Meet the 2018 Organizers: Charlotte Taylor, Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction

Charlotte Taylor has been fan of fantasy all her life, and spent her childhood rejecting her sisters’ importunings to come play in favor of peaceful reading. She still spends as much time as possible reading (mostly middle grade speculative fiction, but other genres too, because she wants to read All the Things), but she is hampered her day job as …

Meet the 2018 Organizers: Alex Baugh, Middle Grade Fiction

The very first book Alex remembers really loving was Anne of Green Gables, which was then followed by countless others. She has been a Middle Grade Fiction second round judge for the past five years and always forward to participating in the Cybils. She is also a technology geek and originally began teaching Information Technology in school. Eventually, she found …

Meet the 2018 Organizers: Jennifer Wharton, Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

Jennifer has been involved with Cybils since 2009 and is excited to be chairing the Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction category for another year.When not obsessively reading and blogging at one of her many blogs, including Jean Little Library, she is the head of the youth services department for the Matheson Memorial Library in Elkhorn, WI. She has reorganized much of the …

Meet the 2018 Organizers: Pam Coughlan, Easy Reader/Early Chapter Books

Returning to the Cybils to chair the Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books category, Pam Coughlan writes the blog MotherReader – you know, when she gets the chance. A long-time Cybils contributor as judge and chair, she has previously written for PBS Booklights blog, administered KidLitosphere Central, and organized KidLitCon in Washington, DC. Two daughters and fifteen years in the …

Meet the 2018 Organizers: Deb Nance, Fiction Picture Books/Board Books

Books are Deb Nance’s world. She has worked as a teacher and a librarian near Houston, Texas since 1977. She’s been blogging at Readerbuzz for over ten years. She was an onsite correspondent for BookExpo and she served as a moderator at TweenReads. She won a grant and built five Little Free Libraries in her town. She’s been an author …

Calling All Procrastinators: Don’t Forget to Fill Out the Judging Application!

You know you’ve been meaning to do this. You’ve seen all the posts on Twitter, and Instagram, and Facebook, and you think “I should do that.” But life gets in the way, and you don’t follow that urge and you forget to click and… This is your LAST chance! If you’ve written about YA or Kidlit books on ANY platform …

Meet the 2018 Organizers: Terry Doherty, Literary Evangelist/Social Media Guru

Terry fell in love (again) with children’s books when she started reading with her newborn almost 17 years ago. When she discovered the CYBILS in 2005, she knew she had found her tribe! Terry is excited to actively return to the CYBILS community, having previously served as first-round panelist, judge, and/or chair for the Easy Reader / Short Chapter, Fiction …

Meet the 2018 Organizers: Sarah Stevenson, Co-Blog Editor

Sarah Stevenson has been a part of the Cybils since its inaugural year in 2006, and was blog editor for the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012 Cybils. She’s also helped out behind the scenes with the Cybils logo and flyers, and as a judge in various categories. She is very happy to be back again helping co-Blog Editor Melissa Fox …

Meet the 2018 Organizers: Melissa Fox, Co-Blog Editor

Melissa has made time in her life for lots of “little” things: being the Children’s Outreach Coordinator at an independent bookstore, going back to get her MLIS degree, helping out with the parent organizations (well, the drama department) at the high school, and being a part of the Cybils! (She is also very grateful for Sarah Stevenson’s help as co-Blog …

Meet the 2018 Organizers: Sheila Ruth, Executive Director and Publisher Liaison

Sheila took on a new challenge this year, as she ran for a seat on the Baltimore County Council. She didn’t win her primary, but she did earn 43% of the vote, made a lot of new friends, and learned a lot in the process. A lifetime of reading fantasy prepares one surprisingly well for entering the political arena! Sheila …