Our fantastic Cybils publicity guru and Round 2 judge Terry Doherty wrote today’s featured blog review. Terry is the Executive Director (and, of course, a blogger) at The Reading Tub, an outstanding resource for children’s literacy, with tons of literacy info as well as reviews of books for kids of all ages. She reviewed Middle Grade Nonfiction nominee Stories for …
REVIEW: Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! BoooOOOOooooooOOOOOOoooo! Scared yet? No? Well, today’s featured review looks at an event that caused a lot of panic back in October of 1938–the radio broadcast of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds. The book is called Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America, by Gail Jarrow, and …
REVIEW: The Secret Life of the Little Brown Bat
We’re rapidly approaching Halloween, so here’s a nominee in the Elementary Nonfiction category that is relatively on topic: The Secret Life of the Little Brown Bat written by Laurence Pringle and illustrated by Kate Garchinsky. Featured by Round 1 Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction judge Roberta Gibson on her Growing With Science blog, this should be an appealing title for readers aged …
Interview with Martin Sandler
Editor’s note: This interview was conducted via phone by our Junior High/Senior High Non-Fiction Chair, Jennie Rothschild. We’d like to thank her for her time in putting this together! I was lucky enough to talk to Martin Sandler on the phone about his winning book, The Whydah. Below is a transcript of our conversation, edited for length and clarity. In …
Interview with Deborah Heiligman
What drew you to the story of Vincent Van Gogh and his brother, Theo? I was on a trip to Amsterdam and visited the Van Gogh Museum because I’ve always loved his art. While there, I read a small note about Theo supporting Vincent, and I knew that someday I would write about these brothers. When I presented the idea …
Interview with Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Thompson
This book is all about solid researching techniques. Where did you start digging once you had the idea for the book? Or did plans for a series come partway through the research phase? Joan: The idea for this book first sprang out of the abundance of exciting and unbelievable true stories that we saw around us in the news and …
Interview with Caroline Arnold
Do you have plans to keep chickens after learning about their care along with Room 6? A number of years ago, before I moved to Los Angeles, I lived in the country with my family and we kept a flock of chickens. Watching the children in Room 6 care for their chickens reminded me of this experience. Now that I …
REVIEW: Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team
Elementary school librarian, School Library Journal reviewer, and Round 1 judge Heidi Grange wrote today’s featured blog review. She blogs at Geo Librarian, and a few months ago she reviewed Junior High Nonfiction finalist Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin: While the book focuses on football and the impact that the Carlisle Indian …
REVIEW: Beauty and the Beak
Round 1 judge Gary Anderson, who blogs at What’s Not Wrong?, was a Round 1 judge in this year’s contest and wrote up reviews of a wide range of nominees in the Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction category. One of his review posts looked at the finalist title Beauty and the Beak: How Science, Technology, and a 3D-Printed Beak Rescued a Bald …
REVIEW: Alice Paul and the Fight for Women’s Rights
Cybils veteran and Round 1 judge Louise Capizzo of The Nonfiction Detectives brings us our featured blog review of the day–she’s Youth Services Manager at a library in Maine and has served on a number of awards committees, including ours! One of her reviews looked at Senior High Nonfiction finalist Alice Paul and the Fight for Women’s Rights: From the …