FRIZZY By Claribel A. Ortega Illustrated by Rose Bousamra First Second Books Middle Grade Contemporary, Family, Growing Up, Realistic Fiction Finalist – Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novels 2023 CYBILS Awards The Book Frizzy by Claribel Ortega is an exploration of cultural expectations connected to hair and respectability. Marlene loves art and hanging out with her best friend. But she does not …
Book Reviews: #CYBILS2023 EMG Graphic Novel Finalists
Just so you know, we stopped counting the “readers will relate to” references in the reviews at around 15 … and they kept going. Seriously, though, is there anything better than a book where a reader can see themselves and grow with a bookish alter ego? Diverse casts, family, friendship, adventure, gaming, and nonfiction. Angst and courage, fears and acceptance. …
Book Reviews: #CYBILS2023 YA Graphic Novel Finalists
Tuesday seems like a great day to enjoy Graphic Novels, yes? Yeah, you’re right. ANY DAY is an awesome day to dive into graphics. So let’s do it! 2023 WINNER In Limbo Deb JJ Lee First Second Books Nominated by: Kristen Tamara @ Bookish Things -The art in this is so gorgeous. It’s pretty much all in blue and gray …
Announcing the 2023 CYBILS Awards Winners
Before we say “congratulations,” we want to shout out a big thanks to everyone who helped make the 2023 CYBILS Awards another great year! 💞 THANK YOU 💞 We can’t say enough about our judges … who can’t say enough about the great books you sent us for consideration. We were thrilled to have many books with positive representation that …
CYBILS 2023 Graphic Novel Finalists
ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE-GRADE A First Time for EverythingDan SantatFirst Second BooksNominated by: Maria Marshall In this humorous and heart-warming middle-grade graphic memoir, Dan Santat recounts the life-changing “firsts” of his middle school life: first time being ridiculed, first party, first school trip to Europe, first Fanta, and of course, first love. It is impossible not to get swept into Dan’s story, and …
Announcing the 2023 CYBILS Awards Finalists
We may not be the first to wish you a Happy New Year, but we are very excited to be the first to tell you about the 2023 CYBILS Awards finalists! Our judges read more than 1,240 books across nine categories and three audiences. In some categories – like Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, and Poetry – judges were reading all the …
#CYBILS2023 Books by Previous Winners
Turning 18 has made us a bit nostalgic … and yet looking forward, too. That got us thinking … wouldn’t it be fun to see how many 2023 CYBILS Awards nominees are written by previous winners? So we dug into the archives to find which CYBILS Awards winners of yore who have new books being considered this year. Quite a …
2023 CYBILS Judges: Graphic Novel Panels
CHAIR: Kristen HarveyGraphic Novels (aka comics) are not just for reluctant readers. Complex storytelling with a rich combination of illustrations, color choices, and story-telling styles render information in new and interesting ways. They have evolved into a beloved genre of reading format and evolved into a unique form of story-telling. The sub-genres within Graphic Novels has also evolved, and there …
Graphic Novels & More: #CYBILS2023 Recommendations from Kristen Harvey
Okay, comics fans! Are you ready to topple that TBR? Don’t you just love that visual (pun intended)! This week’s list of Boy-I-Hope-These-Get-Nominated titles includes fiction and nonfiction, realism and fantasy, and starts with a learn-to-draw title! Introducing Kristen Harvey Kristen has participated in the CYBILS Awards since 2013 and is returning for her third year at the helm of …
WHEN STARS ARE SCATTERED by Victoria Jamieson #CYBILS 📚🎶
Because graphic novels by their nature engage readers on multiple sensory levels. When a story is told through pictures, there is more on the page for readers to explore, and having “background music” can add to the reading experience exponentially. WHEN STARS ARE SCATTERED by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed illustrated by Victoria Jamieson and Iman Geddy Dial Books Finalist …