A Cybilian defends the Newbery Medal

I'm sorry this snuck by me, but I just noticed it yesterday.  Erica Perl, who'll be judging in Fiction Picture Books, has a post up at Slate.com from Friday.  She takes on the naysayers picking on the Newbery Medal, defending its lofty, if sometimes quirky, choices. 

Cybils was founded in part to get away from the idea that a great book had to be off-putting to kids.  We've put forward the rather daring notion that a book can be both literary and fun.  Erica's take is a fresh and lively addition to the dialog. 

–Anne Levy, editor