… and we mean “yuck” in all it’s glorious forms. Sure, these books have an “oh, gross” factor, but they also have some humorous, LOL moments, too. Nonfiction and STEM? Check. Career ideas? Check. Slime-a-geddon? Yes indeed. [With recipe!] Any body farms? Uh huh. What about zombies? Them, too. Poetry? What?! Yep. Poems, too. Sadly we didn’t find any books …
Thanks, Gratitude, and Kindness
What would Thanksgiving weekend would be without a post-feast turkey sandwich (or two)? It’s tradition. Why not re-feast on the seasonal togetherness vibes, too? Now serving: a platter of #CYBILS2024 books that focus on family, lost and found; connections and relationships; cultural and seasonal traditions; and thankfulness, kindness, and gratitude. For more stories that feature family, food, community, and tradition, …
Name that Food: A #CYBILS2024 Foodie’s Booklist
Apparently, we love reading about food as much as we enjoy eating it. This year there are nearly 50 books that dish out a food-ish element. Books with a food in the title. Books with characters with food-y names. Books about cooks and chefs. Books about growing, eating, and making food. Books that celebrate sharing food. All of the above. …
Our Not-as-Scary Book List, Part 2
More eerie. Less scary. Mystery and Adventure the unusual and unexplained ghosts, goblins, and witches Monsters and Zombies … and even laugh-out-loud humor! This is the book list for those of us who love mystery with a side of magic and fantasy, but don’t like – or aren’t ready for – truly dark and scary stuff. There are lots of …
Read. If you dare. Our Spooky, Scary Book List Part 1
Spine chilling. Hair-raising. Frightening. Read with the lights on. Nightmare-inducing. If these are the kinds of middle-grade and YA stories you love, have we got the book(s) for you! From creepy to terrifying and chilling to horror. You’ll find realistic, apocalyptic, classic, modern tales and urban legends … all perfect for this, the spooky season! My thanks to judges Hailey …
LONG WAY DOWN by Jason Reynolds a #CYBILS 📚🎶
LONG WAY DOWN By Jason Reynolds Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books Poetry young adult, family, ghost stories, realistic fiction CW: violence Winner – Poetry 2018 CYBILS Awards The Book Long Way Down is a tour de force work of poetry. The entire novel in verse takes place on an elevator ride as a young man whose brother has been shot and killed …
Book Reviews: #CYBILS2023 Finalists Poetry Collections
Roses are red. Violets are blue. If you don’t like college basketball. This list is for you. Happy #PoetryFriday to you. For some of us, basketball is a kind of poetry in motion. For others, well, it just isn’t. Thankfully, this roundup of poetry books can help. Moving, funny, imaginative, jarring … all found in the pages of these poetry …
Book Reviews: #CYBILS2023 Poetry Novel In Verse Finalists
Can a middle-grade verse novel about table tennis bring adults to tears? Yes. [Did you notice we said “adults” – plural.] If you are looking for fresh, captivating, thought-provoking, laugh-out-loud books, look no further than this year’s list of Poetry Novel in Verse finalists. While the books themselves are labeled for “middle grade” and “young adult” audiences, it is pretty …
FRI-YA | #CYBILS2023 Reviews 02.09.2024
Is it us or is there an uptick in the number of book descriptions and reviews that include references to other media [usually books or movies]? We bring you Exhibit A. Two of these statements came from the Goodreads description about the book, two-and-a-half came from our judges. Perfect for fans of All Out and Cemetery Boys Reminds Me Of: Ghosts, Be …
The IN be-TWEEN | #CYBILS2023 Reviews 02.07.2024
One week, friends! Just one more week until the 2023 CYBILS Awards winners are announced. You probably already added the finalists and winners to your TBR, and that’s cool, but our judges read A LOT of great books that, while not award winners, will definitely be winners with young readers. Yes, even picky tween readers. x See for yourself. Book …