We’re rapidly approaching Halloween, so here’s a nominee in the Elementary Nonfiction category that is relatively on topic: The Secret Life of the Little Brown Bat written by Laurence Pringle and illustrated by Kate Garchinsky. Featured by Round 1 Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction judge Roberta Gibson on her Growing With Science blog, this should be an appealing title for readers aged …
Interview with Martin Sandler
Editor’s note: This interview was conducted via phone by our Junior High/Senior High Non-Fiction Chair, Jennie Rothschild. We’d like to thank her for her time in putting this together! I was lucky enough to talk to Martin Sandler on the phone about his winning book, The Whydah. Below is a transcript of our conversation, edited for length and clarity. In …
Interview with Deborah Heiligman
What drew you to the story of Vincent Van Gogh and his brother, Theo? I was on a trip to Amsterdam and visited the Van Gogh Museum because I’ve always loved his art. While there, I read a small note about Theo supporting Vincent, and I knew that someday I would write about these brothers. When I presented the idea …
Interview with Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Thompson
This book is all about solid researching techniques. Where did you start digging once you had the idea for the book? Or did plans for a series come partway through the research phase? Joan: The idea for this book first sprang out of the abundance of exciting and unbelievable true stories that we saw around us in the news and …
Interview with Caroline Arnold
Do you have plans to keep chickens after learning about their care along with Room 6? A number of years ago, before I moved to Los Angeles, I lived in the country with my family and we kept a flock of chickens. Watching the children in Room 6 care for their chickens reminded me of this experience. Now that I …
REVIEW: Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team
Elementary school librarian, School Library Journal reviewer, and Round 1 judge Heidi Grange wrote today’s featured blog review. She blogs at Geo Librarian, and a few months ago she reviewed Junior High Nonfiction finalist Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin: While the book focuses on football and the impact that the Carlisle Indian …
REVIEW: Beauty and the Beak
Round 1 judge Gary Anderson, who blogs at What’s Not Wrong?, was a Round 1 judge in this year’s contest and wrote up reviews of a wide range of nominees in the Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction category. One of his review posts looked at the finalist title Beauty and the Beak: How Science, Technology, and a 3D-Printed Beak Rescued a Bald …
REVIEW: Alice Paul and the Fight for Women’s Rights
Cybils veteran and Round 1 judge Louise Capizzo of The Nonfiction Detectives brings us our featured blog review of the day–she’s Youth Services Manager at a library in Maine and has served on a number of awards committees, including ours! One of her reviews looked at Senior High Nonfiction finalist Alice Paul and the Fight for Women’s Rights: From the …
REVIEW: Shark Lady
The category of the day today is Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction, and the featured blogger is Jen Naughton, a writer and homeschool educator who blogs at Geek Reads Kids. Recently, she reviewed Elementary Nonfiction finalist Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist, written by Jess Keating and illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens: I’d …
REVIEW: Beastly Brains
If you’re looking for a last-minute gift idea for nonfiction-loving kids in your life, an animal book is almost always a hit–today’s review looks at Junior High Nonfiction nominee Beastly Brains: Exploring How Animals Think, Talk, and Feel by Nancy Castaldo. Round 1 judge Rebecca G. Aguilar, a writer and avid reader who blogs at Mostly About Nonfiction, reviewed this …