What’s your favorite book? What are your top 5 books for [insert year]? Who is your favorite [genre] author? As a reader, you already know how hard it is to answer these questions. Now, imagine being in a group with six avid readers like yourself, having to lift up 5-7 books from hundreds of titles each of you just finished …
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#CYBILS2024 Finalists for Speculative Fiction
Elementary/Middle-Grade | Young Adult Elementary/Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction Accidental Demons Clare Edge HarperCollins Nominated by: Joy McCullough Bernadette Crowley – Ber for short – has grown up a proud member of a family of blood witches who trace their roots back to Ireland. Ber’s extra strong magic was always an asset until her recent …
Future Tense
With the dawn of a new year upon us, what better time to introduce a collection of books that explore the future. These books are about the future. And some of them are tense (read: big, heavy subjects). True stories and (science) fictional tales. Subjects rooted in the last century, and some in dimensions beyond ours. Good guys and bad …
A Pirate’s Life for Thee | #CYBILS2024 Book List
Did we go a little overboard with this collection of book choices? Yes. Yes we did. But look at these treasures! Landlubbers and seafarers alike are sure to find something in this xx of seaworthy tales from nonfiction board books to mythical serpents of Filipino folklore (YA Speculative). Perfect your pirate voice! Nod off to sleep with narwhals and guillemots, …
A Tapestry of Tales: Folklore from Around the World #CYBILS2024 Book List
What we love about this year’s collection of nominated and submitted folklore is the rich diversity of the cultures represented. [See list below]. Readers are immersed in Legends that are centuries old but freshly told. Tales with magic to capture the imagination. Stories where natural and unexplained worlds collide. through stories told visually in graphic novels and picture books, …
Once Upon a Time: #CYBILS2024 Fairy Tales Book List
Fractured, remixed, and retold. Familiar and new. Contemporary. These books tell lots of different stories – some familiar, some new. Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood. Whether it’s a picture book or a YA fantasy, what they all have in common is that “once upon a time” feel. For more stories that feature family, food, community, and …
Yuck Yuck Yuck: Books with Rot and Humor
… and we mean “yuck” in all it’s glorious forms. Sure, these books have an “oh, gross” factor, but they also have some humorous, LOL moments, too. Nonfiction and STEM? Check. Career ideas? Check. Slime-a-geddon? Yes indeed. [With recipe!] Any body farms? Uh huh. What about zombies? Them, too. Poetry? What?! Yep. Poems, too. Sadly we didn’t find any books …
Thanks, Gratitude, and Kindness
What would Thanksgiving weekend would be without a post-feast turkey sandwich (or two)? It’s tradition. Why not re-feast on the seasonal togetherness vibes, too? Now serving: a platter of #CYBILS2024 books that focus on family, lost and found; connections and relationships; cultural and seasonal traditions; and thankfulness, kindness, and gratitude. For more stories that feature family, food, community, and tradition, …
These Books Breathe Fire: 6 Books for Dragon Fans
This list breathes fire. Ha! Friendly monsters, fearsome beasts, dragon quests, and of course some fire-breathing creatures! Sure, there are fantasy stories, but were you expecting a re-imagining of the evacuation of Dunkirk? planning a visit to the post office of the dragon tamer? Finding dragons hiding in a group home? Dragoncraft by Dorothy A Winsor Young Adult Speculative Fiction …
Comfort Food: The Book List #CYBILS2024
Today we’re whipping up some book deliciousness. Shall we keep going with our metaphors? Okay! Read on to taste stories where characters stir the pots; wanna-be chefs mix it up in cooking competitions; where ingredient “mishaps” create new family recipes; secret ingredients are shared; and food feeds our souls! From passing down family recipes to saving the family business to …