Cybils tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-534017 2008-08-27T19:20:14-07:00 The 2006 Children's and YA Bloggers' Literary Awards TypePad New Category: Easy Readers tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54786762 2008-08-27T19:20:14-07:00 2008-08-27T19:24:04-07:00 We're adding a new category for the 2008 Cybils--Easy Readers. Easy Readers are those 6" x 9" books found in the easy-to-read section. The category will be headed up by none other than Anastasia Suen (Book of the Week, Children's... Kelly <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>We're adding a new category for the <a href="http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/">2008 Cybils</a>--<span style="color: #663366;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Easy Readers</span></span>. Easy Readers are those 6&quot; x 9&quot; books found in the easy-to-read section. The category will be headed up by none other than Anastasia Suen (<a href="http://asuenbooks.wordpress.com/">Book of the Week</a>, <a href="http://asuen.wordpress.com/">Children's Book Biz News</a>, <a href="http://6traits.wordpress.com/">Picture Book of the Day</a>, Scholastic's <a href="http://blogs.scholastic.com/kid_lit/">Kid Lit Kit</a>) and we're looking for judges.&nbsp; If you're interested, read the <a href="http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/08/2008-call-for-c.html">judging announcement</a> and send me and Anne an e-mail. (If you've already written in, but would consider serving on Easy Readers, then please also drop us a line.)</p> <p>P.S. I am 24 hours behind responding to Cybils e-mails.&nbsp; Do not panic.&nbsp; I will answer Thursday afternoon.</p> <p><em>--Kelly Herold</em></p></div> http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/08/new-category-ea.html 2008 Call for Cybils Judges tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54607778 2008-08-24T19:00:00-07:00 2008-08-24T19:00:06-07:00 Hey all: We’re once again seeking 80 masochists, er, volunteers for two rounds of judging. Eligibility rules are tighter this year, so please suffer through this whole memo before jumping in. If you don’t know what the Cybils are, please... brettdl <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Hey all: </p> <p>We’re once again seeking 80 masochists, er, volunteers for two rounds of judging.&nbsp; Eligibility rules are tighter this year, so please suffer through this whole memo before jumping in.</p> <p>If you don’t know what the Cybils are, please read the previous post.&nbsp; </p> <p>Thanks! </p> <p>Overview</p> <p>There are two rounds of judging, and two types of judges.&nbsp; </p> <p>Panelists</p> <p>Duties: </p> <ol><li>Panelists are the first-round judges.&nbsp; You start work when nominations close on Oct. 15th, sifting through scores of nominated books in your chosen genre.&nbsp; &nbsp;</li> <li>You’ll join a Yahoo! Group or similar list and use a database to keep track of what you’ve read. </li> <li>Although we make every effort to obtain review copies for you, you may have to track down some copies via interlibrary loans, or plop yourself on the floor of your bookstore of choice (though we cannot reimburse you for purchases).</li> <li>We have a 50-page rule.&nbsp; Each panel commits only to making sure every nominated book is read to at least the 50th page by at least one person.&nbsp; This prevents wasting time on marginal books. </li> <li>You turn in a shortlist of 5-7 titles in late December and then collapse in an exhausted heap. </li></ol><p>Qualifications: </p> <ol><li> You must contribute to an active kidlit blog, podcast or v-log started no later than Jan. 1, 2008.&nbsp; By “active,” we mean updated regularly with no long absences (vacations don’t count).&nbsp; There’s no magic number of posts, we just need to see a steady commitment. </li> <li> By “kidlit” we mean some aspect of children’s or YA literature or publishing.&nbsp; It can feature news, reviews, ruminations on the writing life, doodles, Deep Thoughts, etc.&nbsp; But it can’t be, say, a Mommy blog that occasionally describes reading to your kids.</li> <li> You must commit to doing the work.&nbsp; That might mean a novel a day for six straight weeks.&nbsp; It means logging your activity and joining discussions.&nbsp; It means forming opinions, defending choices and finding diplomatic ways to settle differences.</li> <li> You should also offer some degree of expertise in your chosen genre, as evidenced on your blog.</li></ol> <p> Judges </p> <p> Duties:</p> <ol><li> Judges pick up where panelists leave off.&nbsp; You start work on Jan. 1, 2009 and will present us with a winner by Feb. 12th. </li> <li> While we make a Herculean effort to get review copies to you extra speedy fast, it is UP TO YOU to make sure you read EVERY SINGLE BOOK ON THE SHORTLIST in a timely fashion.&nbsp; We have plenty of librarian volunteers who can familiarize you with interlibrary loans, and there’s always that cozy spot on the floor of your bookstore of choice.&nbsp; Sorry for the harsh tone, but it’s been an issue, y’know? </li> <li> You don’t need to be Super Extrovert Blabbermouth, but you should be willing to engage the other judges as soon as you’ve read 2 or 3 of the finalists.&nbsp; Jump in there. Go ahead.&nbsp; Please.</li></ol> <p> We’ll be issuing more specific guidelines for panelists and judges as soon as they’re chosen.</p> <p> How to volunteer: </p> <ol><li> Email both Kelly Herold and Anne Levy. Kelly is at kidslitinfo (at) gmail (dot) com and Anne is at anne (at) bookbuds (dot) net.</li> <li> List “Cybils judge” in the subject line. </li> <li> The body of your email should include an URL to your blog and your 1st and 2nd choice of genres.&nbsp; Let us know if you prefer panelist or judge or no preference. </li> <li> If you’ve had any absences from your blog longer than, say, a few weeks, let us know.&nbsp; It all depends on the reason and how active you’ve been since you returned.&nbsp; We all need a break sometimes. </li></ol> <p> If you haven’t run off screaming yet, a few last words:</p> <p> The contest is fun.&nbsp; At least, people tell us it’s fun, and we don’t want to accuse them of lying. </p> <p> We’ll be taking our time reading blogs, so please don’t expect news until mid-September, possibly later. </p> <p> Getting rejected: <br /> Please don’t stop the love if we cannot find a place for you on a panel.&nbsp; We’re not judging your looks.&nbsp; It doesn’t mean all your blogging efforts have come to naught. </p> <p> But, yes, it’s ultimately a subjective decision who to take on and where to place them.&nbsp; Here are a few of the more obvious criteria, in no real order: </p> <ol><li> A demonstrated expertise in the genre</li> <li> A demonstrated enthusiasm for blogging</li> <li> A blog that has built a following (not necessarily a huge one—loyalty counts too)</li> <li> The blogger’s prestige (ie, you might be an award-winning illustrator, or have a Ph.D. in children’s poetry)</li></ol> <p> Note that prior experience with Cybils isn’t on the list. Not that we’re mad at last year’s crew (who were all fabulous, of course), but we want to make room for new folks too.&nbsp; A good balance of veterans and newbies is our goal. </p> <p> Email us if you’re still interested.&nbsp; </p> <p> Cheers,<br /> Anne and Kelly </p> </div> http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/08/2008-call-for-c.html We're warming up for the 2008 contest ... tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54607674 2008-08-23T21:13:24-07:00 2008-08-23T21:13:36-07:00 The 3rd annual Cybils awards are nearly here! For newcomers, Cybils stands for The Children’s and YA Bloggers’ Literary Awards, and we’re still the only book awards of any sort from the blogging community. A refresher: 1. We open nominations... brettdl <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The 3rd annual Cybils awards are nearly here!&nbsp; For newcomers, Cybils stands for The Children’s and YA Bloggers’ Literary Awards, and we’re still the only book awards of any sort from the blogging community. </p> <p>A refresher: </p> <p>1. We open nominations to the public on Oct. 1 at cybils.com. Anyone 13 or older – authors and publishers included - may nominate a book in one of our eight genres. </p> <p>2. This year, only books published in English between Jan. 1 and Oct. 15 are eligible.&nbsp; This ups the odds of getting review copies in a timely fashion.&nbsp; </p> <p>(Authors – if your book comes out later than Oct. 15, you’ll be eligible next year. Promise).</p> <p>3. Bilingual books are always welcome – there’s no rule on what the second language must be. Erdu’s as good as Spanish or Mandarin. </p> <p>4. We’ll again have a one-book-per-category rule for nominations. </p> <p>5. The books will go through two rounds of judging.&nbsp; Finalists are announced Jan. 1.&nbsp; Winners are announced Feb. 14. See tomorrow's post if you’d like to judge. </p> <p>Hope this answers some basic questions about this year’s contest.&nbsp; </p> <p>Reminder: we'll post instructions tomorrow if you'd like to judge. </p> <p>-Anne Levy, editor</p></div> http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/08/were-warming-up.html The new Cybils logo tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54582588 2008-08-22T23:33:14-07:00 2008-08-23T02:37:36-07:00 I hope you all like our new logo. It was the product of a four-way collaboration. Little Willow of Bildungsroman blog stepped forward when I asked for a new logo that didn't look like a giant sticker. Her sister, Lisa... brettdl <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>I hope you all like our new logo.&nbsp; It was the product of a four-way collaboration.&nbsp; Little Willow of <a href="http://www.slayground.net/bildungsroman/">Bildungsroman</a> blog stepped forward when I asked for a new logo that didn't look like a giant sticker.&nbsp; Her sister, Lisa Fuller, created the &quot;mousebook&quot; graphic for us.&nbsp; Many thanks to Lisa and her <a href="http://www.littlepiestudio.com/">Little Pie Studio</a>.&nbsp; </p> <p>Little Willow and I went back and forth via email about a gajillion times.&nbsp; She came up with a very close approximation of what you see.&nbsp; All I pretty much did is tweak the font (from courier to american typewriter, if you must know), reverse the book's direction and add our year.&nbsp; Those last two ideas came from my <a href="http://dadtalk.net/">husband,</a> who hated the whole thing otherwise. He likes it now.&nbsp; Phew! </p> <p>Many thanks, Little Willow and Lisa! </p> <p>--Anne Levy</p></div> http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/08/the-new-cybils.html Under Construction tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54435464 2008-08-19T19:31:32-07:00 2008-08-19T19:31:43-07:00 The Cybils site will be undergoing a redesign in coming days. Look for our new logo and a handful of other changes as we clear out the old to make way for the new. Thanks for your continued patience. -Anne... brettdl <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The Cybils site will be undergoing a redesign in coming days.&nbsp; Look for our new logo and a handful of other changes as we clear out the old to make way for the new. </p> <p>Thanks for your continued patience. </p> <p>-Anne Levy</p></div> http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/08/under-construct.html Briefest of brief updates ... tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54229790 2008-08-15T07:21:41-07:00 2008-08-15T07:21:53-07:00 The Cybils blog will end its summer sleep mode in a few weeks with a new logo and new look. Also, a buncha new announcements, new rules, and, oh, other new stuff. Nominations will open again on Oct. 1. See... brettdl <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The Cybils blog will end its summer sleep mode in a few weeks with a new logo and new look.&nbsp; Also, a buncha new announcements, new rules, and, oh, other new stuff. </p> <p>Nominations will open again on Oct. 1. </p> <p>See you all soon.</p> <p>-Anne <br /></p></div> http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/08/briefest-of-bri.html Cynsations interview tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52117974 2008-07-01T08:43:39-07:00 2008-07-01T08:45:04-07:00 Are you looking forward to the Cybils ramping up again in the fall? So are we! Anne and I talk to Cynthia Leitich Smith at Cynsations about the Cybils and what comes next. --Kelly Kelly <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Are you looking forward to the Cybils ramping up again in the fall?&nbsp; So are we!&nbsp; <a href="http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2008/06/interview-kelly-herold-and-anne-boles.html">Anne and I talk to Cynthia Leitich Smith at Cynsations about the Cybils and what comes next</a>.</p> <p><em>--Kelly</em></p></div> http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/07/cynsations-inte.html Help us locate missing winners tag:typepad.com,2003:post-50076062 2008-05-19T06:40:28-07:00 2008-05-19T06:40:38-07:00 First, check out our fabulous prize: Gorgeous, no? Many thanks to Jim Lanier at Lanier Pens for his stunning craftsmanship. I had to adjust the logo a bit for the box, but it came out quite grand, methinks. I'm really... brettdl

First, check out our fabulous prize:

Cybilspen_2

Gorgeous, no?

Many thanks to Jim Lanier at Lanier Pens for his stunning craftsmanship. I had to adjust the logo a bit for the box, but it came out quite grand, methinks.

I'm really proud we were able to raise the money for such a gorgeous prize. It's not the honorarium we'd all love to see our winners get, but it's an elegant keepsake nonetheless.

I sent out all but five of these pens last week, and I got a few emails from as far away as Paris to let me know they'd safely arrived.

But five winners can't be located. I need your help! If you know how to get in touch with any of the following, email me at anne AT bookbuds DOT net.

Andrew Donkin
Giovanni Rigano
Shelley Jackson
Paolo Lamanna
Eoin Colfer

All but Jackson worked on "Artemis Fowl," one of our Graphic Novels winners. For some odd reason, their U.S. publisher, Hyperion, hasn't answered repeated emails.

If you have an updated contact for Hyperion or any of these people, please let me know asap! I'm moving at the end of June and the remaining pens will be boxed and lordie knows when I'll get to unpack them again.

Thanks in advance,
Anne the Editor


 http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/05/help-us-locate.html The premier web awards for kidlit tag:typepad.com,2003:post-46953064 2008-03-12T17:28:35-07:00 2008-08-19T19:41:28-07:00 Hooray for our 2007 winners! Click here for a short overview of the contest, or peruse the index of 2007 finalists. We'll open nominations for the 2008 contest on Oct. 1. Look for announcements in coming weeks as we line... brettdl <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Hooray for our <a href="http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/02/the-2007-cybils.html">2007 winners</a>! Click <a href="http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2007/09/welcome-to-the-.html">here</a> for a short overview of the contest, or peruse the <a href="http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/finalists/index.html">index of 2007 finalists</a>.</p> <p>We'll open nominations for the 2008 contest on Oct. 1.&nbsp; Look for announcements in coming weeks as we line up this year's participating bloggers and launch the new season. <br /></p></div> http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/03/the-2007-cybils.html 2007 Post Mortem tag:typepad.com,2003:post-46485626 2008-03-03T07:24:59-07:00 2008-03-03T07:25:11-07:00 As with last year, we're asking participants, readers and random visitors to comment on the contest. We're not looking for lavish praise (though we won't delete it, either:-) but a frank appraisal of what is or isn't working, and what... brettdl

As with last year, we're asking participants, readers and random visitors to comment on the contest. We're not looking for lavish praise (though we won't delete it, either:-) but a frank appraisal of what is or isn't working, and what needs to improve for next year.

We already know we need to work on our judging criteria--what specifics would you like to see? Or other suggestions?

And we're painfully aware we need to patch relations with publishers so review copies aren't so hard to come by. War stories, anyone?

Other ideas, suggestions and criticisms--constructive or not--are welcome. As always, you may keep yourself anonymous, if you prefer.

If you'd rather sound off in private, email me at anne (at) bookbuds (dot) net.
Thanks to all for your feedback.

--Anne Levy, Editor

 http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/03/2007-post-morte.html Kelly conquers Iowa tag:typepad.com,2003:post-46265612 2008-02-27T14:53:57-07:00 2008-02-27T14:54:07-07:00 A wonderful, informative interview in the Iowa Independent with our own Kelly Herold, even if they did leave off the Fantasy and Science Fiction category. brettdl

A wonderful, informative interview in the Iowa Independent with our own Kelly Herold, even if they did leave off the Fantasy and Science Fiction category.

http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/02/kelly-conquers.html Some love from Literary Mama tag:typepad.com,2003:post-46245902 2008-02-27T08:40:55-07:00 2008-02-27T08:41:10-07:00 Many thanks to Libby Gruner from our Fantasy & Science Fiction panel for her thoughtful article on the Cybils over at Literary Mama. She introduces us to a whole new audience of smart, savvy and bookish Moms--exactly the sort of... brettdl

Many thanks to Libby Gruner from our Fantasy & Science Fiction panel for her thoughtful article on the Cybils over at Literary Mama. She introduces us to a whole new audience of smart, savvy and bookish Moms--exactly the sort of folks we hope to reach as we spread word of the great books we got to read this year.

Thanks, Libby!

http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/02/some-love-from.html Linkage! tag:typepad.com,2003:post-45977700 2008-02-22T06:41:50-07:00 2008-02-22T06:42:00-07:00 Kelly here, again. We're cleaning up behind the scenes, ordering prizes for our winners and stickers for their books, and soon we'll be soliciting your thoughts on the Cybils process. In the meantime, here's some serious linkage. Take a look,... Kelly <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Kelly here, again. </p> <p>We're cleaning up behind the scenes, ordering prizes for our winners and stickers for their books, and soon we'll be soliciting your thoughts on the Cybils process. In the meantime, here's some serious linkage. Take a look, and comment where you can.</p> <p><a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/eNewsletter/CA6534148/2788.html">The Cybils made Publishers Weekly Children's Bookshelf this week</a>. (Squee!)&nbsp; Children's Bookshelf is a weekly must, so if you haven't signed up for this glorious freebie, be sure to do so now.</p> <p><a href="http://ypulse.com/archives/2008/02/ypulse_book_ess_17.php">Alli at Y-Pulse includes the Cybils in their Publishing roundup</a>. (Y-Pulse is it for news on Generation Y. As an X-er myself, I'm unclear on the Y age boundaries. Anyone know?)</p> <p><a href="http://tandemlibrarybooks.typepad.com/tandem_insights/2008/02/the-cybils-2007.html">Tandem Insights has a great post up on all the winning titles</a>. Tandem is a consulting firm for libraries. Check out their blog for the latest on good books.</p> <p>Wow! <a href="http://blog.reading.org/archives/003675.html">The International Reading Association gives us a shout out</a>. Thanks, IRA, we think you're awesome, too.</p> <p><a href="http://www.illusiontv.com/news/2008/02/cybils-announced/">Illusion--a great site with videos, blogs, galleries, and more--mentions the Fantasy/SciFi Cybils</a>. Illusion focuses on anime, SciFi, games, gadgets--all sorts of cool stuff.</p> <p><a href="http://babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2008/02/21/turn-the-page.aspx">I just LOVE the introduction to Adrienne Martini's post at popular parenting blog Strollerderby</a>. Go read it for a good laugh and an &quot;I've been there.&quot;</p> <p><a href="http://alibraryisalibrary.blogspot.com/2008/02/0286-cybils-and-winners-are.html">VWB has a roundup of the winners over at A Library By Any Other Name</a>. VWB also has great posts on the finalist announcements in <a href="http://alibraryisalibrary.blogspot.com/2008/01/0286-2007-cybils-nomination-finalists.html">part 1</a> and <a href="http://alibraryisalibrary.blogspot.com/2008/01/0286-2007-cybils-nomination-finalists_07.html">part 2</a>.</p> <p>And some of our participants weigh in on the process for a behind-the-scenes look at the judging process:</p> <p><a href="http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=1134">Eisha and Jules--who both served as panel organizers <em>and</em> panelists--talk the joy and the work of the Cybils at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://bunnyplanet.blogspot.com/2008/01/no-cigar-but-then-i-dont-smoke.html">Wendy discusses the books that didn't make the Cybils Poetry shortlist, but that she loved anyway at Blog from the Windowsill</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://kbaccellia.livejournal.com/194880.html">Kim Baccellia talks about her favorite books that didn't make the Fantasy/Sci Fi panel at Si, se puede! Yes we can</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://stacy-dekeyser.livejournal.com/#asset-stacy_dekeyser-28175">Stacy DeKeyser gives us a diary of a Cybils committee member</a>. It involves IM-ing until 2:18 am.&nbsp; Yikes!</p> <p>Maureen at Confessions of a Bibliovore is reviewing the Cybils YA finalists: Don't miss her thoughts on <a href="http://bloodyyank.blogspot.com/2008/02/book-review-billie-standish-was-here-by.html"><em>Billie Standish Was Here</em>, by Nancy Crocker</a>, and the Cybils winner, <a href="http://bloodyyank.blogspot.com/2008/02/book-review-boy-toy-by-barry-lyga.html"><em>Boy Toy</em>, by Barry Lyga</a>.</p> <p>As always, I'm looking for great links.&nbsp; If you have one, send 'em my way via the comments.</p> </div> http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/02/linkage.html Welcome, librarians! tag:typepad.com,2003:post-45836366 2008-02-19T10:51:05-07:00 2008-02-19T10:51:19-07:00 Whether you're coming here from SLJ's Extra Helpings or today's FuseNews, we hope you'll make yourself welcome. Click here for our list of 2007 winners, which we announced last week. There's loads of fun stuff in our sidebars, from a... brettdl

Whether you're coming here from SLJ's Extra Helpings or today's FuseNews, we hope you'll make yourself welcome. Click here for our list of 2007 winners, which we announced last week.

There's loads of fun stuff in our sidebars, from a printable list of finalists to links to our organizers and judges.

Have a blog of your own? We'll be soliciting judges for next year's contest in early August.

Thanks for stopping by!

http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/02/welcome-librari.html The blogs are buzzing! tag:typepad.com,2003:post-45757848 2008-02-18T06:35:25-07:00 2008-02-18T06:35:37-07:00 Kelly here. I hope everyone's had a wonderful weekend--reading, writing, and surfing (the blogs, of course). The blogs have been buzzing since the Cybils announcements this Valentine's Day. I thought I'd jump in and tell you what everyone's saying. Our... Kelly <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Kelly here. I hope everyone's had a wonderful weekend--reading, writing, and surfing (the blogs, of course).&nbsp; </p> <p>The blogs have been buzzing since the Cybils announcements this Valentine's Day.&nbsp; I thought I'd jump in and tell you what everyone's saying.</p> <p><span style="color: #990000;"><strong>Our writers and illustrators </strong></span><span style="color: #000000;">react with good humor and humility.&nbsp; <a href="http://brianflocablog.blogspot.com/2008/02/bloggers-valentine.html">Brian Floca, author of <em>Lightship </em>(winner Non Fiction Picture book), has trouble with his singulars and plurals as far as the Cybils are concerned, but is happy nonetheless</a>. (Don't worry, Brian.&nbsp; It/They confuse me too.)<br />&nbsp; </span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://barrylyga.com/new/325.html">Barry Lyga, author of <em>Boy Toy </em>(winner, Young Adult fiction), uses the monosyllable of Keanu, &quot;whoa.</a>&quot; That about sums it up, Barry. Congratulations!</span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;">Our Middle Grade Fiction winner, Linda Urban (<em>A Crooked Kind of Perfect</em>), writes, &quot;</span><a href="http://lurban.livejournal.com/22321.html">Well.Now.Is there any better way to start a Valentine's Day, but with a whole panel of smart, well-read, thoughtful people showering the love on your book? I don't think there is</a>.&quot; And she has a super-cute baby on her blog too!</p> <p><a href="http://oinks.squeetus.com/2008/02/i-am-not-sally.html">Shannon Hale--winner in the Young Adult Fantasy/SciFi category for <em>Book of A Thousand Days</em>--celebrates her win and the &quot;club&quot; of people who write for children and young adults</a>. (And don't miss Shannon's fans who weigh in at the Shannon Hale fansite--<a href="http://www.littleredreadinghood.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&amp;t=2884">Little Red Riding Hood</a>.)</p> <p>Speaking of clubs--check out the <a href="http://www.verlakay.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=bc7400997e75d098e805d166cfd66edb&amp;topic=25321.msg285284;topicseen">Verla Kay boards</a> (a discussion board for writers and illustrators) for their take.</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Cybils participants</span></strong><span style="color: #000000;"> also checked in with graphics, notes, and comments on the judging process.&nbsp; Here's who's talking:</span></p> <p>J.L. Bell of Oz and Ends was a judge for the graphic novel category and he discusses <a href="http://ozandends.blogspot.com/2008/02/kidlit-blogospheres-valentines-cards-to.html">some of their considerations here</a>.</p> <p>Janelle of Writermorphosis t<a href="http://writermorphosis.blogspot.com/2008/02/and-cybils-fantasyscifi-winners-are.html">alks about being a judge on the busy Fantasy/SciFi committee</a> (10 books! All long!)</p> <p><a href="http://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2008/02/cybils-love.html">Tricia of The Miss Rumphius Effect posted a super-cool graphic</a>.&nbsp; Thanks, Tricia. (Tricia was on the Non Fiction Picture Book nominating panel.)</p> <p><span style="color: #660000;"><strong>Other members of the Children's Literature community </strong></span><span style="color: #000000;">have their say as well.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.hbook.com/blog/2008/02/cybils-speak.html">Roger Sutton, editor of <em>The Horn Book</em> and blogger extraordinaire at Read Roger, is looking for gossip on the winning titles</a>. Our lips are sealed, Roger.</span></p> <p><a href="http://www.mom2momkc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&amp;p=6889&amp;sid">KidlitKim weighs in over at mom2mom</a> (at KansasCity.com). Thanks, Kim!</p> <p><a href="http://doverpl.blogspot.com/2008/02/indulge-your-inner-child.html">The Dover Public Library gives us a shout out as well</a>. Thanks, Denise. You have a great library blog.</p> <p>If you've blogged about the Cybils Awards this year, or have run across a great post, please leave us a comment so we can share the linky love.</p></div> http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2008/02/the-blogs-are-b.html The 2007 Cybils winners tag:typepad.com,2003:post-45516438 2008-02-14T05:00:00-07:00 2008-02-14T07:07:02-07:00 What is it about kids' books that gets us? For me, it's about peals of giggles and excited pointing. It's about the dog-earred, juice-stained, crayon-enhanced pages held together by reams of scotch tape and hope. Cybils is a comfort zone... brettdl

What is it about kids' books that gets us? For me, it's about peals of giggles and excited pointing. It's about the dog-earred, juice-stained, crayon-enhanced pages held together by reams of scotch tape and hope.

Cybils is a comfort zone for the similarly obsessed, where no one has to apologize for preferring the manga version of Shakespeare, and it's always okay to just look at the pictures. Even those who don't have kids--or who don't work with them--can curl up with a trashy teen romance or a goofy science fiction spoof. It's all good.

We had our fun reading and judging, and now it's your turn. The winners below are a gift from our hearts to you and the kids you love, even if you're just indulging an inner child.

--Anne Boles Levy, Editor

The winners' descriptions are courtesy of the judges in each genre. Where possible, we've included a link to the reader who originally nominated the book.

Fantasy and Science Fiction

Elementary/Middle Grade:

210k2xvdp1l_aa_sl160_ The True Meaning of Smekday
by Adam Rex
Hyperion
Nothing has been the same since the Boov invaded Earth and re- named it Smekland. But things get even weirder when twelve-year- old Gratuity Tucci embarks on a journey to find her missing mother--accompanied by her cat (named Pig), a fugitive Boov (named J.Lo) and a slightly illegal hovercar--and realizes that there's more at stake than just her mother's whereabouts. A terrific satire with a touching ending and spot-on illustrations by the author, the novel is heartwarming and hilarious at the same time. Gratuity's narrative voice as she struggles to define "the true meaning of Smekday" will draw readers in.
Nominated by jennifer, aka literaticat.

Young Adult:

21sig5vknl_aa_sl160__2 Book of a Thousand Days
by Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
On her first day as a Lady’s Maid, Dashti finds herself locked in a tower for seven years with her Lady, who is being punished for refusing to marry the Lord of a neighboring land. Thus begins a life-and-death battle against evil and time. Lyrically written and set in ancient central Asia, this novel retells a little-known Brother’s Grimm fairy tale with desperate, heart-wrenching emotion. Readers will be drawn in by the beautiful language and fighting spirit of Dashti, whose faith, spunk and ingenuity affect not only the darkness of her tower, but also the hearts and futures of kings.
Nominated by Sarah Miller.

Fiction Picture Books

31nqfzpjnkl_aa_sl160_ The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County
by Janice N. Harrington; illustrated by Shelley Jackson
Farrar, Strauss & Giroux
Mama says “NO,” but this farm girl seems determined to keep right on chasing chickens, especially poor Miss Hen, the one chicken that always gets away. This lively story is told in the first-person voice of our full-of-the-devil young lady, using language that sings with the vernacular and cadence of true country storytelling. The illustrations are a perfect match in spirit, and they move the tale along with equal verve, using the rich texture of collage, skilled brush strokes, celebratory colors and charming whimsy. Best of all, we learn that even the wildest hearts are capable of warmth and growth.
Nominated by Megan.

Graphic Novels

Elementary/Middle Grade:

21fv7sxv6ml_aa_sl160_ Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel
written by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin
illustrated by Giovanni Rigano and Paolo Lamanna
Hyperion
The comics format proves a good match for Eoin Colfer's tale of war between fairies and an obsessed young genius, already popular around the world in novel form. The energetic, manga-influenced drawings capture the book's technologically heavy action and many magical creatures. The book's creative team uses comics techniques from character profiles to changes in lettering to lead readers through the novel's shifting points of view and sympathies. A truly over-the-top adventure.
Nominated by Brandon.

Young Adult:

21hkbxs1dgl_aa_sl160_ The Professor's Daughter
written by Joann Sfar; illustrated by Emmanuel Guibert
First Second
In late Victorian London, the frustrated daughter of an archaeologist and the repressed son of an Egyptian pharaoh fall in love. That he's been dead for many centuries is the least of their problems. The twisting, fast-paced story that follows takes readers to many landmarks of classic English adventure tales, from the British Museum and Scotland Yard and into the private study of Queen Victoria herself. While the panel layout is the same on nearly every page, the scenes inside those boxes jump from slapstick action to tender reminiscences to deadly danger.
Nominated by Liz B.

Middle Grade Novels

21npotazicl_aa_sl160_ A Crooked Kind of Perfect
by Linda Urban
Harcourt Children's Books
A genuinely funny middle-grade reader; how nice to read a book that isn't depressing or heavy, yet has its own emotional weight. This book is guaranteed to make even reluctant readers smile, with sufficient details to hold the interest of more advanced readers too. If the point of the Cybils is to balance kid-friendly qualities with literary panache, then Urban's first novel has that. And while some may protest that it's not a terribly deep story, it has heart, love, a good storyline, and characters you can get behind. Readers are bound to fall in love with its stunning voice, the amazing details that Urban shares of 11-year-old Zoe's life, and the lovely relationships that occur between Zoe and her music teacher, her Dad and Mom, and her friends.
Nominated by Kelly Fineman.

Nonfiction MG/YA books

2119wx4xadl_aa_sl160_ Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood
by Ibtisam Barakat
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Tasting the Sky is beautifully written and conveys the fear, confusion and tumult of war, but it's also an excellent memoir of childhood in any culture: the broad injustices, the importance of trivial things, the mysteries of the adult world. The setting is both vital to the story--in terms of the war and the political situation--and strangely unimportant, when it comes to classic childhood themes of sibling rivalry, loss of a pet and going to school. The committee felt that Tasting the Sky had the best balance between high literary merit and kid appeal; the story is timely, and one kids will relate to and enjoy reading. Barakat's narrative is gripping and remarkably devoid of anger and hate. We were impressed how she kept the narrative through her young eyes, choosing not to zoom out and give an overview of the situation to reassure the reader about the bigger picture or what lay ahead. Barakat never does, and the reader is left to experience events from the height of a three-year-old, frightened and unsure.
Nominated by Brooke.

Nonfiction Picture Books

211drabqcml_aa_sl160_ Lightship
by Brian Floca
Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
Gin rummy, wave-tossed trips to "the head," and a cat that can't get used to the deck-shaking horn are among the intriguing details in Floca's nuanced, well-rounded view of life on board this now-retired Coast Guard vessel. The story he tells is simple yet captivating because a lightship is likely nothing you've ever heard of and you just keep on turning the pages to find out more about this curious ship. Floca's art--rich in variety and intricately detailed-- complements the humor in his spare, poetic text. Shine a light and gather a crew for this fabulous read-aloud.
Nominated by Susan Thomsen.

Poetry

21igwigx7dl_aa_sl160_ This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness
by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski
Houghton Mifflin
Everyone messes up. The characters in Sidman's original, funny, and heart-wrenching book certainly do. But in individual poems spoken in utterly believable and age-appropriate voices, by turns hilarious and piercing, this collection offers poems of apology and response that build to an overarching story that will knock your emotional socks off. Kids can read this book straight through like a short story, flip back and forth between the poems of apology and response, study the form and style of a favorite poem, follow one of the appealing, diverse characters, or lose themselves in the expressive and clever illustrations. And if they are suddenly overcome by the urge to write their own imperfect, but perfectly honest, poems after reading this book, it will be with the blessing of poets like Sidman, who understands that poetry is for everyone, and especially for those who mess up.
Nominated by Liz in Ink.

Young Adult Novels

Boytoy Boy Toy
by Barry Lyga
Houghton Mifflin
Lyga's Boy Toy is a story that everyone thinks they understand: Teacher Has Affair With Student. However, this book guides readers beyond sensationalism and straight into empathy, challenging expectations and assumptions on every page. Lyga's prose is unflinching and the result is heartbreaking and unforgettable.
Nominated by Teen Troves.