Today’s featured review–from our own Elementary/Juvenile Nonfiction chair, Jennifer Wharton, looks at Early Chapter books finalist Weekends with Max and His Dad by Linda Urban, illustrated by Katie Kath. This past fall, Jennifer reviewed the book on her blog Jean Little Library: “Max is nervous about spending his weekends with Dad, now that his parents are divorced. It seems like …
REVIEW: The Serpent King
Our featured review for today looks at Young Adult Fiction finalist The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner, a debut novel that has already racked up quite a few awards, such as being a William C. Morris Award finalist. YA Fiction judge and Cybils regular Kim Baccellia reviewed it on Young Adult Books Central: “Dill and his fellow outcast friends must …
REVIEW: When the Sea Turned to Silver
Today’s featured review comes from Round 2 Elementary/Middle Grade Spec Fic judge Mark Buxton, a retired teacher in Ohio who blogs at Say What? One of the fun things about his blog reviews is that he posts, in part, in the voices of book characters themselves. He also, of course, adds his own comments. Regarding finalist title When the Sea …
REVIEW: The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary
I have to admit, I was drawn to the title of this book right away–I attended Emerson Elementary (AN Emerson Elementary, anyway!). The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan is today’s featured finalist in the Poetry category. The review was written by blogger Katharine Manning, a Round 2 Poetry judge as well as a mom, reader, and …
REVIEW: Save Me a Seat
Today’s featured finalist review comes from Round 1 Middle Grade Fiction judge Jenna Grose, a writing and ESL tutor in Canada who blogs at Falling Letters. Occasionally she posts a recurring feature called Family Reads, where she and a family member read and discuss a book together. Last month, one of the books Jenna and her sister read was Middle …
REVIEW: They All Saw a Cat
Today’s featured review can be found on Literary Hoots, the blog of Round 2 Fiction Picture Books judge Emily Andrus. Emily is a stay-at-home mom and children’s librarian who posts book reviews, library musings, booklists, literacy info, and more. A few months ago, she reviewed Fiction Picture Books finalist They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel: “This book has been …
REVIEW: A Study in Charlotte
Our featured blog review for this January Monday comes courtesy of Round 2 YA Fiction judge Jessica Holland, who is a freelance fiction editor, writer, curriculum developer, and blogger at Tales Between the Pages. This past year, she reviewed YA Fiction Cybils finalist A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro: “Just when you think she’s a carbon copy of Sherlock, …
REVIEW: The Goblin’s Puzzle
Round 1 Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction judge Sherry Early wrote our featured review for today–she’s a homeschooling mom and longtime Cybils judge (and, one could add, a fixture of the Kidlitosphere) who blogs at Semicolon. In the fall, she reviewed Cybils EMSF finalist The Goblin’s Puzzle: Being the Adventures of a Boy with No Name and Two Girls Called Alice …
REVIEW: Allie, First at Last
What if it felt like everyone in your family was a winner except you? Allie Velasco, the protagonist of Allie, First at Last by Angela Cervantes, comes from an exceptional family–and now it’s time for her to prove herself, too. This Middle Grade Fiction nominee was reviewed by Round 1 judge (and Cybils veteran) Sarah Sammis of the blog Puss …
REVIEW: The Wild Robot
Today’s review is kind of a hybrid–it’s a nominee in the Audiobooks category, but the review is specific to the print version. The reviewer is Adrienne Gillespie, Round 2 Audiobooks judge and blogger at Books & Bassets. The book is The Wild Robot by Peter Brown, a middle grade novel about Roz the robot, who gets stranded on an island …