Is it too corny to say this week’s SpecFic Saturday selections are out of this world? Probably not if you ask our reviewers! Whether it was Alysa Wishingrad’s Between Monsters and Marvels or Sacha Lamb’s When Angels Left the Old Country, the words “wonderful,” “delightful,” and “rich” repeated shemselves within reviews and across them. Read on. See for yourself. Summary …
Nonfiction Tuesday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 12.12.2023
Happy National Gingerbread House Day and Gingerbread Decorating Day! Before you head over to the icing table, we hope you’ll check out this week’s featured nonfiction selections. Meet Mahani, an acclaimed concert pianist who learned to play on Rapa Nui (Easter Island’s) only piano. Then head to the Pacific Northwest to learn about the endangered Southern Resident orcas. And last, …
Middle-Grade Monday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 12.11.2023
Happy Monday readers!! This week’s middle-grade selections offer readers a front row seat to history and will engage them in ways likely to surprise them! In Maybe an Artist, Liz Montague presents her journey to becoming a cartoonist in the New Yorker. She shares the question she asked herself as a young girl. Not surprisingly (to adults) they are many …
SpecFic Saturday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 12.9.2023
Family magic. Family secrets.Curses. Ghosts.Mystery. History. Racism. Social Justice. Although these are not time-travel novels, Speculation and Blood Debts take readers through time and bring them face-to-face with historical and present-day racism, as well as cultural appropriation. As you’ll see in their reviews, our judges found the audiobook versions of the books a wonderful way to read these books. Summaries and book covers …
Nonfiction Tuesday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 12.5.2023
Are we late for celebrating Native American heritage? We don’t think so. Here at the CYBILS Awards, we think every day is an opportunity to honor and recognize the life experiences of others and, by extension, learn from those stories. Today’s selections in corporate history, innovation, athletes, activists, and indigenous culture through biography and hands-on learning. Does it feel like …
Middle-Grade Monday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 12.4.2023
Even if you haven’t yet seen this week’s books, you probably recognize the authors: Ben Hatke and Kelly Yang. Both are well-known and much-loved among the tween set for their stories of family, friendship, and resilience. FINALLY SEEN and THINGS IN THE BASEMENT are very different books. Yet, as our reviewers point out, young readers can see themselves and gain …
Dinos. And dragons. And monsters. OH MY!
Don’t be scared! This gathering of dinosaurs, dragons, and monsters are (for the most part) pretty harmless. In fact, they’re playful and funny and cute, too. From well-known fantasy writers to debut authors, there are lots of wonderful stories to share … and might we suggest reading aloud? Yes, we might. Summaries are from Goodreads. Click the book cover link …
Full STEAM Ahead: a #CYBILS2023 Book List
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 …