Since we’re in the throes of winter (although “throes” may be debatable, depending on where you’re located), it seems fitting that today’s featured finalist review is the Fiction Picture Book title Blizzard, written and illustrated by John Rocco. Our blog review for this title was posted to Gathering Books, and was written by the blog’s founder Myra Garces-Bascal, who does …
REVIEW: Castle Hangnail
Our featured blog review for this Monday is Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction finalist Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon, who is well known for her Dragonbreath series of graphic novels. This review from last spring comes from Stephanie Whelan, a New York Public Librarian who blogs at Views from the Tesseract. Stephanie, one of our Round 1 judges this year, has …
REVIEW: Bone Gap
The featured blog review of the day is YA Speculative Fiction nominee Bone Gap by Laura Ruby, reviewed by Round 1 judge Maureen Eichner. Maureen is a library assistant in the Indianapolis area who blogs at By Singing Light, where she focuses on middle grade and YA books, especially sci-fi and fantasy. In her review of Bone Gap earlier this …
REVIEW: Everything, Everything
Our featured blog review of the day looks at YA Fiction nominee Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. Earlier in the year, Round 1 YA Fiction judge Karen Jensen reviewed this book for her blog Teen Librarian Toolbox hosted at School Library Journal. Karen, a veteran Young Adult/Teen Services Librarian, gave this book a rave review: “This is a beautiful and …
REVIEW: Finding the Worm
Today’s review was written by Round 2 Middle Grade Fiction judge Greg Pattridge, a teacher, consultant and writer who blogs at Always in the Middle. Earlier this year, he reviewed MG Fiction nominee Finding the Worm, the sequel to Twerp by Mark Goldblatt. About this coming-of-age story, Greg said: “This sequel, set in 1969-70, has Julian at age 13 returning to …
REVIEW: Sidewalk Flowers
In the middle of winter, we could use a few flowers, couldn’t we? Today’s featured review brings you Sidewalk Flowers, written by JonArno Lawson and illustrated by Sydney Smith. The review was written by Hannah DeCamp, one of our Round 1 judges in the Fiction Picture Books category. Hannah, who is a bookseller and literacy advocate, among other things, has …
REVIEW: Bayou Magic
Our featured review for today was written by Katy Kramp, who is a public librarian and Round 1 judge for Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction this year. She blogs at alibrarymama, and features books that span the age range from board books all the way to adult. A few months ago she reviewed Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes, a magical …
REVIEW: Written and Drawn by Henrietta
Today’s book review features a nominee in the Easy Readers category, Written and Drawn by Henrietta: TOON Level 3 by Liniers. This TOON Books title was nominated by Fiction Picture Books category chair Terry Doherty and reviewed by Easy Readers/Early Chapter Books chair (and Round 1 judge) Katie Fitzgerald–so naturally I was intrigued. Katie, a former children’s librarian near Washington, …
REVIEW: Sanctuary
Our featured blogger today is Kim Baccellia, who is an author, blogger, and longtime Cybil-ite who reviews at YA Books Central as well as her own blog, Si, Se Puede. She loves reading sci-fi, dystopian, and fantasy for young readers, and she’s a Round 1 judge this year for YA Speculative Fiction. A few months ago she reviewed Sanctuary by …
REVIEW: All the Bright Places
Jenn Hubb, who blogs at Lost in a Great Book, is a self-described proud geek, lifelong book lover, and teacher-librarian in Ontario, Canada, as well as a Round 1 judge for YA Fiction this year. Earlier in the year she reviewed YA Fiction nominee All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, which has been ambitiously described as “The Fault in …