Amy Broadmoore, who is a Round 1 judge this year for Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction, is an aspiring children’s librarian, mom of 3, former attorney, and founder of International Book Giving Day. At her blog Delightful Children’s Books, she focuses primarily on great picture books, and has a fantastic range of booklists sorted by age range and theme/subject matter. Earlier this …
REVIEW: Written and Drawn by Henrietta
Today’s book review features a nominee in the Easy Readers category, Written and Drawn by Henrietta: TOON Level 3 by Liniers. This TOON Books title was nominated by Fiction Picture Books category chair Terry Doherty and reviewed by Easy Readers/Early Chapter Books chair (and Round 1 judge) Katie Fitzgerald–so naturally I was intrigued. Katie, a former children’s librarian near Washington, …
Easy Reader/Early Chapter Books for the Holidays
Do you have a fledgling or newly independent reader in your family? Cybils has recognized many great easy readers and early chapter books that would make great holiday gifts for beginning readers. Check out some of my favorites below: Easy Readers The Penny series by Kevin Henkes Penny is a young mouse with loving parents and adorable baby …
REVIEW: Crêpes by Suzette
Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz–avid reader and book-challenge-participator, returning Cybils judge, and Round 1 panelist for Fiction Picture Books this year–recently reviewed her first-ever book app: Crêpes by Suzette, an adaptation of the picture book by Monica Wellington. The paper book itself is out of print, so it’s a lucky thing there’s an app to whet the…er…appetite (sorry): “I …
REVIEW: Sanctuary
Our featured blogger today is Kim Baccellia, who is an author, blogger, and longtime Cybil-ite who reviews at YA Books Central as well as her own blog, Si, Se Puede. She loves reading sci-fi, dystopian, and fantasy for young readers, and she’s a Round 1 judge this year for YA Speculative Fiction. A few months ago she reviewed Sanctuary by …
Fiction Picture Books for the Holidays
There are so many wonderful reasons to gift books for the holidays. Picture book gifts come with a bonus: they are meant to be shared. Whether its a quiet story before bedtime or a raucous adventure with dinosaurs, the experience creates joy for everyone involved. This selection of Cybils finalists are sure to be read (and shared!) over and …
REVIEW: The Boys in the Boat
Though today’s featured review is a nominee from the YA Nonfiction category, our spotlighted blogger is none other than Karen Yingling, category organizer for Middle Grade Fiction. Her blog, Ms. Yingling Reads, highlights great books for middle schoolers, especially boys. Karen is a middle school librarian as well as a reviewer for School Library Journal and YA Books Central, so …
Young Adult Speculative Fiction for the Holidays
Growing up in my family, there were always books under the Christmas tree, and some of my most treasured gifts throughout my life have been books. I clearly remember the year I got a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories for Christmas. I believe I also received a bicycle that same year, and after appropriately admiring it, I ignored it as …
REVIEW: All the Bright Places
Jenn Hubb, who blogs at Lost in a Great Book, is a self-described proud geek, lifelong book lover, and teacher-librarian in Ontario, Canada, as well as a Round 1 judge for YA Fiction this year. Earlier in the year she reviewed YA Fiction nominee All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, which has been ambitiously described as “The Fault in …
REVIEW: Paper Hearts
Clementine Bojangles, aka Madeline Rudawski, is a Cybils returnee and Round 1 judge this year for YA Fiction, but on her blog Hey, Library Girl! she reviews a wide variety of books for young readers, and she writes about movies and pop culture, too. Last month she reviewed Paper Hearts by Meg Wiviott, a novel in verse that tells the …