Oh noes! I did a bad thing. I posted some alternate Cybils logos that didn't belong to the person I thought. I stole them from the Finding Wonderland blog, which is quite wonderful in all respects, and its bloggers are wise and wondrous women in all ways. The top three on my post are indeed by the esteemed Sarah Stevenson, …
Take us to your favorite indie bookstore!
We'd like to start a new feature soon. We'd love it if Cybils fans would send us some snapshots of your favorite indie bookstore and tell us a few things you love about the place. It's got that hawt emo guy behind the counter who always says hi in that way of his. Or they always seem to know what …
What’s cooking?
Our nonfiction for teens & tweens organizer, Gina Ruiz, is up for the Latism 2011 award for best food blog. Here's her blog, Dona Lupe's Kitchen, now show her some love and vote for her.
A few brief words about poetry
Part of a series introducing each genre, written by the organizer. From words that rhyme, words that flow and shape emotions on all different topics to poetic forms, the Poetry Genre is home to a veritable stew of entries. These books will appeal to the very young, middle grade and/or young adults. What belongs in Poetry? Poetry anthologies written by …
New Cybils badges
Okay, so we lost Sarah Stevenson as our blog editor this year. That makes me sad. But she still updated our logo for us and also did these two nifty new badges for your blogs. Tanita Davis likens these to the sticker and cookie you get after giving blood. Update: Tanita did the bottom two and I apologize here for …
First!
Just for the fun of it, the very first two nominations that came in last week were only eleven seconds apart. Hallie Tibbets earns our profound thanks and the number one spot for getting a nomination in at exactly 12:02:26 on Oct. 1. Her nomination was for The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, a teen fantasy novel. …
Where are your lists?
You know what I haven't seen much of this year? Lists of stuff to nominate. Some of you like compiling the titles you didn't get to nominate because of the one-book-per-genre rule. Those suggestions are hugely helpful to others. I know I've nominated in YA and SFF and even book apps, but I've no idea what picture book — fiction …
A speculative look at fantasy and science fiction
Part of a series introducing each genre, written by the organizer. Science fiction and fantasy take us to realms of the imagination: places and times and realities where the rules of life may be different than our own and where the impossible and improbable become real. But good science fiction and fantasy does more than that: it asks, "What if?" …
A portrait of fiction picture books
Part of a series introducing each genre, written by the organizer. The category of Fiction Picture Books would appear clearcut as books that are fictional with pictures. Oh, but that simplicity is deceptive. The genre contains titles for toddlers and third graders, funny stories and moving tales, history and fantasy, traditions and diversity, elegance and silliness, education and entertainment. An …
A simple summary of Easy Readers/Early Chapter Books
Part of a series introducing each genre, written by the organizer. The first thing that stands out about books in these two genres is their shape. They're sized for their audience to hold while reading aloud (roughly 6 x 9 inches). Think "reading by nine" and you can visualize this K through 3 audience. Other helpful hints: Easy Readers usually …