Welcome to the premier Web awards for children's literature. You, the public, nominate the books. Then we, the bloggers, read them and hand out prizes.
Continue reading for some quick rules. Or jump straight to nominations. Remember: ONE nomination per category. Books MUST be published in 2008.
Don't nominate here! It might not get seen.
Finally. Our last panel is complete--just in time to start reading! Here we go:
Organizer: Snow Wildsmith, Kiddie Lit
Panelists (Round I judges)
Betsy Bird A Fuse #8 Production
Gina Mary Sol Ruiz Cuentecitos, AmoXicalli
Paula Willey Pink Me
Liz Jones Liz Jones Books
Sam Musher Parenthetical.net
Judges (Round II)
Stacy Dillon Booktopia
David Elzey The Excelsior File
Gail Gauthier Original Content
Sarah Sammis Puss Reboots
Tasha Samborski And Another Read Book
Today we meet Mindy Rhiger, organizer for the Non-Fiction MG/YA category:
I'm Mindy Rhiger, organizer for the Young Adult and Middle Grade Non-Fiction category. I've been involved with the Cybils since the first year, and I've been blogging about books at propernoun.net since 2005.
I read and review all over the map. My strongest ties are to YA Fiction, as I started out in librarianship as YA Librarian at a public library. My current job at The Bakken Museum in Minneapolis has me focused more intently on science, invention, and engineering-related titles for kids and teens. I love the opportunity to connect kids with these topics through hands-on science.
In addition to book reviews, I also blog about library and museum programming, early literacy, and anything book-related that strikes my fancy.
When I'm not at the museum, I'm exploring the world with my very active nine-month-old daughter.
News flash: Bloggers love the Cybils!
Well, actually, it's several news flashes--far too many to post here, but we've provided a sampling of the Cybils love from around the web. The Cybils team appreciates the help that everyone has given us in spreading the word about the Cybils and about nominations (and if you haven't done it yet, be sure to go nominate!).
And this really just scratches the surface! Listservs, newsletters, conferences--we're everywhere. Sincere thanks to everyone who has given us a mention, and please don't forget to stop by and nominate before October 15.
Today we meet Kerry Millar, category organizer for Middle Grade Fiction:
Hello fellow Cybilers: nominators,
panelists and judges! I've been teaching Grade 5 for three years,
so I’ve got some solid first-hand know-how about what's going on
out there in Middle-Grade-land--what's cool, what's old, what
has true kid appeal and what doesn't.
Before teaching, I was part pastry chef, part children's bookseller (a.k.a. the dreamiest job-combo known to man), and went to sleep every night full of French pastries and stories. Now I spend my days with many ten-year olds, trying to find every conceivable excuse to pull out a book and read to them.
Over a year ago, inspired by the many quirky, clever and generally delightful blogs in the kidlitosphere, I launched Shelf Elf, where I've been blogging ever since about everything kidlit related. I’m also a contributing blogger over at Guys Lit Wire, the new group blog that recommends great books to teen male readers, and a regular participant in features such as Poetry Friday and Nonfiction Monday.
Last year I served as a Cybils panelist for the Middle Grade Fiction category, and I'm so happy to be back again, this time as a MGF judge and category organizer. When I’m not teaching / blogging / reading, I can be found curled up with a Siamese cat and slice of cake.
Please keep your questions to genre-bending books.
Is it a graphic novel, or is it a picture book? Is it fantasy, or is it YA? Lots of titles cross genre boundaries, and it's part of the job of the Cybils organizers to help you figure out where a book belongs.
If you're not sure which category is most appropriate for a title you'd like to nominate, please post your nomination here in the comments. We'll discuss it amongst ourselves and make sure it gets to the right place--and we'll post a quick note here to let you know the outcome.
As mentioned before, you can nominate one title per person, per category. Please keep this in mind if you have a title you're not sure about. Now, nominate away!
Other questions? Contact us at anne (at) bookbuds (dot) net.
--The Editors
You'll find no dragons or magic, robots or vampires here. Just real people, in the real world, in real situations. In a good YA novel teens will find themselves and discover their world. A great YA novel will do both of those while respecting and appealing to its audience.
We are looking for a handful of the greatest teen novels of 2008. Historical, humorous, or contemporary, they must have literary merit AND a lasting effect on their readers; something teens will press into their friends' hands with fervor in their eyes and say, "You HAVE to read this book."
--Jackie Parker, organizer
Please leave a nomination -- including author and title -- in the comments below. One nomination per person, per category, please.
Poetry is what this category is all about. We're seeking the best poetry collection for kids or teens. Now, some of the poetry collections are fully illustrated and have the size, shape & appearance of picture books.
When deciding if something belongs here, ask yourself "Is this a collection of poems?"
Poetry collections can be fiction or nonfiction; they can have a single author or be an anthology that includes the work of many poets. Collections need not be the work of a single author, but may be an anthology. The poems can be in rhyme or not, and can be in any form, including no real form at all (which is to say, free verse is very welcome, as are shape poems).
--Kelly Fineman, organizer
Please leave a nomination -- including author and title -- in the comments below. One nomination per person, per category, please.
Kids are curious about absolutely anything, so that's what the books in the non-fiction picture book category will be about--absolutely anything! As long as it's true and factual, of course. (it's gotta be "not fiction", after all!). Science, art, history, sports, current events--and more--are all fair game, from slice-of-life biographies and other true stories kids will read beginning-to-end, to list books and other compendiums of information that will delight the browsers in the crowd.
We're looking for fresh subjects or old favorites approached in a new way; writing that sizzles and sings; illustrations that make you say, "Wow."; and all of this between covers young readers (and those read to!) will want to open again and again.
Non-fiction picture books will be 48 pages or less and aimed at younger readers. Non-fiction books 48 pages or more, with longer, denser text divided into chapters, belong in the Middle Grade/Young Adult Nonfiction category.
--Fiona Bayrock, organizer
Please leave a nomination -- including
author and title -- in the comments below. One
nomination per person, per category, please.
Facts First! Don't fall under the misconception that facts are boring. Facts can break boundaries. Facts can open eyes. Facts can inspire. Facts can do anything fiction can do. Maybe more. Not that we don't love fiction, but nonfiction has been a special focus of many bloggers in the kidlitosphere since the inception of Nonfiction Monday for good reason. We want to highlight the best of 2008 in informational books for kids and teens.--The Editors
We're also drawing the line between this category and the younger non-fiction titles by, well, looking at the drawings. If the book's more than 48 pages, has more text and seems geared for somewhat older kids, you're probably right. Put it here.
--Mindy Rhiger and the editors
Please leave a nomination -- including
author and title -- in the comments below. One nomination per person,
per category, please.
The middle grade years are those with the most potential to turn a child into a reader for life. It's often the books you read between the ages of 8-12 that you remember long into adulthood as your dearest books of all. These are the years when kids really and truly start to figure themselves out as readers--their likes and dislikes and all the rest in between. It's during this time when children strike out on their own in earnest, reading for themselves and by themselves, all the while creating themselves.
In this Cybils category, we're looking for the 2008 novels that capture real life in all of its wonderful messiness. So we're not talking magic or superheroes or werewolves or elves. Instead, think adventures and school stories, mysteries and stories about families, and tales that tell kids of life across the globe. Tell us which of the Middle Grade fiction titles published this year you think kids will still be talking about when they're all grown up.
--Kerry Millar, organizer
Please leave a nomination -- including author and title -- in the comments below. One nomination per person, per category, please.
Pictures and stories; stories and pictures. While many of the Cybils categories explore one or the other, only the Graphic Novel category looks at the unique melding of words and images that is comics. Whether it's the daring deeds of superheroes or realistic stories of middle school life, sweeping fantasy tales or terrifying works of horror, graphic novels offer a way to read that engages all parts of the brain, electrifying the senses like no other print medium. We're looking forward to your nominations for the best of the best, those graphic novels that blend words and pictures into a seamless work that will capture readers and never let them go.
--Snow Wildsmith, organizer
Please leave a nomination -- including author and title -- in the comments below. One nomination per person, per category, please.
A good picture book is a pleasing merger of text and artwork. A great picture book is a celebration of story and illustration, with lasting appeal for kids and/or adults. The best picture books completely excel in art, story, kid-friendliness, and adult appeal.
A Cybils-winning picture book adds that special "It Factor." In message, in world-view, in connection, in humor, in reach, a book with "It Factor" rises to a higher level. These are the picture books we bring home to show our seventh-grade daughter. These are the titles that we recommend repeatedly to everyone who will listen. These are the ones we buy even if we have no preschool children, and the ones we pull out to read again and again. And at the end of the Cybils judging, these are the books that we hope to share with you.
--Pam Coughlan, organizer
Please leave a nomination -- including
author and title -- in the comments below. One
nomination per person, per category, please.
Rod Serling, creator of "The Twilight Zone," said "Fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science fiction is the improbable made possible."
In the Fantasy and Science Fiction category, that sentiment is at the heart of the best novels for children and teens. The winning novel published in 2008 will have amazing world building that brings newly discovered lands and worlds to life. It will have characters who shine, who are vivid and strong against the backdrop of the world. It will have writing that surpasses all expectations, writing that shimmers and pulses with its own style and brilliance.
All of these components will come together into that magical whole: a book that speaks for its genre but also exceeds it, blasting beyond into greatness.
--Tasha Saecker, organizer
Please leave a nomination -- including author and title -- for in the comments below. One nomination per person, per category, please.
Easy readers are books with simple words and short sentences for children who are learning how to read. While picture books are read to a child by an adult, easy readers are meant to be read by the child himself. Easy readers are the bridge between picture books and chapter books. (You'll know you've found an easy reader when you see the words "read," "reader," or "reading" on the cover.
Learning to read takes place on a continuum, and the books reflect that. Easy readers range from 8 page books with a single word or a simple phrase on each page to 64 page books divided into chapters. (After children have become fluent readers, they move up to longer chapter books.)
In the Easy Reader category of the Cybils, we are looking for high-interest books with active stories (whether true or imaginary) that are told with simple plot patterns, predictability, and repetition. The art in these books should support the child reading the book by clearly illustrating what is taking place in the story.
Did you find an 8-64 page easy reader book that a child just had to read again and again? Nominate it so we can read it too!
--Anastasia Suen, organizer
Please leave a nomination -- including author and title -- in the comments below. One nomination per person, per category, please.
Today we meet the category organizer for YA Fiction, Jackie Parker:
I'm Jackie Parker, organizer of the YA Fiction category. This is my
second year organizing the category, and my third year on the panel.
As a teen librarian, YA literature is something I'm constantly immersed in at work, but it's also something that I spend a lot of my free time on. Besides constantly reading it, and often blogging about it, I'm a Poster Girl for Reader Girlz, an online community that strives to empower teen girls through literature.
Since 2005, I've been blogging almost exclusively about teen fiction on my blog, Interactive Reader, for many reasons, primarily because I think that teens are the most underrated when it comes to literature.
I believe that some of the most interesting books today are being directed at teens, and through my profession, my blog, and the opportunities I have because of both of those, I want to help spread the word about the hundreds of amazing books published each year for teens, and maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to connect readers with books when it matters most - as a teen.
We're almost there...today we announce the Fantasy and Science Fiction panelists, and tomorrow, the day nominations open, the panels will be complete with the Graphic Novel panel. Once again, we are thrilled with the members of the F/SF team which includes librarians, writers, teachers, and a high school student.
Organizer: Tasha Saecker Kids Lit
Panelists:
Laini Taylor Growing Wings
Charlotte Taylor Charlotte's Library
Alyssa Feller The Shady Glade
Em Em's Bookshelf
Lynette The Puck in the Midden
Tizrah Price The Compulsive Reader
Amanda Blau Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Judges:
Tasha Saecker Kids Lit
Anne Boles Levy The Cybils
Erin Miss Erin
Eisha Prather Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Tanita Davis Finding Wonderland, Readers' Rants
Today we meet Pam Coughlan, organizer for the Fiction Picture Books category:
I am the mother of two girls, ages nine and twelve, and a voracious
reader. Hence the Mother and Reader part of my blog name. At
MotherReader, I review children's literature from board books to Young
Adult, but my heart is in picture books.
Along with my occasional forays into national politics, I participate in many of the community aspects of blogging in kids lit, including the Carnivals of Children's Literature, The Edge of the Forest, Poetry Friday, and my own 48 Hour Book Challenge. I'm also the founder and, let's say, president of the tongue-in-cheek organization, Bloggers Against Celebrity Authors (BACA), now its own blog at www.BACAoff.com.
In my real life I work part-time job as a children's library assistant (a children's librarian without the master's degree or chance of promotion) in a public library. I'm also a movie lover, Girl Scout leader, Northern Virginian, and humor aficionado.
Today we meet our Fantasy and Sci-Fi category organizer, Tasha Saecker:
I am the director of the Elisha D. Smith Public Library in
Menasha, Wisconsin. Which, by the way, just won Wisconsin Library of the
Year for 2008! When I started in librarianship, I was a children's
and teen librarian in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. From there, I returned to
my home state of Wisconsin and was library director at a small library in Green
Lake for 11 years. I have been at Menasha for 2 years now.
I started blogging with a non-kids lit blog over 5 years ago. It's called Sites and Soundbytes and is still active. About 6 months after starting that blog, I started Kids Lit, which just celebrated its five-year blogversary. Both blogs originally ran on Greymatter, but now run on Moveable Type.
Kids Lit covers books and book news from picture books through teen novels. One of my favorite genres has always been fantasy and science fiction, so I look forward to again working on this category.
Today we announce the members of the Young Adult Fiction panel. This panel received the most applications for membership, so it was a struggle to balance experience vs. new perspectives, reviewer vs. writer. In the end, we have a great panel of talented people. Let's go, YA!
Organizer: Jackie Parker Interactive Reader
Panelists (Round I judges)
Leila Roy Bookshelves of Doom
Rebecca Laney Becky's Book Reviews
Amanda Snow A Patchwork of Books
Trisha Murakami The Ya Ya Yas
Kate Fall Author2Author
Jocelyn Pearce Teen Book Review
Abby Johnson Abby (the) Librarian
Judges (Round II)
Jackie Parker Interactive Reader
Sarah Stevenson Finding Wonderland, Readers' Rants
Allie/Little Willow Bildungsroman
Lili Wilkinson Inside a Dog
Casey Titschinger Avid Teen Reader
Today we meet Fiona Bayrock, our category organizer for Non-Fiction Picture Books:
Adding international flavoUr to the organizer mix, I'm a Canadian
children's author specializing in "way cool" science aimed at the
10-and-under crowd. Publishing-wise, I've got books with Scholastic,
Capstone, and Charlesbridge as well as 60+ articles, stories, and
poems in magazines such as Highlights for Children, KNOW, and Odyssey.
In my spare time (ha!) you can find me schlepping teens to university, stage managing a community theatre production, or--surprise!--reading.
I blog about writing and books at Books and 'Rocks, where I've been known to participate in Poetry Friday and Nonfiction Monday on occasion. I also partner-blog about book promotion at Bubble Stampede! My online home base is at fionabayrock.com
I served on the 2007 Cybils NFPB panel, and am very excited to be asked back this year as the Nonfiction Picture Book organizer.
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