“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 …
#CYBILS2023 Picture Book Recommendations from Sam Richardson
Is there any better way to introduce the new Board Book/Fiction Picture Book Chair than with a list of her favorite books? We think not. Meet Sam Richardson, Board Book / Fiction Picture Book Chair Sam may be a new category chair, but she has been emersed in this category for several years. She brings with her the diverse experiences …
WATERCRESS by Andrea Wang #CYBILS 📚🎶
WATERCRESS by Andrea Wang illustrated by Jason Chin Neal Porter Books Winner – Fiction Picture Book 2021 CYBILS Awards The Book Fiction Picture Book Culture & Tradition, Family, Realistic Fiction, Social Issues Watercress is a beautiful lyrical story that transports your mind and heart through words and images. It incorporates a universal childhood desire to fit in while at the …
#CybilsAwards Backlist Book List: Dino-might
Does anyone else remember that one-word exclamation from a 1970s show called Good Times? Here’s a little trivia for you: Jimmie Walker, the character who used that phrase, also used it in a series of Panasonic commercials for, wait for it … cassettes and 8-track tapes. [Source: Wikipedia] So, as you’ve probably already guessed, our “din-o-might” is a bit different …
#CybilsAwards Backlist Book List: #BatterUp
In a little less than a week, baseball fans will be celebrating the 91st Midsummer Classic, also known as Major League Baseball’s 2021 All-Star Game. Last year, because of the pandemic, this annual event didn’t happen. But this year, well … we’re ready! To help get ready for the big game, let’s have some fun with a little trivia. ⚾ …
#Cybils Awards Backlist Book List: Voices for Social Change
Civil Rights. Voting Rights. Individual Rights. Human Rights. These are some of the many issues in our society where people are moved beyond voicing opinions to “doing something” to influence change. Sadly, while they may seem “new” to our children’s consciousness, these ills are not new to us. For better or worse, since 2016, nearly 100 Cybils-nominated books have centered …
REVIEW: In a Jar
Today’s featured review looks at Fiction Picture Books finalist In a Jar by Deborah Marcero: Llewellen collects things. In jars. Lots of things. Feathers. Stones. He meets Evelyn, and they collect things together. Things that are hard to hold. Things that they thought might not fit in a jar. But they did… Read the full review on Goodreads by Fiction …
REVIEW: We Are Water Protectors
Today on the Cybils blog, we are happy to feature a blogger review of Fiction Picture Books finalist We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade: I am rarely speechless, but this book nearly achieves that for me. The incredibly symbolic and fluid and moving illustrations are masterpieces, page by page. Click here to read the rest of …
REVIEW: I Am Every Good Thing
In our featured blog review for today, read more about Fiction Picture Books finalist I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James: A love letter to African American boys about everything good they are and all of the great things they will become. It did not specifically name a race, but all of the gorgeous …
REVIEW: Bo the Brave
The featured review for today looks at Fiction Picture Books nominee Bo the Brave by Bethan Woolvin: Kids are enamored of Woollvin’s subversive reinterpretations of classic fairy tales, and her art’s distinctive color schemes and shapes. Their parents and grandparents are (usually) amused too. Click here to read the full review from Round 1 judge Cecelia Larsen on The Adventures …