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 …
Twice-Told Tales: Retellings & Remixes a #CYBILS2023 Book List
Classics. The stories that are timeless and have been read and re-read for generations. Reading of Romeo and Juliet for ninth grade English doesn’t count, but what about Pride and Prejudice? Or Beowulf? Or children’s stories like the Three Little Pigs and nursery rhymes like Humpty Dumpty? Well, in 2023 those stories – and more – have been refreshed and …
Game On! a #CYBILS2023 Book List
This week, the name of the *game* is book lists. Each day we will have a list, built around a theme. These are books our judges are reading, as they were nominated or submitted for the 2023 CYBILS Awards. From the sweet science to the beautiful game and Olympic sports to chess and robotics, these books will inspire and engage …
Poetry Friday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 11.24.2023
Ready for some poetry? We sure are! In lieu of a Poetry Collection nominee, we’re sharing an interactive book with haiku designed for young listeners. While the haiku may not rhyme, the title does: Peek-a-Boo Haiku. This week’s novel in verse wraps the journey of a young girl coping with a debilitating disease in multiple forms of poetry, giving readers …
Poetry Friday | #CYBILS2023 Book Reviews 11.10.2023
Happy Poetry Friday! Roses are red,violets are blue,these are the first poetry reviews for you. Last year, the CYBILS Awards piloted the idea of judging two “types” of poetry: collections and novels in verse (including nonfiction verse). We’re happy to announce that from here on out, we will be awarding two poetry books for each cycle. So let’s get going …
The Big Book (List) of 20 Questions: #CYBILS2023
What do you do when you have nominated books whose titles are questions? You make a list! This collection of “20 questions” explore some of kids’ favorite things (like weird animals and aliens); answer questions they ask themselves, help them process growing up and emotions, and, yes, a few talk about poo! (eww!) This post contains affiliate links to amazon.com …
#CYBILS2023 Recommendations from Gary Anderson
“Hey, I know Gary! He’s the YA Fiction chair.” Yes, he was. And during the COVID CYBILS, he was co-chair for both YA Fiction and YA Speculative Fiction! Introducing Gary Anderson, CYBILS Board Member Gary served as a judge for a number of CYBILS Awards categories before becoming YA Fiction Chair. His panels are as diverse as his reading: graphic …
EVERYWHERE BLUE by Joanne Rossmassler Fritz #CYBILS 📚🎶
Right after we launched our book playlist feature, Joanne Rossmassler Fritz contacted us to share the Spotify playlist her son created for her book EVERYWHERE BLUE. Riya describes it as “stunning.” EVERYWHERE BLUE By Joanne Rossmassler Fritz Holiday House Winner – Poetry 2021 CYBILS Awards The Book Young Adult Climate Change, Family, Growing Up, Mental Health, Music, Mystery, Realistic Fiction …
#CybilsAwards Backlist Book List Summer: It’s a Wrap
Last week we posted our last Backlist Book List for 2021. We hope you have had as much fun exploring the curated lists as we had in creating them! Nine lists: 6 read-alike lists, 3 themed lists. Ten years of nominations, finalists, and winners. 154 recommended books for readers toddler to teen. What made them particularly fun was discovering books …
#CybilsAwards Backlist Book List: Verse Novels
We’re turning over the Backlist Book List reigns to Gary Anderson, who chairs the Young Adult Fiction category. He has some recommendations for verse novels that, like Cybils 2020 Finalist Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam, deal with tough contemporary societal issues. As Gary explains: This is not poetry for the butterflies and sunflowers set but tough …