It’s Middle-Grade Monday, y’all! 2023 WINNER Simon Sort of Says Bow, Erin Disney Hyperion–Rick Riordan presents Nominated by: Susan (Bloggin’ ’bout Books) Sondy @ Sonderbooks – [This has] got so many wonderful ingredients: Quirky characters who seem more realistic because of those quirks, a new kid in school at a very distinctive place, loving parents but kid-centric adventures, a main …
Book Reviews: #CYBILS2023 EMG Speculative Fiction Finalists
A quick recap for those who are just now discovering our review series … excerpts of judges reviews. Their own opinions (not their panels). Did not necessarily judge this category. 2023 WINNER The Grace of Wild Things Heather Fawcett Balzer + Bray Nominated by: marsenault13 Deb @ The Book Search – This one’s a charmer. The whole story is just …
Book Reviews: #CYBILS2023 Middle-Grade Nonfiction Finalists
start here 2023 WINNER The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity Nicholas Day, illustrated by Brett Helquist Random House Studio Nominated by: KtStar Hilary @ Goodreads – Loved this. Day writes in a style that is irrestistable to the middle grade reader and never ceases to fascinate. The saying that reality …
Book Reviews: #CYBILS2023 Poetry Novel In Verse Finalists
Can a middle-grade verse novel about table tennis bring adults to tears? Yes. [Did you notice we said “adults” – plural.] If you are looking for fresh, captivating, thought-provoking, laugh-out-loud books, look no further than this year’s list of Poetry Novel in Verse finalists. While the books themselves are labeled for “middle grade” and “young adult” audiences, it is pretty …
The IN be-TWEEN | #CYBILS2023 Reviews 02.07.2024
One week, friends! Just one more week until the 2023 CYBILS Awards winners are announced. You probably already added the finalists and winners to your TBR, and that’s cool, but our judges read A LOT of great books that, while not award winners, will definitely be winners with young readers. Yes, even picky tween readers. x See for yourself. Book …
The IN be-TWEEN | #CYBILS2023 Reviews 01.30.2024
ttttt Summaries excerpted from Goodreads. Click the cover to read the full summary, other reviews, and add these books to your TBR. FICTION Jessica @ Cracking the Cover – You might know Chad Morris and Shelly Brown from their previous collaborations. All are strong middle grade novels. I enjoyed them all. But The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry is my favorite. …
The IN be-TWEEN | #CYBILS2023 Reviews 01.24.2024
I’m not even sure where to begin … Readers will move through time and space, both literal and figurative. They’ll meet characters with whom they will feel a kinship – and others who will draw out other emotions they may not know how to unpack. Big themes, big emotions, and still lots of joy, laughter, adventure, and brave new worlds. …
The IN be-TWEEN | #CYBILS2023 Reviews 01.17.24
We won’t keep you … there are a lot of fascinating, I-want-to-read-that books on the list. Including a novel in verse!! One thing we will also want to point out is that several reviewers recommended listening to the audio editions … and not just fiction! Summaries excerpted from Goodreads. Click the book cover to go to see more details. Middle-Grade …
#CYBILS2023 The Ones That Got Away: Middle-Grade Edition
Remember when we said our judges read more than 1,240 books for the 2023 CYBILS Awards? Well, more than 350 of those books were written for the middle-grade audience. As you might expect, there were some books that judges crossed their fingers and toes for in hopes *that book* making the finalist list – that weren’t on those lists. HOWEVER. …
The IN be-TWEEN | #CYBILS2023 Reviews 01.10.24
Wednesday. That day in the middle between weekends!! See where we’re going here? The perfect day to share books for tweens, aka the middle-grade audience. The weekly collection will include selections from the Middle-Grade Fiction, Middle-Grade Nonfiction, Elementary/Middle-Grade Graphic Novel, and Elementary/Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction, and Poetry categories. Book summaries from Goodreads. Click the book cover to view the full summary …