It all started with Harry Potter and homeschooling. After bonding over reading Harry Potter together, kidlit became a family activity. Dad wrote a book, mom (Sheila) published it, and mom and son started a book website, Wands and Worlds, as a homeschooling activity. Blogging followed soon after, which in turn led to the Cybils, which Sheila has been passionately involved with …
Meet the 2016 Organizers: Anne Levy, Executive Director
I’m the Cybils spokes-model, getting paid big bucks to show off my glamorous self and sell these sleek awards. Only I don’t get paid, and I’m in my PJs, and the awards are free. I’m not really sure why organizers keep me around a decade after co-founding the awards, actually, except as some sort of mascot. I wave a lot …
The Cybils is Now a Non-Profit!
The Cybils organization is thrilled to report that we are now officially a not-for-profit corporation, registered in the state of Arizona. We will be applying for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status this year. We have undertaken this formal registration process as a reflection of the seriousness with which we, the Cybils organizers, treat this award. While we are taking steps to make the …
Call for Judges: We Need YOU!
It’s CYBILS TIME again! (Already? Can you believe it?) After 10 years of doing this, you know the drill. We need YOUR help.  It wouldn’t be the Cybils without audience participation. So, we are lining up a crew of judges (newbies and returning ones) who will be willing to read, discuss, think about, blog about, narrow down, and select the year’s …
Changes are FUN! (Part 2)
What we should have said in Friday’s post is that for now meant until Sunday… A couple more quick changes before we get the ball rolling this year. First, we’d like to welcome two more new chairs!  Jennie Rothschild will be heading up the YA Non-Fiction category and Jodie Rodriguez as our Easy Readers and Early Chapter Book chair. The bigger change, …
List Fun: Baseball Stories You (Probably) Didn’t Know
Take me out to the ballgame! Cybils supporter Annette Bay Pimentel, who blogs about picture books (as well as writing them), has put together another great list of Cybils titles for us. For kids who enjoy the crack of the bat, these books are sure to be a home run. Barbed Wire Baseball by Marissa Moss, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu. …
List Fun: Diverse YA Speculative Fiction by Diverse Authors
At the Cybils Awards, we care a great deal about diversity in children’s books. We put great importance on finding and promoting books which meet our high standards and which have protagonists from under-represented groups. In addition to the importance of diverse characters, though, it’s equally important to find and recognize books written by voices from marginalized groups. Such books …
List Fun: Women in the Spotlight
Summerstock theater, blockbuster movies, dance camp, the circus. Summertime is the perfect time to perform in or watch a show. I’ve rounded up here some fascinating Cybils titles about great women performers who broke barriers and overcame obstacles for their moment in the spotlight. Pick one up to share with your kids before your next show. —Annette Bay Pimentel Ballet …
Interview with JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith
 First off, congrats! We adored Sidewalk Flowers. Can you tell us a bit about how you came up with the idea for the book? JL: Thank you so much! It was a thrill to find out that Sidewalk Flowers got the Cybils Fiction Picture Book Award! The idea for the book came from a walk I was taking with my …
Interview with Kevin Sands
First off, congrats! We really loved The Blackthorn Key. Can you tell us a bit about how you came up with the idea?Thank you! I’m absolutely thrilled to have won the Cybils. The idea for The Blackthorn Key actually came during one of those times where I was specifically trying to think up new ideas (which almost never works). It …