First things first: there is no such thing as “boy books” or “girl books.” Books are books. Kids are kids. And for young readers curiosity, fascinating stuff, and (possibly) great illustrations drive interest more than the identity of the main character. Space exploration, mythology, robotics, virtual reality … all equal-interest subjects. Now that we have that out of the way …
#CYBILS2023 Books by Previous Winners
Turning 18 has made us a bit nostalgic … and yet looking forward, too. That got us thinking … wouldn’t it be fun to see how many 2023 CYBILS Awards nominees are written by previous winners? So we dug into the archives to find which CYBILS Awards winners of yore who have new books being considered this year. Quite a …
Baked-In Book Deliciousness: A Foodie Book List
Want to know the yummiest thing about this book list? Aside from the celebration of all things food? That no matter the cuisine, food brings us together. From memories of a special dish to multi-generational stories, there is something for everyone’s taste here. All made delicious with a pinch of sweetness, a dash of humor, and a cup full of …
Twice-Told Tales: Retellings & Remixes a #CYBILS2023 Book List
Classics. The stories that are timeless and have been read and re-read for generations. Reading of Romeo and Juliet for ninth grade English doesn’t count, but what about Pride and Prejudice? Or Beowulf? Or children’s stories like the Three Little Pigs and nursery rhymes like Humpty Dumpty? Well, in 2023 those stories – and more – have been refreshed and …
Game On! a #CYBILS2023 Book List
This week, the name of the *game* is book lists. Each day we will have a list, built around a theme. These are books our judges are reading, as they were nominated or submitted for the 2023 CYBILS Awards. From the sweet science to the beautiful game and Olympic sports to chess and robotics, these books will inspire and engage …
Middle-Grade Monday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 11.20.2023
Consider yourself warned: we are going back to ancient times with this week’s featured books. Well, at least to life in the world before the Internet. Mexikid is a graphic novel memoir that is a nostalgic road trip through the 1970s. Simon Sort of Says is set in a time where the internet exists, but Simon and his family move …
Fri-YA | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 11.17.23
Fiction with all the feels? It must be Fri-YA! Let’s go! Book summaries come from Goodreads. Click the book cover image to add it to your own TBR. YOUNG ADULT FICTION Gina @ G’s Reading Spree – You think the book can’t make you cry until you get to the author’s note 😭The things Heera sees and experiences are things …
Middle-Grade Monday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 11.13.2023
Book summaries come from Goodreads. Clicking the book cover will take you there, should you want to add the book to your TBR. Now that we have “all the books,” these lists will include nominees and submissions. If you’re looking for Elementary/Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction, check out last Saturday’s post. ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE-GRADE GRAPHIC NOVEL Rachael @ Goodreads – Dan Santat is a …
Middle-Grade Monday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 11.6.23
Welcome to our first Middle-Grade Monday! Each Monday we plan to feature reviews from two books for tweens that our judges are reading. This week, we have nominees in the Elementary/Middle-Grade Graphic Novels and Middle-Grade Fiction categories. Book summaries come from Goodreads. Clicking the book cover will take you there, should you want to add the book to your TBR. …
Fiction Friday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 11.3.23
Welcome to the first Friday in November and our very first Fri-YA. Sorry, we couldn’t resist. Two things to know about our Friday review posts. First, Fiction Fridays will be sharing space with Poetry Friday. Each edition of Fri-YA will include a young adult fiction title and a YA graphic novel. Second, we’ll showcase a YA Speculative Fiction book every …