It’s almost Halloween! In the spirit (see what I did there?) of the spooky season, today’s featured blog review looks at YA Graphic Novels nominee Fake Blood by Whitney Gardner. Round 1 judge John Mutford reviewed this one earlier in the month on his blog The Book Mine Set: AJ is newly starting grade six. Internally, he compares himself unfavourably …
REVIEW: The Bear in My Bed
Our featured blog review for today comes from Round 1 Fiction Picture Books/Board Books judge Deb Nance, a librarian and avid reader from Texas who blogs at Readerbuzz. Earlier this month, she reviewed Board Books nominee The Bear in My Bed by Joyce Wan. In her review on Goodreads, she said, A little boy discovers that a bear has moved …
REVIEW: Dactyl Hill Squad
Today’s featured nominee is from the Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction category: Dactyl Hill Squad by Daniel Jose Older. Greg Pattridge, a Cybils veteran and Round 2 judge in Middle Grade Fiction, reviewed this book a couple of days ago on his blog, Always in the Middle: [T]his interesting new series combines fantasy and real life events for readers. It’s a …
REVIEW: The Secret Life of the Little Brown Bat
We’re rapidly approaching Halloween, so here’s a nominee in the Elementary Nonfiction category that is relatively on topic: The Secret Life of the Little Brown Bat written by Laurence Pringle and illustrated by Kate Garchinsky. Featured by Round 1 Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction judge Roberta Gibson on her Growing With Science blog, this should be an appealing title for readers aged …
REVIEW: Fish Are Not Afraid of Doctors (Maud the Koala)
Welcome to our first featured blogger book review of the 2018 Cybils season! Yay! If you’re new to Cybils, all you have to do to get our book review posts in your inbox is sign up for our Books newsletter (scroll down to the bottom of the blog and the signup window will pop up)–it’s that easy. Three times a …
REVIEW: After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)
Welcome to our last finalist review of the Cybils season before we announce the winning titles on Wednesday! (Be sure to visit the Cybils blog on Feb. 14th for the full list of 2017’s winners in each category.) Today’s featured finalist is from the Fiction Picture Books category: After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan …
REVIEW: Armstrong and Charlie
Today’s featured reviewer is Round 1 judge Sarah Sammis, a Cybils veteran who blogs about books for children, teens, and adults at Puss Reboots. A couple of months ago, she reviewed Middle Grade Fiction finalist Armstrong and Charlie by Steven B. Frank, a historical fiction story set in Los Angeles: The plot takes place in two neighborhoods — Laurel Canyon …
REVIEW: Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team
Elementary school librarian, School Library Journal reviewer, and Round 1 judge Heidi Grange wrote today’s featured blog review. She blogs at Geo Librarian, and a few months ago she reviewed Junior High Nonfiction finalist Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin: While the book focuses on football and the impact that the Carlisle Indian …
REVIEW: A Face Like Glass
Our Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction category chair Charlotte Taylor wrote today’s featured review–she blogs at the long-running Charlotte’s Library, with a particular focus on sci-fi and fantasy books for children and teens. Some time ago, she reviewed finalist title A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge: It is both simple and complicated, and a really nice one to give to …
REVIEW: Beauty and the Beak
Round 1 judge Gary Anderson, who blogs at What’s Not Wrong?, was a Round 1 judge in this year’s contest and wrote up reviews of a wide range of nominees in the Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction category. One of his review posts looked at the finalist title Beauty and the Beak: How Science, Technology, and a 3D-Printed Beak Rescued a Bald …