Cybils

Updating our FAQs

I'm going to update our FAQs again soon and would appreciate knowing your nagging questions about Cybils.  I'm especially interested in hearing from authors and publishing professionals, as I sense these two groups are having the most trouble understanding what the heck we're up to. 

I'm worried our communications haven't always been clear and we've fallen back into thinking everyone is used to us by now, and that's simply not so. We want to avoid cliquishness at all costs.

Please leave your questions here in the comments or email me at cybils09@gmails.com.  Don't worry about sounding brusque or impatient -- if we're not answering your questions up front, we're doing something wrong.

Thanks for your patience, everyone.  FAQs will be updated in a week or so, whenever I feel like I've gotten at least some feedback.  Note that they say they're updated, but the date reads November 2007.  We've changed a lot since then.

And any bloggers who wish to post on this and send people our way to comment -- thanks in advance.  We could use some help.

--Anne Levy, Cybils Admin.

A fascinating discussion ...

... is going on at the blog Black-Eyed Susan's about race,  publishing and Cybils.  I'm at work (night shift again, alas) but will post more on this -- plus other reactions to the Cybils short lists from around the Web.

Perhaps it will lead to a better understanding of the role race plays in what books we, as readers and judges, gravitate towards.  Susan's a passionate debater and her post (and the many comments) are worth checking out.

Here's that link again.

--Anne Levy
Cybils Admin.

Cybils Appreciation from a Well-Loved Author

In the course of today's blog reading, I was pleased to come across a post in which repeat Cybils honoree (and Newbury Honor recipient) Shannon Hale expressed her appreciation for the Cybils. She said:

"I've mentioned before my affection for the Cybil Awards, given out by the children's and YA book bloggers. As national and newpaper review space is diminishing, I think book blogs will get more and more powerful in reviews and book recommendations."

We express our affection right back, Shannon. And while we're not in it for the "power", of course (well, most of us, anyway!), we do hope that book blogs can help to fill the void as other sources of review coverage shrink.

Stay tuned until January 1st, when this year's Cybils short lists are revealed. 

-- Jen Robinson, Cybils Literacy Evangelist

More Cybils Fanfare

The Cybils team has, of course, been thrilled at the Cybils-themed graphics that we received from Mo Willems and from the Rapunzel's Revenge team of Shannon and Dean Hale and Nathan Hale (see the images in the posts below). But we are equally thrilled by these other author and media responses to the Cybils:

The Cybils award was mentioned in a positive light in this School Library Journal article by Debra Lau Whelan about self-censorship (in the context of awards received by last year's YA winner, Boy Toy). Thanks to Gail Gauthier for the link.

Shortly before the winners were announced, I had a lovely email from Helen Frost, author of middle grade fiction shortlist title Diamond Willow. Helen said: "I am amazed and delighted that Diamond Willow is a Cybils finalist, and so impressed with the quality and depth of the conversation about my book and others. Thank you so much for honoring our books in this way."

As soon as the winners were announced, School Library Journal reported on the winners in an article by Rocco Staino. He said: "Nothing warms a librarian’s heart more than another book award list, and on Valentine’s Day kid lit bloggers announced the winners of the Cybils".

Middle Grade Fantasy winner Neil Gaiman wrote on his blog: "The Graveyard Book won a Cybil Award -- which is the children's book award from the blogging community. I was thrilled. All of the Cybil nominees and winners looked good this year, and I'm proud to be among them, and congratulations to everyone involved."

Cylin Busby, co-author with her father John Busby of The Year We Disappeared, wrote about winning the Cybils award for middle grade/YA nonfiction, saying: "Went to the "Kids Heart Authors" event at our local indie this morning (Skylight Books in Los Feliz). And when we got home, there were tons of emails in my inbox saying "Congrats!" and whatnot. So I thought, "wow, folks are getting pretty excited about this CBS show tonight, but it's not like we won an award or something...." oops. We DID win an award. A Cybils Award!"

E. Lockhart wrote: "I am so so pleased that The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks won a Cybils Award for best young adult novel!"

And we had lovely mentions from Paul at Omnivoracious ("These blogger literary awards definitely succeed in identifying the organic chicken nuggets of the kid-lit world"), sassmonkey from BlogHer "The Cybils are one of the most fun book awards out there ... It's a grassroots as an award can be and it's utterly fantastic.", and Carol Rasco's RIF blog ("Check out this year’s winners as well as the process for Cybils and be prepared to nominate your favorites in October 2009!").

The Cybils winners were also covered by too many children's and young adult book blogs to mention. Thank you all for helping to spread and share our joy in this year's winners! -- Jen Robinson, Literacy Evangelist

More Author Love for the Cybils

Earlier this month, we shared some lovely feedback from authors happy to see their books on the Cybils shortlists. Here is some additional author joy:

• Bonny Becker (A Visitor for Bear) emailed: "HOORAY!! HOORAY!! HOORAY!!  What an honor. All the nominees in fiction picture books are wonderful. Thanks to all the reviewers--not an easy job."
• Lenore Look (Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things) emailed: "WOOOOOHOO!!! I was SO thrilled to find my little Alvin among the finalists for your fantastic award. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw it! And like Alvin, I was stunned speechless. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for loving Alvin, and for giving him this FABULOUS start!"
• Christine Fletcher (Ten Cents A Dance) wrote: "When I say that just being named a finalist is an honor, believe me, I'm not being squidgy. I've read some of these books and been blown away by them. To be included on the same list is...well, it's freakin' unbelievably fabulous, is what it is. Unreal in the best possible way."
• D.M. Cornish (Lamplighter: Monster-Blood Tattoo, Book 2) wrote: "A true and dare I admit astonishing honour - (watch for my over-use of this word in Book 3... :( - to be included amongst such lights. Congrats to us all, to the judges for hour upon hour of reading to get to this list, to anyone who dares attempt to write a book - shortlisted, awarded or otherwise - and to you most excellent folk who read!" 

I also wanted to share a quote from one more author. Anna Smudge: Professional Shrink was a Cybils nominee in Middle Grade Fiction this year (though not a shortlist title). Anna Smudge author MAC was recently interviewed by Cybils panelist Shelf Elf (Kerry Millar). MAC closed her interview with this: "I want to take a second to give my sincere gratitude to everyone in the kidlitosphere. Seeing a community spring up to promote literacy fueled solely by these bloggers’ passion is very special. YOU are now the center of children’s literature- not the publishers, the authors, or the trade magazines. You gals and guys are a real inspiration."

If you ask me, all of these quotes are an inspiration. We welcome your feedback, too.

-- Jen Robinson, Literacy Evangelist 

A Cybils panelist recaps her experience

I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to Stephanie Ford, who wrapped up her duties as a panelist in fiction picture books recently.  She blogged about what went on behind the scenes, which I found fascinating and fun.  We're all about transparency here, so thanks, Stephanie, for parting the curtains for us. 

--Anne Levy, Editor

Author Joy for the Cybils Shortlists

Since we announced the Cybils Finalists last week, we've noticed online responses from several authors, happy to be shortlisted. (Formatting in the quotes below was edited for consistency, with book titles in italics, and author names in bold.)

• Sara Zarr says: "Sweethearts is a finalist for the 2008 Cybils, which makes me very, very, very, very happy. If you don’t know, the Cybils are the awards given out by the children’s and young adult blogging community and the process is very cool."
• Neil Gaiman says: "Thank you to all who made The Graveyard Book a finalist for a Cybil Award. I think that's the first thing that The Graveyard Book has been nominated for, and I'm thrilled that it's an award that comes from the blogging community."
• Sarah Prineas says: "Last year, when the Cybils finalists were announced, I thought, wow, I'd love to have my book (The Magic Thief)make that list, but I know it'll never happen, and then it did happen! I couldn't be more surprised and happy, and feel honored to have my book included on a list with the other finalists." 
• Mo Willems says: "Any-hoo, two Elephant and Piggies have made it onto the list of Easy Reader Finalists, which means that not only are they in very good company (Kate DiCamillo anyone?), but also that for the first time I have the opportunity to lose a single award twice." He also mentions Shepherds, but you'll have to click through for that.
• C. K. Kelly Martin says: "I'm too blown away (!!!!!!!!!!!!) to form coherent, articulate sentences but I want to say a huge thanks to the awesome Tanita S. Davis (author of A La Carte, also known as TadMack on the Finding Wonderland: The WritingYA Weblog) for nominating the book (I Know It's Over) in the first place... Thank you, Cybils panelists for this fabulous New Year's present!"
• Ingrid Law says (after announcing the shortlists): "I forgot to mention that Savvy is one of the Cybils Finalists! But my book is among such great company, I was caught up in the excitement of the whole thing."
• Marie Rutkoski says: "Cabinet (of Wonders) is a finalist for a Cybils Award in the category of Middle Grade Fantasy & Science Fiction. Again, huzzah! ... I’m such a huge fan of my competition that I won’t mind in the slightest if Cabinet doesn’t get the big win. Thanks, dear panelists!"
• Kristin Cashore says: "Graceling is a finalist for the Cybils, the children's and YA bloggers' literary awards, in the Fantasy/SF category ^_^. ... I haven't read most of the other finalists (yet!!), but those I have read happen to be among my favorite reads of the year, and I recommend them highly".
• Robin Benway twittered: "Hey, guess what? "Audrey (Wait)" is a finalist in the Cybil Awards! What a fantastic way to start 2009!"
• Hope Larson also twittered: "I'm on the short list for a Cybil, and so are a bunch of my friends! ... Going to K-Mart for champagne flutes."

Seeing these enthusiastic responses makes the Cybils team very happy. If we run across more, we'll share them here.

--Jen Robinson, Literacy Evangelist

Thanks for the thanks

(A few thank yous have come our way from 2007 winners.  We'd thought you'd like to know)

This one arrived stamped Par Avion from across the pond, handwritten from one of the "Artemis Fowl" writers in England.  They won for Best Graphic Novel, Middle Grade:

Dear Anne and all at blog.cybils.com:

A big thank you from myself, Eoin, Giovanni, and Paolo for taking the time to track us down, for the award, and for the lovely fountain pens! 

Ta very much!
Best, Andrew

And this came via email from the creator of "Lightship," which won in Non-Fiction Picture Books:

Dear Anne,

You and the rest of the Cybils team deserve a handwritten thank you note -- handwritten with a beautiful pen, of course -- for the handsome pen that arrived here a few weeks ago. Since I either lost or cannot find your mailing address, though, please accept these electronic thanks. The pen is a beauty. It's a pleasure to use and will be a wonderful reminder of the honor of receiving a Cybil for a long time to come.

Thank you!

Best, Brian

2007 Post Mortem

As with last year, we're asking participants, readers and random visitors to comment on the contest. We're not looking for lavish praise (though we won't delete it, either:-) but a frank appraisal of what is or isn't working, and what needs to improve for next year.

We already know we need to work on our judging criteria--what specifics would you like to see? Or other suggestions?

And we're painfully aware we need to patch relations with publishers so review copies aren't so hard to come by. War stories, anyone?

Other ideas, suggestions and criticisms--constructive or not--are welcome. As always, you may keep yourself anonymous, if you prefer.

If you'd rather sound off in private, email me at anne (at) bookbuds (dot) net.
Thanks to all for your feedback.

--Anne Levy, Editor

Linkage!

Kelly here, again.

We're cleaning up behind the scenes, ordering prizes for our winners and stickers for their books, and soon we'll be soliciting your thoughts on the Cybils process. In the meantime, here's some serious linkage. Take a look, and comment where you can.

The Cybils made Publishers Weekly Children's Bookshelf this week. (Squee!)  Children's Bookshelf is a weekly must, so if you haven't signed up for this glorious freebie, be sure to do so now.

Alli at Y-Pulse includes the Cybils in their Publishing roundup. (Y-Pulse is it for news on Generation Y. As an X-er myself, I'm unclear on the Y age boundaries. Anyone know?)

Tandem Insights has a great post up on all the winning titles. Tandem is a consulting firm for libraries. Check out their blog for the latest on good books.

Wow! The International Reading Association gives us a shout out. Thanks, IRA, we think you're awesome, too.

Illusion--a great site with videos, blogs, galleries, and more--mentions the Fantasy/SciFi Cybils. Illusion focuses on anime, SciFi, games, gadgets--all sorts of cool stuff.

I just LOVE the introduction to Adrienne Martini's post at popular parenting blog Strollerderby. Go read it for a good laugh and an "I've been there."

VWB has a roundup of the winners over at A Library By Any Other Name. VWB also has great posts on the finalist announcements in part 1 and part 2.

And some of our participants weigh in on the process for a behind-the-scenes look at the judging process:

Eisha and Jules--who both served as panel organizers and panelists--talk the joy and the work of the Cybils at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

Wendy discusses the books that didn't make the Cybils Poetry shortlist, but that she loved anyway at Blog from the Windowsill.

Kim Baccellia talks about her favorite books that didn't make the Fantasy/Sci Fi panel at Si, se puede! Yes we can.

Stacy DeKeyser gives us a diary of a Cybils committee member. It involves IM-ing until 2:18 am.  Yikes!

Maureen at Confessions of a Bibliovore is reviewing the Cybils YA finalists: Don't miss her thoughts on Billie Standish Was Here, by Nancy Crocker, and the Cybils winner, Boy Toy, by Barry Lyga.

As always, I'm looking for great links.  If you have one, send 'em my way via the comments.