REVIEW: The Orphan Band of Springdale

Welcome to today’s featured blog review, courtesy of Round 1 judge Debbie Tanner, a librarian who blogs at The Book Search. Earlier last year, she posted a review of Middle Grade Fiction nominee The Orphan Band of Springdale by Anne Nesbet: It’s set in World War 2 and I really loved that it tells the story of what it was …

REVIEW: The Grand Escape

Cybils veteran Karen Yingling of Ms. Yingling Reads is our featured blogger for today–besides being a middle school librarian and book reviewer for School Library Journal, she’s also been a category organizer for Cybils and is a Round 2 judge for Junior/Senior High Nonfiction. Recently, she reviewed Senior High Nonfiction finalist The Grand Escape: The Greatest Prison Breakout of the …

REVIEW: Escape from Syria

Our featured review for today was posted at Quill & Quire, a children’s lit website sponsored by Canada Council for the Arts, by our Round 2 Graphic Novels judge Ardo Omer, who is a podcaster at Put a Blurb On It. In the written review of Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novels finalist Escape from Syria, written by Samya Kullab and illustrated …

REVIEW: Julián Is a Mermaid

Today’s featured review comes from Round 1 Board Books/Fiction Picture Books judge Nicole Levesque, a 4th grade teacher in Maine who blogs at Bluestocking Thinking. One of the books she reviewed for an installment of “It’s Monday! What are you reading?” last year was Fiction Picture Books finalist Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love, which Nicole read to her …

REVIEW: The Hyena Scientist

Our featured review for today looks at Middle Grade Nonfiction finalist The Hyena Scientist (Scientists in the Field Series) by Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop. Nic Bishop’s books are definitely a perennial favorite around here, and in her review on the Growing With Science blog, Round 1 judge Roberta Gibson explains why this title ended up as a finalist: Rather …

2018 Finalists Reactions!

One of the things we like best about releasing our shortlists is all the social media love we get! We thought we’d share a bit with you: Whenever young teachers ask me for reading lists, I point them toward the CYBILS! The finalists are always terrific! https://t.co/VPQvBHw29R — Carol Wilcox (@carwilc) January 1, 2019 Congrats to all the 2018 NF …

REVIEW: Owen and Eleanor Move In

Today we’re happy to present our first finalist review of the New Year! Our featured review is from Cybils organizer and judge Jennifer Wharton, who is on the Round 1 panel for Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books this year. On her blog Jean Little Library, she looked at Early Chapter books finalist Owen and Eleanor Move In (Owen and …

The 2018 Cybils Finalists!

It’s January 1st, our favorite day of the year: The day in which all round one panelists breathe a huge sigh of relief (and we express our heartfelt thanks!), and which everyone (from the authors and illustrators to the fans to the round two judges) eagerly watches to see what’s made the cut.  First off — because we know you’re …

REVIEW: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

Are you as excited as we are by the impending reveal of the 2018 Cybils Finalists? Don’t forget to tune in to the blog tomorrow or follow us on Twitter for the big announcement! In the meantime, we have another featured review today from one of our Round 1 judges, Pamela Thompson McLeod, a writer, editorial intern, and reviewer from …

REVIEW: Dear Martin

Today’s featured review might be a first for the Cybils blog–or, anyway, a rarity: Round 1 Young Adult Fiction judge Stephanie Galvan Russell is a vlogger, and she posted a video review about YA Fiction nominee Dear Martin by Nic Stone. Stephanie is a middle school librarian, former teacher, and YA enthusiast, and her vlog is called Lispy Librarian. Episode …