Cybils

New Blog Announcement: Booklights

I am happy to announce the launch of a new children's book blog from PBS Parents, Booklights. Pam Coughlan (MotherReader), Susan Kusel (Wizards Wireless), and I (Jen Robinson) will be working with Gina Montefusco from PBS, along with various guest contributors, to bring literacy and reading content to the PBS Parents audience. The goal of Booklights, in line with the goals that Susan, Pam, and I have for our personal blogs, is to help people to inspire a love of reading in children. (Well, Susan and I have that stated goal - click here to see Pam's more entertaining response.)

Currently we're in "soft launch" mode, which means that PBS won't be announcing the blog anywhere until next week. But we wanted to let you, our Cybils blog-reading friends, know about it now. We have some early introductory posts and lists of favorite picture books now available. And I suspect that a list of Cybils winners would make a good post sometime soon, don't you?

Anyway, I hope that you'll check out the new blog, and that you'll consider adding it to your regular blog reading. Thanks!  

-- Jen Robinson, Cybils Literacy Evangelist

The Amazing Gregory K.

Crap! I totally forgot to publicize Gotta Book's poetry blitz.  That was SO on my list of things to do for this month.  I'm such a bad virtual friend.  Actually, since I've met Gotta Book's Gregory K. in person, I'm a bad friend, period.  I hope he still loves us and comes back to judge again next year (gulp).

Here's the deal: for the entire month of April, that being this here month we're in right now, he's lined up a new poet every day.  It's called 30 Poets/30 Days and it ROCKS.  All are original compositions in honor of Nat'l Poetry Month.

Jack Prelutsky's already got a poem up.  Jane Yolen is promising one later in the month.  Where else can you see children's literary history being made?

What are you still doing here?  Get thee to Gotta Book!

--Anne the Editor

Calling all interviewers

If you were a panelist or judge this year, would you like to do a Q&A with one of the winners?  I'll try and set it all up with the publicists, but wanted to coordinate it centrally so we don't all step on each other's toes or have too much duplication.

Email me at anne (at) bookbuds (dot) net if you're interested.  Let me know  your first and second-choice author or illustrator.

Thanks,
Anne Levy 

Belated Dedication

I was in such a frantic rush to edit the winners' list and get it posted that I never wrote a dedication.  I decided to post it somewhat belatedly, if you all don't mind.

Welcome to the 2008-9 Cybils

This year's winners right here!

Nominations are now closed. Our finalists were announced Jan. 1, 2009. Nominations open Oct. 1, 2009 for the 2009-10 contest. Read about us here. 

Nominations close tonight!

Nominations for the third annual Cybils close tonight at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.  As best we can, we'll go in tonight and shut down the comments.  Any nominations left in comments after 11:59 p.m. tonight won't be counted, sorry to say. 

What happens next:

1. The full list of nominations will be posted on Monday.
2. Review copies will be ordered from publishers
3. First-round judges begin deliberating
4. Short lists submitted in late December

There'll be plenty to keep you coming back to the Cybils blog.  We'll be posting snippets from the best reviews of the most talked-about books.  Plus roundtable discussions, Q&As and much more.

See you around.
-Anne Levy, editor

What's missing?

I gotta tell ya.  The crazy way TypePad does comments now makes it harder to skim through them all to see what's already been nominated.  Complaints are pouring in about duplicate nominations, wasted nominations, etc.  We hear you!

Has anyone compiled a list of what terrific books are still missing from our nominations?  If you've posted a list on your blog, send me the link.  We'll start a "what's missing" meme.

I haven't nominated anything yet while I let everyone else get first pick.  I -- and doubtless many others -- would be happy to help nominate deserving books that might get overlooked.

Send us URLs.  Add it to the comments here or email me at anne (at) bookbuds (dot) net. I'll update this post as links come in. 

--Anne Levy, Editor

UPDATE:  As promised, here are links to lists.

SECOND UPDATE:  See additions to several categories, marked with *.

General
The Shady Glade has a few she's surprised aren't on the list. *Same with A Patchwork of Books.

Easy Readers
Many books still missing, says Cloudscome and Wizards Wireless.

Picture Books
*Mother Reader has a handful of omissions so far.

Non-fiction
Miss Rumphius has some suggestions for picture books, while The Well-Read Child mulls the mg/ya nominees still missing.  *Miss Rumphius comes back for more. 

Poetry
Cloudscome has her Poetry wish list, while Sylvia Vardell has a comprehensive overview of everything out there.

Science Fiction/Fantasy
Charlotte takes the opposite approach, listing what has been nominated.  Looks like panelists have their work cut out for them.

Young Adult
Becky has her list up for YA books and is crossing out those that get nominated. *And the Ya Ya Yas have a few too. 

 

The Third Annual Cybils Awards

Welcome to the premier Web awards for children's literature.  You, the public, nominated the books.  Now we, the bloggers, are busy reading them and will eventually hand out prizes.

Nominations are now closed. 

Please come back as we post reviews and news.  Below the jump you'll see contest rules. 

The Brightspirit auction

The following is a message from one of our organizers, Sheila Ruth, about the ad you see in the center column:

On February 5, 2008, 10-year-old Emmy Grace Cherry lost her life in a tornado that devastated Russellville, Arkansas. Emmy’s mother and father died with her. Emmy was a big fan of the Warriors series by Erin Hunter, and her last 5th grade school report was entitled,  “My Favorite Author: Erin Hunter.” Through the efforts of Russellville bookseller Lynn Wiman, Emmy’s tragedy came to the attention of the authors who write the Warriors series under the pen name of Erin Hunter.

I became involved when Erin Hunter contacted me, knowing that I have many Warriors fans in the Wands and Worlds community, and asked if I would post a tribute to Emmy. I did, and the Warriors fans on Wands and Worlds responded with an outpouring of grief, condolences, tributes, and pictures. The kids decided to give Emmy an honorary Warriors name, based on the names used in the books, and they selected for her the name Brightspirit.

Emmy’s mother and father were given the names Shiningheart and Braveheart. respectively. Erin Hunter announced that Brightspirit, Shiningheart, and Braveheart would have a cameo appearance in an upcoming book, Long Shadows.  

Emmy’s surviving family, including her grandparents, inspired by this response, wanted some good to come out of this tragedy, and so they founded the Brightspirit Relief Fund to raise money for causes that would have been important to Emmy: literacy, animal assistance, and storm relief. A Warriors Day literacy event will be held this Saturday, September 20, in Russellville, Arkansas, and will be attended by Erin Hunter in person.

An online auction kicks off the same day, to raise money for the fund to help with those causes. I’ve been working hard on setting up the auction, and I’m very excited about all the wonderful items that have been donated by Erin Hunter, Rick Riordan, Brandon Mull, Sarah Beth Durst, Jessica Day George, and others.  

I hope that you’ll consider stopping by at Brightspirit to see all the great items we have. Bidding starts this Saturday, September 20. Authors and illustrators (and everyone else!): it isn’t too late to donate! Go to the auction site and click on “Donate Item” to start your donation. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to email me at sruth (at) wandsandworlds (dot) com .

Welcome to the 2008 Cybils

Greetings!  And welcome to the start of the third annual (doesn't that sound good) Cybils book awards.  We have no idea what's in store for you.  Because, well, it's up to all of you to nominate books. 

Starting October 1, we're going to let you nominate favorite books in nine genres of children's and teen lit.  Yes, nine.  If you don't have a favorite book or two, go find one.  You won't want to miss this year's contest.

In coming days, we're going to introduce this year's slate of organizers.  We'll also publish the full lists of panelists and judges and links to their blogs. 

And, well, that's it really.  That should take us up to opening day.

Welcome back!

-Anne and Kelly