REVIEW: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Many of us know and love Cybils veteran Leila Roy from her long-running blog Bookshelves of Doom, or from her reviews as a columnist for Kirkus. This year she’s lending her expertise as a Round 1 judge for YA Fiction, and back in February she reviewed YA Fiction nominee Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda for her Kirkus column. This …

Young Adult Fiction Category Description

The world as it was and is. Not as it could, or would, or should be. Send the dystopias and space operas, the fairies and angels, the blood-suckers, zombies, and alternate realities to Seculative Fiction. In YA Fiction we are looking for realistic fiction, be it contemporary or historical, funny or mysterious, romantic or adventurous. We want the real world …

Young Adult Speculative Fiction Category Description

Speculative Fiction takes us to realms of the imagination: places and times and realities where the rules of life may be different than our own and where the impossible and improbable become real. But good science fiction and fantasy does more than that: it asks, “What if?” It makes us think. It holds up a mirror to our own society …

YA Nonfiction Category Description

Young Adult Nonfiction is experiencing a boon in great books. It is true that there is definitely more interest in great nonfiction, especially if you have a child in school, and that school district uses common core. Not known for being as glamorous as the fiction categories, for this librarian, great nonfiction is as much of a treat as any fiction book on any …

2015 YA Speculative Fiction Judges

Round 1 Sheila Ruth @sheilaruth Wands and Worlds Kim Baccelia @ixtumea Si, Se Puede   Maureen Eichner @elvenjaneite By Singing Light Kimberly Francisco @kimberlymarief Stacked Books Allie Jones @wearedevilcow In Bed With Books Cindy Hannikman Fantasy Book Critic Kaye M. @gildedspine Watercolor Moods   Round 2 Pam Margolis @Pamlovesbooks An Unconventional Librarian   Tanita Davis Finding Wonderland Sarah Stevenson @aquafortis …

2015 YA Fiction Judges

  Round 1 Kirstine Call @kirsticall Kirstine Call Michelle Lockwood @blogslikeagirl Blogs Like a Girl Leila Roy @bkshelvesofdoom Bookshelves of Doom Madeline Rudawski @hey_librarygirl Hey, Library Girl! Karen Jensen @tlt16 Teen Librarian Toolbox Jenn Hubbs @lostingreatbook Lost in a Great Book Round 2 Wendy Gassaway @WendyGassaway Mrs. Gassaway Reads Too Much Sara Grochowski @thehidingspot The Hiding Spot Sarah Gross @thereadingzone …

2015 YA Nonfiction Judges

First Round    Karen Yingling @msyingling Ms. Yingling Reads   Sherry Early @semicolonblog Semicolon   Karen Ball @batgirl_books Mrs. B’s Favorites   Louise Capizzo @Lcapizzo Nonfiction Detectives   Jennifer Rothschild @kidsilkhaze Biblio File     Second Round   Terry Doherty @thereadingtub The Family Bookshelf   Katy Manck @BooksYALove Books YA Love   Adrienne Gillespie @adrienneelva Books and Bassets   Danyelle …

List Fun: Listening to the Cybils

School is almost out – time to make your summer reading lists. Whether you have a preference for audio books or you want to see what all the fuss is about I’ve got you covered! When I was a round one judge for the 2013 Cybils I was thankful that audio books were an acceptable way to “read” the nominees, …

Interview with Matt de la Peña

First off, congrats!! We are all thrilled The Living won! Could you tell us a bit about how you came up with the idea for this book? MdlP: I’m so honored that The Living won! Thank you, thank you, thank you! The book was a bit of an experiment for me. First of all, I was coming off four much quieter novels, …

Interview with Brandy Colbert

First off, congrats! Pointe is a terrific first novel! Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration for it? BC: Thank you so much—I’m honored! Pointe was initially a kidnapping story. I was inspired by the abduction of Steven Stayner in the 1970s, whose experience was later told in a TV movie called I Know My First Name Is Steven. I …