Round 1 Michael Gettel-Gilmartin @MGMafioso Middle Grade Mafioso Pamela Groseclose Tween You & Me Brandy Painter @brandymuses Random Musings of a Bibliophile Sarah Sammis @pussreboots Puss Reboots Debbie Tanner @imtanner2 The Booksearch Libertad Thomas @afrocubansista Twinja Book Reviews Julie Williams @juliewilliams89 Reading by the Pond Round 2 Alex Baugh @randomlyreading Randomly Reading …
2015 Elementary/Middle Grade Non-Fiction Judges
Round 1 Ellen Zschunke @ontheshelf4kids On the Shelf 4 Kids Bridget R. Wilson @bridgetrwilson What is Bridget Reading? Amy Broadmoore @delightchildbks Delightful Children’s Books Elisa Bergslien @DNAPL Leopards and Dragons Roberta Gibson @RobertaGibson Wrapped in Foil Reshama Deshmukh @stackingbks Stacking Books Laura Arnhold @literacious Literacious Round 2 Alyson Beecher @alybee930 Kid Lit Frenzy Julie …
List Fun: Middle Grade American Historical Fiction
Reading historical fiction as a kid is one of the reasons for my long love of history. Through historical fiction, I could connect with interesting people of the past who struggled against and overcame huge challenges. In the Cybils Elementary and Middle Grade Fiction Category, there are about 100 historical fiction nominees, finalists, and winners that bring a variety of time …
List Fun: Cybils Authors We Can’t Stop Reading
I’ve had the pleasure of serving on the Cybils periodically from 2006 through 2014. Whether I’ve been on round 1 or 2, I’ve always discovered a wonderful new book or author that I continue to share with my family, friends, and those kids who I help when I volunteer in the elementary school library. Every book can’t be a winner, …
List Fun: Middle Grade Speculative Fiction Deserves it’s Own Book Club
There’s nothing I love better than getting lost in a new world. Bonus points if there’s a pirate or a map or a glossary or a new language! For those moments that I’m reading speculative fiction, I’m no longer trapped in my body: I’m on adventures, I make new friends, and sometimes I conquer fears. For a long time middle …
Interview with Paul Durham
First off, congrats!! We all really enjoyed The Luck Uglies. Could you tell us a bit about how you came up with the idea for it? PD: Thank you so much for your kind words. It was a complete surprise and a total delight to learn that I had received the Cybils Award for MG Speculative Fiction. The Luck Uglies …
List Fun: Fun and Funny Fantasy Read Alouds for the Whole Family
Family story time is a special time and if, like me, you have a wide span of years between your kids, finding a book that will satisfy all those young minds and hearts can be a challenge. Here are some books that combine fun adventure and humor sure to appeal and entertain everyone from the youngest kids able to listen …
Review: Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood
Today’s review comes again from one of our prolific Middle Grade Fiction panelists and bloggers, Brenda, who blogs at Log Cabin Library. Of Middle Grade Fiction finalist Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood, by Varsha Bajaj. She writes: Through Abby the reader is able to experience traveling to a new country and a new culture. I had the pleasure of living in …
Review: Jupiter Pirates: Hunt for the Hydra
Today’s featured review of Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction finalist Jupiter Pirates: Hunt for the Hydra, by Jason Fry comes from the category chair, Charlotte. She blogs at Charlotte’s Library where she is an incredible resource for elementary/middle grade speculative fiction books. Of the finalist, she writes: Jupiter Pirates: Hunt For the Hydra, by Jason Fry (HarperCollins, Dec. 2013), is the best “kid …
Review: Handle With Care
Today’s review is from Carrie, who blogs at the Indianapolis Public Library Kids’ Blog, which is a blog highlighting books that they think kids will like. The reviews are directed at the kids who will be reading the books, so they are short and to the point. Carrie recently reviewed the Elementary/Middle Grade Non-Fiction finalist Handle With Care: An Unusual …