Happy Friday! The featured finalist review for today on the Cybils blog is a book from the Middle Grade Fiction category: The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty. Round 2 judge Jaymie Dieterle, a former elementary school librarian who blogs at The Neverending TBR, reviewed this book last year: Crummy things happen at school. People don’t understand Lucy’s compulsions …
REVIEW: The Orphan Band of Springdale
Welcome to today’s featured blog review, courtesy of Round 1 judge Debbie Tanner, a librarian who blogs at The Book Search. Earlier last year, she posted a review of Middle Grade Fiction nominee The Orphan Band of Springdale by Anne Nesbet: It’s set in World War 2 and I really loved that it tells the story of what it was …
REVIEW: Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish
Today’s featured review comes from longtime Cybils returnee Sarah Sammis, a librarian in Northern California who is a Round 1 Middle Grade Fiction judge this year. On her blog Puss Reboots, she reviewed Middle Grade Fiction nominee Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya: Marcus Vega is tall for his age and he’s taken on the role of protector …
REVIEW: Just Like Jackie
Today’s featured review looks at Just Like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard, a nominee in our Middle Grade Fiction category. Earlier this year, Round 1 judge Julie Williams reviewed it on her blog Reading by the Pond. Julie is a teacher librarian from Maine who works at a K-5 school, and she’s a Cybils returnee. About this book, she said: Robinson …
REVIEW: Boy Bites Bug
Our featured blog review for today comes courtesy of middle school librarian Brenda Kahn, a Round 1 judge for Middle Grade Fiction who blogs at Prose and Kahn. Middle Grade Fiction nominee Boy Bites Bug by Rebecca Petruck covers some serious topics like racism and privilege while also telling an entertaining story about friendship, wrestling, and bug-eating: The mixture of …
REVIEW: Armstrong and Charlie
Today’s featured reviewer is Round 1 judge Sarah Sammis, a Cybils veteran who blogs about books for children, teens, and adults at Puss Reboots. A couple of months ago, she reviewed Middle Grade Fiction finalist Armstrong and Charlie by Steven B. Frank, a historical fiction story set in Los Angeles: The plot takes place in two neighborhoods — Laurel Canyon …
REVIEW: The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
Today’s blog review features Middle Grade Fiction finalist The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya. Round 2 judge Greg Pattridge reviewed this one a while back–Greg is a teacher, mentor and writer from Colorado who reviews middle grade books at his blog, Always in the Middle. The story is both heartwarming and funny, but most of all it …
REVIEW: Beyond the Bright Sea
Our featured Cybils review for today comes from Round 2 Middle Grade Fiction judge Tara Smith, a sixth grade teacher in suburban New Jersey who blogs at A Teaching Life. Over the summer, she looked at Middle Grade Fiction nominee Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk: On the surface, Beyond The Bright Sea reads like is a suspenseful mystery, …
REVIEW: Stef Soto, Taco Queen
Happy December! I’m especially excited about today’s featured nominee because the author lives in my area. Reviewed by Cybils veteran and Round 1 judge Sarah Sammis of Puss Reboots, Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres is a nominee this year in Middle Grade Fiction. Sarah reviewed it earlier this year and said: Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres …
REVIEW: Amina’s Voice
As someone who has relatives from India and Pakistan, I’ve really been wanting to read Middle Grade Fiction nominee Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan. After reading a review on Round 2 judge Alex Baugh’s blog, Randomly Reading, I’m even more excited to read it. According to Alex: Amina’s Voice is one of the first novels to come out of the …