My very first day of first grade was also the day my school district desegregated. It was 1969, and my grandmother had told me I’d be going to school with “colored children”. A new box of Crayola crayons sat in my school kit, and my little six-year-old self fully expected to see the same glorious rainbow of colors among the …
A Year of Gratitude
Franki and Mary Lee over at A Year of Reading are wrapping up a full year of celebrating the bloggers who’ve inspired them in their eight-year Internet journey. They’re capping their celebrations with a tribute to the Kidlitosphere, the hub for our little corner of the blogosphere. And even though Thanksgiving is over, we’re adding an extra thanks to both …
Diverse Book Recommendations for #WeNeedDiverseBooks
If you’re not already aware, there’s a wonderful thing happening in the book world these past few days. A campaign called #WeNeedDiverseBooks (link is here) is trying to bring together likeminded folks to push for change in the publishing industry. We all envision lists that include more books for people of every color, ethnicity, faith, sexuality, and ability level. I …
The 2013 Cybils Awards
Thanks to the many volunteers who made for another successful Cybils contest. Our judges, panelists and — most especially — our organizers gave up their so-called free time to spend with us. You can thank them by passing along the good word about what we do here! Without further fuss, here are this year’s winners of a Cybils Award: Elementary …
The 2013 Finalists
Happy Cybils New Year! Really, when all the confetti is swept up, the champagne bottles put in recycling, and your hangover nursed back to a semblance of sobriety, what else is there? Us, that’s what! We’re back again with another list of books that kept our panelists riveted through the holiday season. We sifted through more than 1,300 books and …
2013 Finalists: Young Adult Fiction
Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets Evan Roskos Houghton Mifflin Books for Children Nominated by: Jessica @ herlifewithbooks Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets hits a seldom-found sweet spot between artful prose and an honest, authentic teen voice. James struggles with depression, anxiety, and abusive parents. With his sister Jorie, one of his few confidants, out of the house, he …
2013 Finalists: Young Adult Non-Fiction
Breakfast on Mars and 37 Other Delectable Essays Roaring Brook Nominated by: Katy Manck (BooksYALove) Writing and reading essays usually evokes yawns. Forcing students to use the formal style of writing not only is boring but kills creativity. Breakfast on Mars takes the dreaded essay assignment and spins a fun, creative twist that is sure to inspire younger writers. Each essay …
2013 Finalists: Poetry
Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems Marilyn Singer Dial Nominated by: Perogyo Marilyn Singer returns to the reverso, a poetic form she created, in Mirror, Mirror. The reverso is quite clever. First you read the poem from top to bottom. Then you flip it and read it from the bottom up. The reverso proves the old adage “there are …
2013 Finalists: Speculative Fiction: Elementary & Middle Grade
Jinx Sage Blackwood HarperCollins Nominated by: Brandy Painter Deep in the dangerous forest of the Urwald, a boy named Jinx grows up in the home of a mysterious magician. Though Jinx is no apprentice mage, magic runs deep in him. When the magician steals part of that away, Jinx, devastated and furious, runs away into the forest. With two other …
2013 Finalists: Speculative Fiction: Young Adult
Conjured Sarah Beth Durst Walker Books for Young Readers Nominated by: Leila Roy Conjured is a multiverse fantasy about a magician, a dark carnival of horrors and delights, a group of snarky, teenaged magic users, and a protagonist who is hugely powerful but also hugely vulnerable. It’s a cop story about a girl in witness protection. It’s a story about friendship and …