Interview with Middle Grade Nonfiction Winner Kelly Milner Halls

We love the name of your website: Wonders of the Weird. How long have you been interested in the “weird” things in nature? My mother used to call me her “little alien,” because I was so “different.”  I loved being outside and exploring every inch of my natural world. Things weird but wonderful were always on the top of my …

2018 Cybils Winners!

As always, many many thanks to our round 2 judges and our category chairs as they read and discussed and worked to decide this year’s winners. Without further ado, here they are:  Board Books Llamaphones by Janik Coat Harry N Abrams Nominated by: ChristaS This is an ingenious tactile and visual board book, that utilizes bold colors, simple shapes, and …

CYBILS Winners Announced Tomorrow!

Just a reminder that you have ANOTHER reason to be excited about children’s literature: At 9:30 a.m. PST we’ll announce this year’s CYBILS winners!! You’ll want to come back for that; the winners this year are FANTASTIC! While you’re waiting for the winners to be announced, please consider making a donation to support the Cybils mission. Your donation will help …

The 2018 Cybils Finalists!

It’s January 1st, our favorite day of the year: The day in which all round one panelists breathe a huge sigh of relief (and we express our heartfelt thanks!), and which everyone (from the authors and illustrators to the fans to the round two judges) eagerly watches to see what’s made the cut.  First off — because we know you’re …

Now accepting 2018 publisher/author submissions

Dear publishers and authors. The public has weighed in, nominating favorite titles, and we hope that some of yours were among them. If not, never fear, now is your turn! Between now and October 25, publishers and authors may submit your own eligible  titles for consideration, up to 10% of your books published in 2018, rounded. (If you published fewer …

Category Description: Young Adult Speculative Fiction

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 …

Category Description: Young Adult Fiction

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 Speculative 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 …

Category Description: Junior/Senior High Nonfiction

Novels may get all the glory, but we know that truth is stranger than fiction any day of the week. We’re currently in a golden age of nonfiction. Forget the dry stuff they used to read in school to help with homework–today’s authors understand how important a great nonfiction piece of writing is to both students and teachers, both for …

Category Description: Graphic Novels

It seems like everyone is reading comics now, and no wonder: a picture is worth a thousand words. Using serial artwork to tell the tale, graphic novels bring stories and information to all ages and genres. Here at Cybils, we’re interested in the best graphic novels published over the past year. Submit your nominations for elementary/middle grade (approximately ages 5-12) …

Category Description: Poetry

Poetry What is Poetry? verse written for children and young adults The audience can be toddlers, preschoolers, elementary, middle grade, or young adult. What belongs in Poetry? anthologies or collections written by multiple authors anthologies or collections written by a single author Novels in verse or verse novels Some poetry will have illustrations. Some will not. Poetry does accept eBook …