I don’t know about you, but this whole fall went super fast for me. So when I looked at the calendar and realized it was almost January 1, I couldn’t believe it. Already?! Yes, already. Tomorrow, bright and early (well, if you live in the Pacific Time Zone), we’ll announce this year’s shortlists. So very exciting!
REVIEW: Allie, First at Last
What if it felt like everyone in your family was a winner except you? Allie Velasco, the protagonist of Allie, First at Last by Angela Cervantes, comes from an exceptional family–and now it’s time for her to prove herself, too. This Middle Grade Fiction nominee was reviewed by Round 1 judge (and Cybils veteran) Sarah Sammis of the blog Puss …
REVIEW: Princess Princess Ever After
Today’s featured nominee is not your typical princess story. In this one, two princesses team up to rescue a prince, and end up finding their own happily ever after. Round 1 Graphic Novels judge Alexandra Cenni (For the Sake of Reading) reviewed Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O’Neill earlier this year on her Goodreads feed, and said: “There’s a lot …
REVIEW: Steam Train, Dream Train Colors
Happy Boxing Day! Today’s featured review is from Fiction Picture Books/Board Books Round 1 judge Sue Morris, who blogs at Kid Lit Reviews. She features a wide range of children’s books, from picture books to middle grade, as well as board books, like Cybils nominee Steam Train, Dream Train Colors by Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. In …
REVIEW: Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! The Cookie Fiasco
Since we’re on the verge of a major cookie-eating holiday, it seems seasonally appropriate to feature a book that’s cookie-themed: Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! The Cookie Fiasco by Dan Santat. The review was written by our Elementary/Juvenile Nonfiction chair Jennifer Wharton, who is not a stranger to the Early Chapter Books category, where this book was nominated. In her …
REVIEW: The Wild Robot
Today’s review is kind of a hybrid–it’s a nominee in the Audiobooks category, but the review is specific to the print version. The reviewer is Adrienne Gillespie, Round 2 Audiobooks judge and blogger at Books & Bassets. The book is The Wild Robot by Peter Brown, a middle grade novel about Roz the robot, who gets stranded on an island …
REVIEW: Highly Illogical Behavior
Happy Monday! Today’s featured review is a nominee from the YA Fiction category: Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley. Earlier this year, Round 1 judge William Polking (a high school teacher and coach) reviewed the book for Guys Lit Wire, a group blog devoted to highlighting great books for guys and the people who love them. According to William: …
REVIEW: The Girl from Everywhere
Our featured blog review for today comes from Cybils regular Katy Manck of the blog BooksYALove. Katy is a librarian-at-large (how cool is that?) and a Round 2 judge this year in Middle Grade/YA Nonfiction. She also reads a wide range of other YA books, such as YA Speculative Fiction nominee The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig. Here’s how …
REVIEW: Booked
Kwame Alexander earned a lot of praise for his novel-in-verse Crossover, and its follow-up, Booked, is a Cybils nominee this year in the Poetry category. For a thoughtful review of today’s featured title, check out the Goodreads review by Round 1 judge Linda Baie, a retired teacher and lit coach who blogs at TeacherDance: “I love the voice of this …
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 …