Who isn’t fascinated by the idea of giant squid? It certainly makes a great topic for a picture book–like today’s featured book, a finalist in Elementary/Juvenile Nonfiction. Giant Squid by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann, was reviewed last year by Round 2 Judge Alyson Beecher. Alyson, an educator and writing mentor for elementary students, blogs at Kid Lit Frenzy. …
REVIEW: In the Shadow of Liberty
Happy Cybils Round 2 and Happy 2017, everybody! If you haven’t had a chance to check out our finalists announcement, go have a look. From this point forward, we’ll be featuring reviews of finalist titles (and, to avoid any conflicts, the reviews were all written prior to the announcement of the shortlists). Today’s featured review looks at Young Adult Nonfiction …
REVIEW: The Slowest Book Ever
Today’s featured blog review looks at a nominee from the Elementary/Juvenile Nonfiction category: The Slowest Book Ever by April Pulley Sayre and illustrator Kelly Murphy, a celebration of all things slow, from animals like sloths to natural wonders like the Grand Canyon. A recent review of the nominee was posted by Round 1 Cybils judge Sandy Brehl, an author and …
REVIEW: This Land is Our Land
Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving (Happy Turkey Day, everyone!), it seems like a good time to post a review of a Nonfiction YA nominee that looks at our American history, in appreciation of the multitudes who came before us and have contributed invaluably to where we are now. That nominee is This Land Is Our Land: A History of American Immigration …
REVIEW: Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear
Today’s featured review looks at this year’s Caldecott Medal winner, which is a also nominee in Juvenile and Elementary Nonfiction: Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear, by Lindsay Mattick and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. The review comes from Round 1 panelist Carrie Waterson of the IndyPL Kids’ Blog at the Indianapolis Public Library. She read …
Cybils 2016: Middle Grade/Young Adult Non-Fiction Judges
Round 1 Jennie Rothschild Biblio File @kidsilkhaze  Karen Ball Mrs. B’s Favorites @batgirl_books  Kelly Jensen Stacked @veronikellymars  Jen Naughton Viking Academy @Viking_Academy  Julie Williams Reading By the Pond @JulieWilliams89  Round 2 Rebecca J. Allen The Winged Pen @RebeccaJ_Allen  Wendy Gassaway Falconer’s Library @WendyGassaway  Sussu Leclerc A Novel Without Further Ado @bookriders1  Thomas …
Cybils 2016: Elementary and Juvenile Non-Fiction Judges
Round 1 Sandy Brehl Unpacking the Power of Picture Books @PBWorkshop and @sandybrehl  Carrie Waterson IndyPL Kids’ Blog IndyPL Ready to Read @indylibrary  Reshama Deshmukh Stacking Books @Stackingbks  Sara Ralph Two Nerdy Sisters @sralph31  Ellen Zschunke On the Shelf 4 Kids @ontheshelf4kids  Joanne Roberts Bookish Ambition @BookishAmbition  Elisa Bergslien Leopards and Dragons  @DNAPL …
Interview with Steve Sheinkin
First off, congrats! We loved Most Dangerous. Can you tell us a bit about how you came up with the idea for the book?Thanks so much! The idea came from a photo of a file cabinet. Seriously. A photo in Smithsonian Magazine. What got me was the dent in the top, where someone had obviously tried to break in. Then …
Interview with Bridget Heos
First off, congrats! We adored I, Fly. Can you tell us a bit about how you came up with the idea for the book?Thank you! I’m so honored that CYBILS voters chose I, FLY among all the great nonfiction finalists! I got the idea for the story when I was walking through my kids’ school and saw that one of …
REVIEW: Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall
Our blog review of the day looks at Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction finalist Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall by Anita Silvey. This fascinating look at the life of the naturalist who brought chimpanzees into the limelight makes a fascinating contrast to the graphic novel Primates, says EMNF category chair Jennifer Wharton. She reviewed the book last summer on her …