Happy Feast Week! Today’s featured nonfiction nominees were chosen with family dinner conversation in mind. Fun, interesting tidbits humorously told. These books have lots of factoids that you can drop onto the table when those inevitable long, silent pauses kick in. Oh! And we brought desert: after dinner, you can enjoy some poetry. Summaries via Goodreads. Click the cover to …
SpecFic Saturday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 11.18.2023
What do two of our judges say about today’s selections? That if if weren’t for being CYBILS Awards judges, they would not have discovered books they characterized as “gems” and “one of my favorite books of the year.” The authors and illustrators may be familiar to you – Eoin Colfer, Francis Hardinge, PJ Lynch – but their latest works are …
Nonfiction Tuesday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 11.14.2023
No historical events. No biographies. Today we’ve got some here-and-now, science-y nonfiction selections. Wild Maps for Curious Minds is a great option for readers who don’t feel the need (or want) to start on page 1. Odds are readers will take a similar approach to How It Happened! Sneakers. They’ll look for their favorite brand of shoe first, then settle …
Poetry Friday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 11.10.2023
Happy Poetry Friday! Roses are red,violets are blue,these are the first poetry reviews for you. Last year, the CYBILS Awards piloted the idea of judging two “types” of poetry: collections and novels in verse (including nonfiction verse). We’re happy to announce that from here on out, we will be awarding two poetry books for each cycle. So let’s get going …
See Me Read Thursday | #CYBILS 2023 Book Reviews 11.9.2023
Easy readers and early chapter books are the bridge between listening to stories and taking off on one’s own adventures as an independent reader. The best ones offer new readers the chance to “model” the person who read picture books to them. They also create new opportunities to bond through reading aloud together. We’re kicking off our first See Me …
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 …
2023 CYBILS Judges: Graphic Novel Panels
CHAIR: Kristen HarveyGraphic Novels (aka comics) are not just for reluctant readers. Complex storytelling with a rich combination of illustrations, color choices, and story-telling styles render information in new and interesting ways. They have evolved into a beloved genre of reading format and evolved into a unique form of story-telling. The sub-genres within Graphic Novels has also evolved, and there …
2023 CYBILS Judges: Nonfiction Panels
Children and students of all ages are curious about a variety of subjects. Nonfiction titles can feed their thirst, whether they want to learn about someone’s life, history, math, science, current events, social justice, activism, journalism, and so much more. These books are filled with illustrations, photographs, and accurate back matter to highlight concepts to wow students and adults alike …
#CYBILS2023 Recommendations from Terry Doherty
Can I let you in on a secret? I don’t read many books during the year. BUT. I do read lots of articles and blog posts. About books. Every day. So when CYBILS Awards nomination time rolls around, I have a handy-dandy list of books that fit my one criterion: each title looks like a book I’d have loved as …
#CYBILS2023 Recommendations from Gary Anderson
“Hey, I know Gary! He’s the YA Fiction chair.” Yes, he was. And during the COVID CYBILS, he was co-chair for both YA Fiction and YA Speculative Fiction! Introducing Gary Anderson, CYBILS Board Member Gary served as a judge for a number of CYBILS Awards categories before becoming YA Fiction Chair. His panels are as diverse as his reading: graphic …