytime ideas, and much more for parents, teachers and librarians at her blog Literary Hoots. When she reviewed A Pig, a …