Rasco From RIF

You ask, what is CYBILS?

January 3rd, 2010

CYBILS = Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards!

More you want to know, eh?  I like the opening post “About CYBILS“  which says in part:

• Our purpose is two-fold:
  Reward the children’s and young adult authors (and illustrators, let’s not forget them) whose books combine the highest literary merit and “kid appeal.” What’s that mean? If some la-di-dah awards can be compared to brussel sprouts, and other, more populist ones to gummy bears, we’re thinking more like organic chicken nuggets. We’re yummy and nutritious.
• Foster a sense of community among bloggers who write about children’s and YA literature, highlight our best reviewers (and shamelessly promote their blogs) and provide a forum for the similarly obsessed.

We wouldn’t be a real awards if we didn’t have a whole bunch of complicated rules in tortured lawyerese. So maybe we’re not a real awards, because there aren’t any lawyers ….(and you can read and explore the rest of the site).

The list of finalists in the various CYBILS categories for 2009 were announced by Anne Levy, administrator, on January 1, 2010. You can review not only a listing of the 2009 finalists but all nominees as well which of course gives you a great shopping list for gifts to children and youth you know!

I am honored this year to be serving on the panel to select the top award winner in the Non-Fiction Picture Book category which you will note is to be chosen from the following entries determined by a first panel of judges from the many nominees:

Mermaid Queen: The Spectacular True Story Of Annette Kellerman, Who Swam Her Way To Fame, Fortune & Swimsuit History!
by Shana Corey
Scholastic

The Day-Glo Brothers
by Chris Barton
Charlesbridge

Life-Size Zoo: From Tiny Rodents to Gigantic Elephants, An Actual Size Animal Encyclopedia
Created by Teruyuki Komiya with photographs by Toyofumi Fukuda
Seven Footer Press

14 Cows for America
by Carmen Agra Deedy
Peachtree

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11
by Brian Floca
Atheneum

Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea
by Steve Jenkins
Houghton Mifflin

Faith (Global Fund for Children Books)
by Maya Ajmera, Magde Nakassis, and Cynthia Pon for the Global Fund for Children
Charlesbridge

I will be serving with the following bloggers on the panel for this category:

Jone Rush MacCulloch, Panel Organizer, Check It Out
J.L. Bell, Oz and Ends
Shirley Smith Duke, SimplyScience
Roberta Gibson, Wrapped in Foil
Emily Mitchell, Emily Reads
I look forward to the discussions with these new colleagues as we select the award winner in this category for announcement on February 14. 

While you are awaiting the 2009 winning titles, start a list for yourself of books published starting October 1, 2009 through the following October and plan to be a nominator next year.  Yes, it is open to the general public for nominations;  just keep in mind “literary merit” and “kid appeal”!

Questions?  Leave them in the comment section and I’ll  make sure an appropriate person gets an answer posted.

Happy Reading!
Carol

Filed under: Children's Books, Cybils, Other Blogs

Tags: 14 COWS FOR AMERICA, Brian Floca, Carmen Agra Deedy, Check It Out, Chris Barton, Cybils, Cynthia Pon, Down Down Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea, Emily Mitchell, Emily Reads, Faith, J. L. Bell, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Life-Size Zoo: From Tiny Rodents to Gigantic Elephants-An actual Size Animal Encyclopedia, Magde Nakassis, Maya Ajmera, Mermaid Queen, Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11, Oz and Ends, Roberta Gibson, Shana Corey, Shirley Smith Duke, SimplyScience, Steve Jenkins, Teruyuki Komiya and Toyofumi Fukuda, The Day-Glo Brothers, Wrapped in Foil