Building a fantastical world from cardboard? Sign me up! Today’s featured blog review looks at Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novels nominee The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell. The reviewer is Round 1 Middle Grade Fiction judge Beth Mitchell, a reader, writer, mom and former lawyer who blogs at Imaginary Friends. She says even though she doesn’t tend to go for graphic …
REVIEW: A Fall Ball for All
Friday’s review looked at a seasonal winter title, but fall isn’t over yet! Today’s featured blog review looks at Fiction Picture Books nominee A Fall Ball for All, written by Jamie Swenson and illustrated by Chiara Fedele. Round 1 judge Sandy Brehl reviewed it earlier this fall–she’s an education outreach presenter who works specifically with picture books, and she blogs …
REVIEW: Winterhouse
As the seasons change and start moving toward winter, it seems appropriate to feature a somewhat seasonal book for today’s featured review: Winterhouse, written by Ben Guterson and illustrated by Chloe Bristol, a nominee in our Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction category. It was reviewed this past week by Round 1 judge Katy Kramp, a public librarian, reader, and mom who …
REVIEW: Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different
Our fantastic Cybils publicity guru and Round 2 judge Terry Doherty wrote today’s featured blog review. Terry is the Executive Director (and, of course, a blogger) at The Reading Tub, an outstanding resource for children’s literacy, with tons of literacy info as well as reviews of books for kids of all ages. She reviewed Middle Grade Nonfiction nominee Stories for …
REVIEW: The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare
Our featured blog review for today looks at Early Chapter Books nominee The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale and illustrated by the incomparable LeUyen Pham. The review was written just last week by Jennifer Miller, a Round 1 Cybils judge, scholar, and writer who blogs at Raise Them Righteous. About the …
REVIEW: Beneath the Citadel
Today’s featured review is a nominee in the Young Adult Speculative Fiction category: Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria, author of Iron CastGreat Imaginations. Round 1 YA Speculative Fiction judge Kara Malinczak reviewed this title for the blog , where she reviews books from a wide range of genres. About this one, she said: I really liked the idea of …
REVIEW: Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All
Round 2 judge Adrienne Gillespie is a Cybils returnee, 6th grade teacher, and former school librarian who blogs at Books and Bassets. Over the summer, she reviewed Young Adult Fiction nominee Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All, a series of stories written from the viewpoint of Henry and his various wives by seven excellent YA authors: M. …
REVIEW: With My Hands: Poems About Making Things
Ready for some verse? Our featured blog review for today was written by Round 1 Poetry judge Carol Wilcox, a Cybils regular, educator and mom who blogs at Carol’s Corner. This past month, Carol posted a review of Poetry nominee With My Hands: Poems About Making Things written by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater and illustrated by Lou Fancher and Steve Johnson: …
REVIEW: Boy Bites Bug
Our featured blog review for today comes courtesy of middle school librarian Brenda Kahn, a Round 1 judge for Middle Grade Fiction who blogs at Prose and Kahn. Middle Grade Fiction nominee Boy Bites Bug by Rebecca Petruck covers some serious topics like racism and privilege while also telling an entertaining story about friendship, wrestling, and bug-eating: The mixture of …
REVIEW: Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! BoooOOOOooooooOOOOOOoooo! Scared yet? No? Well, today’s featured review looks at an event that caused a lot of panic back in October of 1938–the radio broadcast of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds. The book is called Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America, by Gail Jarrow, and …