Since we are a volunteer organization, as people’s lives and availability change, we need to make changes here as well. We are saying a fond farewell to Pam Margolis (who will remain as a board member), Jenna Ehler, and Joella Basecamp. We appreciated all of their hard work and time over the past years. With farewells come welcomes, though. We …
Presenting the 2022 Cybils Call for Judges!
So, if you talk about kidlit anywhere on the internet — whether it is on a traditional blog, YouTube, Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok — we want your help! A word of advice: before you fill out the application, be sure to check out our FAQs about judging for us. There is this one, this one, and this one. PLEASE do this beforehand, so …
It’s Almost That Time Again!
First off: Can someone tell me where summer went? I know there are still three weeks until Labor Day, but school here starts today, and I’m still stuck in March, I think. Though, I will not be unhappy to see the last of these 100+ degree days… Second: that means, however, that we’re ramping up for the Cybils 2022 season!! …
#CybilsAwards Backlist Book List: Aliens!
For our last Backlist Booklist of the summer (keep an eye out; the call for judges for our 2022 season is coming soon!) I thought we’d tackle aliens. Maybe it’s because Jordan Peele’s Nope is in the theaters, or because the solution to Wordle the other day was Alien (got it in three!), or because of the images from the …
#CybilsAwards Backlist Book List: Sisters
I have a sister and four daughters, so it goes without saying that I love stories about sisters. From Little Women to Twins, stories about sisters are some of the most classic ones out there, highlighting both the joys and paints of having sisters. So why not celebrate sister stories with a list of good Cybils books featuring sisters. Twins …
#CybilsAwards Back List Booklist: Road Trips!
It’s summertime, and summer vacation usually means traveling. Road trips, trips to relatives, visiting family and friends and places. This summer travel will probably involve long airline delays and canceled flights (though it seems everyone I know is spending the summer in Europe…). My preferred way to travel is the road trip; it’s just a lot more laid-back than flying, …
#CybilsAwards Backlist Book List: Summer is for Romance
There is a specific book I usually turn to when the days get long and hot: Romance. Not the edgy, literary “love stories”, no: I want the fluffy, meet-cute, love at first sight, romcom-trope-filled books. An absolute bonus, for me, is first love, which means a lot of YA books. Thankfully, we have those in abundance here at the Cybils. …
#CybilsAwards Backlist Booklist: Happy Juneteenth!
Happy Juneteenth! We thought, since this is being published on the actual federal holiday, and since the holiday is still fairly new, that we’d do a collection of all the books celebrating Juneteenth specifically, and freedom in general. Enjoy! All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson Simon & Schuster 2014 Fiction Picture Book Nominee Freedom …
#CybilsAwards Backlist Book List: Pride!
Happy Pride Month! In celebration, we’re pulling out all the LGBTQIA+ books that were nominated last year (I’d go beyond last year, but that would be a long list!). There are some excellent books on here, just right for reading during June! I’m sure we’ve missed some; if there are omissions, let us know and we’ll add them! The Accursed …
#CybilsAwards Backlist Book List: Jewish Heritage Month
Along with everything else, May is Jewish Heritage Month, and so we thought we’d highlight some of the many books by and about Jewish people that we’ve had nominated over the past few years. (I’m using the Sidney Taylor Award as a guide, in case you’d like a longer list of excellent Jewish books). Irena’s Children: Young Readers Edition; A …