The CYBILS Awards is committed to transparency in its operations and decision-making. To that end, we want to share some of the conversations taking place regarding the desire for continuous improvement of our program. The Board of Directors  established its Spring Meeting as an opportunity for us to reflect on where we are and identify where we want to go …

Spring Forward with these #CYBILS2024 Nomination-eligible Books

Over the last five months we posted review exerpts for more than 450 books nominated or submitted for the 2023 CYBILS Awards. All told, we shared reviews from our judges for more than one-third of the books considered for our 2023 awards. Not an all-time high, but pretty durned good. Look for more #CYBILS2023 titles in future booklists. In the …

Announcing the 2023 CYBILS Awards Winners

Before we say “congratulations,” we want to shout out a big thanks to everyone who helped make the 2023 CYBILS Awards another great year! 💞 THANK YOU 💞  We can’t say enough about our judges … who can’t say enough about the great books you sent us for consideration. We were thrilled to have many books with positive representation that …

Coming Soon: #CYBILS2023 Winners

No book reviews this week. We’re getting ready for Big Announcement Day! 2023 CYBILS Awards Winners Wednesday, 14 February 2024 9:00 AM PT | 10:00 AM MT | 11:00 AM CT | 12:00 PM ET

CYBILS 2023 Board Books & Fiction Picture Book Finalists

BOARD BOOK FINALISTS Copy That, Copy Cat!: Inventions Inspired by Animals Katrina Tangen, illustrated by Giulia Orecchia Barefoot Books Nominated by: Abi Full of rhyming riddles, die-cut cues, and lift-the-flap reveals, this board book introduces kids to biomimicry. They will love guessing which animals inspired inventions we use today like snowshoes or sonar! Aimee Smith, Keep a Book Out Mister …

CYBILS 2023 Easy Reader & Early Chapter Book Finalists

Easy Readers Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other StoriesJarvisCandlewick PressNominated by: Linda Baie Bear and Bird are the best of friends. So best of friends, in fact, that they would rather make the other happy than always tell the truth. Is it wrong to lie to your friends? What if your lie is to protect their feelings? Bear and …

CYBILS 2023 Nonfiction Finalists

ELEMENTARY Glitter Everywhere!: Where it Came From, Where It’s Found & Where It’s GoingChris Barton, Chris, illustrated by Chaaya PrabhatCharlesbridgeNominated by: Gary Anderson Strong opinions about glitter are common, but whether you love it or hate it, this book is a fascinating look at the history and science of all things sparkly! Readers will learn what iridescence is, how it …

CYBILS 2023 Graphic Novel Finalists

ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE-GRADE A First Time for EverythingDan SantatFirst Second BooksNominated by: Maria Marshall In this humorous and heart-warming middle-grade graphic memoir, Dan Santat recounts the life-changing “firsts” of his middle school life: first time being ridiculed, first party, first school trip to Europe, first Fanta, and of course, first love. It is impossible not to get swept into Dan’s story, and …

CYBILS 2023 Speculative Fiction Finalists

ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE GRADE FINALISTS Conjure IslandEden RoyceWalden Pond PressNominated by: Amber Delphinia Baker is happy with her life, living with her grandmother and her dad who is deployed, moving often from military base to military base, but when her grandmother falls ill, Del finds herself in a place she never thought she’d be – at a magic school run by her …

CYBILS 2023 Poetry Finalists

Animals in PantsSuzy Levinson, illustrated by Kevin Howdeshell and Kristen HowdeshellHarry N AbramsNominated by: Becky L. Animals in Pants by Suzy Levinson is a fun and playful collection full of poems about, well, animals in pants. It’s this premise—coupled with colorful, saucy illustrations—that will capture the attention of toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary kids, but they’ll stay for the amusing …