January 09, 2014

More Author/Publisher Reactions from Cybils Finalists

Here are a few more reactions from the authors and publishers who were named 2013 Cybils finalists on January 1st. Extra points to Andrew Karre for using the word "galavanting". See others in this post. 

Ursula Vernon, author of Dragonbreath, responded in a blog comment: "Oh, wow! That is so cool–thank you for letting me know!" 

Macmillan Kids | @MacKidsBooks: The 2013 Cybils Finalists are here! Congratulations to all of our finalists, including BREAKFAST ON MARS. http://ow.ly/sfz7K  (link)

Macmillan Kids | @MacKidsBooks: The 2013 Cybils Finalists are here! Congratulations to all of our finalists, including DELILAH DIRK AND THE TURKISH LIEUTENANT.... (link)

Macmillan Kids | @MacKidsBooks: The 2013 Cybils Finalists are here! Congratulations to all of our finalists, including IF YOU WANT TO SEE A WHALE. http://ow.ly/sfyl7  (link)

Greg Ruth | @GregRuth: Yippie! THE LOST BOY has made the finals for the 2013 Cybils! http://www.cybils.com/2013-finalists-graphic-novels-elementary-middle-grade.html … (link)

Arthur A. Levine Books | @AALBooks: Congrats to @gregpincus, whose THE 14 FIBS OF GREGORY K is a @cybils middle-grade fiction finalist! http://www.cybils.com/2013-finalists-middle-grade-fiction.html … (link)

Arthur A. Levine Books | @AALBooks: THE SUMMER PRINCE by @alayadj is a @cybils finalist for YA speculative fiction! http://www.cybils.com/2013-finalists-speculative-fiction-young-adult.html … (link)

Sage Blackwood | @urwalder: @LizaDawsonAssoc @cybils It is, and I am positively kvelling! (responding to a Tweet saying: "JINX by Sage Blackwood (@urwalder) is a speculative middle grade fiction finalist for the @cybils awards" (link)

Charlesbridge | @Charlesbridge: VOLCANO RISING by Elizabeth Rusch, illustrated by Susan Swan, is a Cybils Awards finalist in the Elementary &... http://fb.me/2Syo2CywE  (link)

Andrew Karre | AndrewKarre: @cybils My actual reaction was loud whooping and galavanting around the living room. Tweeting came later (link)

And a blog post from Robin McKinley, calling for Drums and trumpets... 

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January 03, 2014

Author and Publisher Reactions to Being Cybils Finalists

We're seen a LOT of enthusiasm about the Cybils shortlists on blogs, Twitter, and Facebook over the past couple of days. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped to spread the word about our wonderful finalists. Here, we've selected some author and publisher reactions on Twitter and Facebook:

And here are a few blog posts:

If you have others, please share the links in the comments, and we'll start another post. Thanks!

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Tags: authors, book awards, book recommendations, cybils, finalists, publishers

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January 02, 2014

The Ones that Got Away: Favorites that Didn't Make the Shortlists

Cybils2013SmallOur 2013 shortlists are fabulous. But, as is the case every year, some of our Round 1 panelists mourn the ones that got away. These are the titles that they loved, but that for one reason or another didn't make it onto the shortlists. So, if the finalists don't offer a sufficient number of reading suggestions for you, try these posts: 

If we missed your post, please add it in the comments. We'll do another post like this next week, as further links arise.

Also, we wanted to share this endeavor by Stephanie at Love,Life,Read. Stephanie, one of our Round 1 panelists, has listed all 77 Cybils finalists, and highlighted the ones that she has read. Her goal is to read all of the finalists in the coming year. She would love for you to join her! 

What do you think about the Cybils shortlists? What titles did our panelists give the nod to that made you jump up and down? For what titles were you devastated, when they didn't make the cut? Share them in the comments, or share them on your own blog and share the link with us. The Cybils, after all, are a book award from bloggers. We are people who love books, and love to talk about them. Just like you. 

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Tags: book awards, book recommendations, children's literature, cybils

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February 16, 2013

Sharing the Love

We love our Cybils winners, and they think we aren't too bad ourselves--at least, judging by the tweets and blog posts reacting to Thursday's announcement of the 2012 winning titles. We're always happy to share the love, so here are a few of our favorites:

  • Laura Salas, author of winning Poetry title BookSpeak (and former Cybil-ite and longtime blogger herself) had some absolutely lovely words for us on her blog (and a great initial reaction post, too).
  • Faith Erin Hicks, author of Teen Graphic Novels winner Friends With Boys, tweeted: OMG YOU GUYS Friends With Boys won a Cybill!!!! http://www.cybils.com/2013/02/the-2012-cybils-awards.html#more … lookit me with all those Real Authors!
  • Macmillan Kids gave us a shout-out on Twitter, too: Yay! A HOME FOR BIRD and BOMB won in the 2012 #Cybils Awards! http://ow.ly/hIg3V
  • Anne Nesbet, author of SFF finalist title The Cabinet of Earths, shared the love on announcement day: So amazed & touched by the work book-loving bloggers put into the #Cybils! Thank you! THE CABINET OF EARTHS was tickled to be a finalist. :)
  • Small Planet Digital, publishers of winning Book App Dragon Brush, posted some jubilation on their Tumblr. 
On behalf of the entire Cybils team (I think it's fairly safe to say), we're delighted to be able to read so many worthy and wonderful titles, and spread around some well-deserved recognition. It's a privilege and a pleasure!

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January 05, 2013

More Author/Illustrator Love

Did you see our fabulous list of finalists yet? Yes? Well, have you noticed all the love we've been getting from the honored (and honorable!) finalist authors and illustrators? We did one post about it already, and here are a few more lovely tweets we wanted to share:

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January 03, 2013

Triumphantly Tweeting Authors

In the wake of our announcement of the Cybils finalists a couple of days ago, a number of triumphant tweets have come to our attention. Frankly, we're tickled pink at the kind words that we've been getting from authors and illustrators. Here's just a small sampling:

Thanks to all of YOU authors and illustrators (and book app creators) for your wonderful creations. Stay tuned for more happy dancing and lovely tweets from authors--we plan to post a few more in the coming days!

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May 04, 2012

Two Cybils judges get a promotion

Congrats to Travis Jonkers of 100 Scope Notes and John Schumaker of Mr. Schu Reads for winning a berth on an ALA judging committee. Travis moves up from judging Fiction Picture Books with us to the fancy-shmancy  Caldecotts this coming year and John, a former Graphic Novel judge, goes over to the Newberys.

Full announcement is here.

Naturally, we take full credit for teaching them everything they know about judging important lit-rahr-ee awards.

Congrats and we'll miss you.

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March 25, 2012

Some Cybils love

From indie author Susan Ee, who wrote "Angelfall," the first digital-born book to make our finalists.

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January 12, 2012

A few more

Author reactions are still trickling in as they get word they made the Cybils finals. Here's the original post on that. Add to that Stephanie Perkins typing a giant Eeeeep! after learning Anna and the French Kiss was shortlisted in Young Adult Fiction:

Oh, man! This is the biggest honor that Anna has received, and I couldn't be more over-the-moon.

And believe it or not, an author left  a comment here too. I think this is a first for us. Here's Tim Egan, whose Dodsworth in Rome is on our Easy Readers short list:

I'm so thrilled to have Dodsworth as a Cybil's finalist! Thank you so, so much! What a great way to start the new year!!!

I'll post more as I find them.

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January 05, 2012

Stuff that makes me cry

I am a sentimental fool. I just am. I refuse to cry at funerals because I think I should be all stoic, even when my heart is breaking. But when I hear the words "thank you," I start to sob all over myself. It's embarrassing. Who does this to be thanked? Not me. I do it to fill up the free months between July and March.

Anyway. I asked my organizers for feedback from around the Internet from authors and publishers as they got the news they'd made the Cybils finals. I wasn't even through the third or fourth tweet when the waterworks began.

Take this blog post from the only author of a born-digital, self-published book to ever make our shortlists:

There's something about this whole thing that makes me feel rather giddy and punky—like I'm getting away with something I'm not supposed to. :) No matter what happens, I feel like Angelfall has already won just by making it to the finalist list against all odds.  --Susan Ee, Angelfall

Consider that accepting such titles was a total experiment for us this year and you realize just how long Susan's odds were. I like that Cybils plays against type and considers books that wouldn't get a second glance elsewhere.

Many posts and tweets were like Carmen Deedy's, who thanked us, the person who nominated The Cheshire Cheese Cat (in tween fantasy) and even one of her reviewers.

The folks in book publishing weren't back from their holiday break when we posted our finalists, so Peachtree Publishing didn't tweet their good news until Wednesday that they'd nabbed three spots on the short lists. Not to be outdone, Little, Brown squeezed into a single tweet the titles of their four finalists.

My favorite tweets are the ones that clearly indicate the author had no idea to expect a big surprise to start his or her new year. Something like this one from Stephanie Perkins:

I'm thrilled to wake up in the new year and discover that ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS is a Cybils award finalist!

Lisa Yee's another one we caught napping on New Year's Day. She calls her blog post "The Cybils, the Dreamers and Me" which Muppet lovers like me instantly recognize. Okay, so Kermit sang about rainbows. It's pretty much the same thing, right?

Then there's Mo Willems, who seems pleased no matter how many times he finds himself on our short lists:

Hey, looks like Elephant & Piggie's I BROKE MY TRUNK! is a Cybils' finalist: http://ow.ly/8fCXL Thanks web-savvy-kids-books-enthusiasts!

What's nice about Mo's support is that he really seems to get us. Web savvy. Check. Book enthusiasts. Check!

I just started reading Holly Black's Red Glove as a Round 2 judge and was pleased to see her gracious reaction, typical of many authors:

I am so excited to be on the Cybils shortlist for sf/f, especially because I LOVE all the other books on it.

Now, if that doesn't make an overlord all ferklempt, what does? There are many, many more of course: Geoff Herbach tweeted he was "psyched" and surprised to see his Stupid Fast shortlisted in YA fiction. Rae Carson says "holy wow" and thanks panelists for voting for Girl of Fire and Thorns in teen fantasy.

So. Now you know why we all do this. We do it for kids and teens and their teachers, librarians and parents. We don't necessarily do it for the authors, since there were more than 1,200 of them this year and we can't make them all happy. But when we do ... wow. What fun.

And who doesn't love a good cry?

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