Pick a topic. It can be anything, as long as it’s something kids want to know about: biography, history, biology, astronomy, gastronomy… whatever. Then write about it. Maybe in the form of a story, or a scrapbook, or just some really engaging prose. Just make sure it says something true, something surprising, in a way that hasn’t been said before. …
2007 Nominations: Poetry
The poetry committees will be looking for this year’s best poetry collection for kids. The key to this category is the word "collection", because picture books that tell a single, rhyming story belong in the picture book category. Collections need not be the work of a single author, but may be an anthology. Collections need not be picture books — …
2007 Nominations: Young Adult Fiction
You’ll find no dragons or magic, fairies or robots here. Just real people, in the real world, in real situations. In a good YA novel teens will find themselves and discover their world. A great YA novel will do both of those while respecting and appealing to its audience. We are looking for a handful of the greatest teen novels …
About Kelly Herold
We saved the best for last! Today we introduce our Director, Kelly Herold: Kelly here. I’m a co-founder of the Cybils (along with Anne Boles Levy) and this year during our second annual awards process I’ll be filling an organizational role only. I’ll be dealing with our troublesome (just kidding! Love you guys) blogger volunteers and serving as the publisher …
About Sheila Ruth
Today we meet Sheila Ruth, our Fantasy/Science Fiction organizer: I started reading Science Fiction in the fourth grade and never looked back. From Madeleine L’Engle, I quickly moved on to Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Andre Norton, Frank Herbert, and many others. When a teacher loaned me her copy of The Lord of the Rings in fifth grade, I fell …
About Anne Levy
Today we introduce Anne Boles Levy, Editor of the Cybils blog: Me and my big mouth started this contest last year when I left a smart-alecky comment on Kelly Herold’s blog. I said us blogging upstarts should up and start our own contest. Kelly, being one of these organized types, took me up on it. I began my foray into …
About Eisha Prather
Today we introduce Eisha, our Non-Fiction Picture Books organizer: Hey! I’m Eisha, and I’m the other half of the blogging team behind Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast (you’ve already met Jules). At our blog we review books for all ages, but we tend to emphasize children’s and YA lit. We also feature interviews with authors, illustrators and bloggers; participate in …
About Little Willow
Today we introduce Little Willow, our Forum Moderator and Henchwoman for YA Outreach. Hi there! I’m an actress, singer, and dancer as well as a writer and a bookseller. I review books and interview authors at my lit blog. I specialize in children’s fiction, ranging from juvenile classics to contemporary teen fiction. My blog’s title, Bildungsroman, is the German term …
About Jackie Parker
Today we introduce Jackie Parker, our Young Adult Fiction organizer: I don’t remember playing with dolls as a child. What I do remember is hanging out in hot, musty school libraries as my librarian mother prepared for the school year. I remember helping by spreading out the new catalog cards across a great swath of carpeting and dancing across them …
Graphic Novels
Category Organizer: Sarah Stevenson (Reading YA: Readers’ Rants) Nominating Panel: Mary Lee Hahn (A Year of Reading)Alyssa Feller (The Shady Glade)Katie Zenke (Pixie Palace) Elizabeth Jones Gina Ruiz (AmoXicalli) Judging Panel: David Elzey (The Excelsior File) J.L. Bell (Oz and Ends)Anna (TangognaT)Snow Wildsmith (My Reading Project) Angie Thompson (Angieville)