Tuesday seems like a great day to enjoy Graphic Novels, yes? Yeah, you’re right. ANY DAY is an awesome day to dive into graphics. So let’s do it! 2023 WINNER In Limbo Deb JJ Lee First Second Books Nominated by: Kristen Tamara @ Bookish Things -The art in this is so gorgeous. It’s pretty much all in blue and gray …
Book Reviews: #CYBILS2023 Poetry Novel In Verse Finalists
Can a middle-grade verse novel about table tennis bring adults to tears? Yes. [Did you notice we said “adults” – plural.] If you are looking for fresh, captivating, thought-provoking, laugh-out-loud books, look no further than this year’s list of Poetry Novel in Verse finalists. While the books themselves are labeled for “middle grade” and “young adult” audiences, it is pretty …
Book Reviews: #CYBILS2023 Easy Reader Finalists
Today for your reading enjoyment we’ve got … 2023 WINNER Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends: Ready-to-Read Graphics Level 1 Kaz Windness, illustrated by Kaz Windness Simon Spotlight Nominated by: Kate Talbot Kirsten @ Goodreads – This is a wonderful story with colorful illustrations and panels that are sometimes put in the middle of another large panel, straying from the classic …
Book Reviews: #CYBILS2023 Elementary Nonfiction Finalists
As is our tradition, we held off sharing judges’ reviews of the #CYBILS2023 finalists until the winners were announced on February 14. With that behind us, we decided to start a new tradition: giving you, our readers, a chance to see all the amazingness in one blog post. Read on to learn about the books themselves, as well as what …
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 …
CYBILS 2023 Middle-Grade Fiction Finalists
Farther Than the MoonLindsay LackeyRoaring Brook PressNominated by: Anne-Marie Strohman Lindsay Lackey’s Farther Than the Moon is the story of Houston and Robbie, brothers who dream of going to space. When Houston is accepted to a month-long astronaut camp, he’s over the moon. But Robbie’s cerebral palsy and epilepsy mean he must stay home. As Houston struggles with the program’s …
Announcing the 2023 CYBILS Awards Finalists
We may not be the first to wish you a Happy New Year, but we are very excited to be the first to tell you about the 2023 CYBILS Awards finalists! Our judges read more than 1,240 books across nine categories and three audiences. In some categories – like Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, and Poetry – judges were reading all the …
CYBILS 2023 Young Adult Fiction Finalists
Ander & Santi Were Here: A NovelJonny Garza VillaWednesday BooksNominated by: Linh Ander Martínez’s life is in a time of transition. They grew up embracing the seamless mixture of language, food, and people in their San Antonio neighborhood. Their family has a successful taqueria which gave Ander both their foundation and their inspiration as a muralist. Ander & Santi Were …
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 …