Cybils

2007 Science Fiction & Fantasy Finalists

It was difficult to choose only ten books out of the 94 outstanding nominations we received in fantasy and science fiction, but the panelists worked hard and passionately to choose the best of the best. We selected five finalists for the teen/young adult age level and five for the elementary & middle grade level. We hope you enjoy these books as much as we did.

--Sheila Ruth, Science Fiction & Fantasy organizer

Teen/Young Adult:

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 sealed in a tower for seven years with her Lady, who is being punished for refusing to marry the Lord of a neighboring land. Tight plotting, beautiful use of language and metaphor, and an engaging main character make this book a standout.
--Sheila, Wands and Worlds
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Incarceron
by Catherine Fisher
Hodder Children's Books (UK)
No one has been in or out of Incarceron for over 150 years. Now, a young man on the Inside thinks he's found the way Out--and a young woman on the Outside thinks she may have found the way In. Success will require going up against the Warden--and Incarceron itself. The strong writing and characterization, suspenseful narrative, and creative world building brought this book to the top of the pack.
--Leila, Bookshelves of Doom
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Northlander (Tales of the Borderlands)
by Meg Burden
Brown Barn Books
Northlander is an engaging tale which shows how hatred is only ignorance of the unknown. Though Ellin's gift of healing saves the Northlander king, she is feared and imprisoned. This gripping tale is both emotionally moving and thought-provoking.
--Kim Baccellia, Earrings of Ixtumea
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Repossessed
by A. M. Jenkins
HarperCollins
Fast-paced and sharply funny, A.M. Jenkins’ story of Kiriel--the fallen angel whose name means “mirror of souls”--takes readers on a week-long ride in the body of an ordinary human boy. Philosophical in a religious sense, yet untethered from any churchy elements, this novel’s quirky appreciation of the mundane combines with a wisecracking, personable narrative voice to create a funny yet thought-provoking novel. (For mature readers)
--Tadmack (Tanita), ReadingYA: Readers' Rants
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Skin Hunger
by Kathleen Duey
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum
Take two divergent story threads and weave them into one of the year's darkest novels. Add vivid characterization, a quest for knowledge beyond any cost, and magic that is repulsive but intriguing and you have Skin Hunger.
--Tasha, Kids Lit
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Elementary/Middle Grade:

The Chaos King
by Laura Ruby
HarperCollins/Eos
The Richest Girl in the World and the son of gangster Sweetcheeks Grabowski have to find their way back to friendship, as compelling weirdness enters their lives again in the form of a giant squid, a super-annoying hotel heiress, an animated stone lion, and The Chaos King--a “Sid” punk with a serious art fetish. This fast-paced, stand-alone sequel is accessible to both middle grade and teen readers and is both funny and endearing.
--Tadmack (Tanita), ReadingYA: Readers' Rants
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Into the Wild
by Sarah Beth Durst
Penguin/Razorbill
A long time ago, all fairy-tale characters fled from their stories seeking refuge from "The Wild," a tangled, evil forest. Since then, Rapunzel has kept the forest under control with the help of her daughter Julie, but when it gets too powerful she is forced to depend on Julie to set aside her fears and doubts and defeat The Wild. Julie's strong character is an inspiring example of duty, survival, and love.
--Traci, Fields of Gold
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The Land of the Silver Apples
by Nancy Farmer
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
Land of the Silver Apples has it all--adventure, fairies, old world gods, and an ancient world that is caught between belief in the Old Gods and Christianity. This stand-alone sequel will appeal to not only fans of Nancy Farmer but those who enjoy adventurous tales.
--Kim Baccellia, Earrings of Ixtumea
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Skulduggery Pleasant
by Derek Landy
HarperCollins
When twelve-year-old Stephanie Edgley's mysterious uncle dies, he not only bequeaths her his house, but a sticky supernatural situation and a rather dashing skeleton detective named Skulduggery Pleasant. This smart novel is full of humor, action, and a real sense of danger--and has a sly wit that would appeal to a wide age range.
--a. fortis (Sarah), ReadingYA: Readers' Rants
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The True Meaning of Smekday
by Adam Rex
Disney/Hyperion
Nothing has been the same since the Boov invaded Earth and re-christened 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 hilarious satire with a touching ending and spot-on illustrations by the author.
--a. fortis (Sarah), ReadingYA: Readers' Rants
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2007 Fiction Picture Books Finalists

Pssst!
by Adam Rex
Harcourt Children's Books
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Pssst! is a funny, light-hearted fantasy that uses snappy text and surreal post-modern oil-and-acrylic illustrations to tell the tale of a girl who visits a zoo with crafty animals who all want something from her. This results in a surprise ending and one of the year's most unforgettable illustrated double-page spreads.
--Cheryl Rainfield

Go to Bed, Monster!
written by Natasha Wing; illustrated by Sylvie Kantorovitz
Harcourt Children's Books
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A sleepless girl creates a playful monster to keep her company one evening with surprising results. Kantorovitz's oil paint and pastel illustrations, made to look like crayon drawings, capture the immediacy and creative range of a child’'s imagination.
--Annie Teich, Crazy for Kids' Books

The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County
written by Janice N. Harrington; illustrated by Shelley Jackson
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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A sassy, young farm girl, living with her Big Mama, transforms herself from chicken-chaser extraordinaire to fender-of-the-fowl in this spirited read-aloud, whose energetic mixed-media collage illustrations provide much for observant eyes to take in.
--Julie Danielson, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Leaves
by David Ezra Stein
Putnam Juvenile
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In this engaging poem of a picture book with spare text and shimmering earth-tone paintings, David Ezra Stein captures the wonder of the changing seasons as seen through the perspective of a wide-eyed bear.
--Julie Danielson, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Four Feet, Two Sandals
written by Karen Lynn William & Khadra Mohammad; illustrated by Doug Chayka
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
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Two girls in a refugee camp in Pakistan share a pair of sandals that begins a friendship in this poignant story of courage. When hope of a better life comes for one girl, they must both find a way to still share their sandals – and their hearts.
--Marcie Flinchum Atkins, World of Words

Knuffle Bunny Too
by Mo Willems
Hyperion
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In this sequel to Knuffle Bunny, the photography, the cartooning, and the drama is all kicked up a notch as Trixie and her dad have to set things right in the early morning hours. Fantastic in its capture of subtleties of expression, the dynamics of families, and the mind of a child.
--Pamela Coughlan, MotherReader

The Incredible Book-Eating Boy
by Oliver Jeffers
Philomel
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Oliver Jeffers has crafted a visually-stunning, humorous story about a young boy who loves books so much he eats them -- until he discovers that the greatest power comes from reading them. Jeffers' innovative illustrations, cleverly superimposed on pages from various books, merge with an inviting storyline that continues right into the book's back cover.
--Cheryl Rainfield

2007 Poetry Finalists

Animal Poems
written by Valerie Worth, illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Farrar, Strauss & Giroux

The poems about twenty-three different animals (some common and some very unusual) are told using free verse--not a typical choice in collections for children these days (at least not when it's the sole type of verse). And these poems are spectacular in their use of imagery and metaphor. One of the standout solo collections of the year.

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Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village
written by Laura Amy Schlitz, illustrated by Robert Byrd
Candlewick Press

This book is distinctive, with its echoes of Canterbury Tales, a bit of Shakespeare, and Catherine Called Birdy all rolled into one. Besides being rich in history, language, and voice, it is understandable and accessible to middle grade kids. Plus, it lends itself to oral reading and performance.

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Here's a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry
edited by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters, illustrated by Polly Dunbar
Candlewick Press

A true delight. There is a real freshness to this volume in that many of the poems include in it won't be found in other anthologies. The selected poems speak to the exuberance of childhood and the simple, everyday things that little children often think about.

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Poems in Black and White
written and illustrated by Kate Miller
Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press

The premise behind Kate Miller's collection of poems and art is simple: all are about objects that are black and white (cows, a comet in the night sky, etc.). The poems range from funny to melancholy, and are all marked by a keen observation of life. Each poem reads as if the poet froze a moment and recorded it with great clarity and insight in the best possible words.

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This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness
written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski
Houghton Mifflin

Joyce Sidman has imagined a teacher, Mrs. Merz, and a classroom full of sixth graders from different backgrounds, all of whom write poems of apology to someone or some thing they've wronged; in the second half, forgiveness or explanation is returned to the students. The individual poems in the book are excellent, but cumulatively this book is a killer, in the best possible sense. It moves on as a finalist because of its emotional impact and poetic virtuosity.

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Twist: Yoga Poems
written by Janet S. Wong, illustrated by Julie Paschkis
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Twist gets high marks for innovation and freshness and for the insights it provides into yoga, which is a new topic for a poetry collections. The poems are evocative and really speak to both the physical and Zen nature of the yoga poses included.

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Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath
written by Stephanie Hemphill
Random House Children's Books
Hemphill's collection of poems about Sylvia Plath convey emotion through imagery. The use of period verse attributed to a variety of people who knew Plath in order to convey both the facts and emotional content of her life and work is extraordinary.

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2007 Middle Grade Finalists

A Crooked Kind of Perfect
by Linda Urban
Harcourt
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"I teach middle school, and sometimes I find that I have more choices for my readers who like edgy YA stories than I do for those kids who read well but aren't quite ready for teenager issues. A Crooked Kind of Perfect is a perfect kind of book for those readers."
Kate: Read her review

Cracker: The Best Dog In Vietnam
by Cynthia Kadohata
Atheneum
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"It's a war story about a seventeen-year-old named Rick Hanski and his experiences as a dog handler toward the end of American involvement in Vietnam's civil war. As he stumbles into the army, then into dog handling, then over to Vietnam, Rick grows into a man of integrity and purpose."
Sherry, Semicolon: Read her review

Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree
by Lauren Tarshis
Dial
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"This was a very refreshing book and one I really feel middle school students can and will enjoy. It is great to read books that are written about abnormal children or kids that simply do not blend in with everyone else, yet are perfectly fine with that fact. So many stories are written about wanting to fit in and needing to gain social acceptance, yet this, shows the reader that being different can be perfect."
Amanda, A Patchwork of Books 

Leap of Faith
by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Dial
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"The writing in Leap of Faith was good; the plot always moved along smoothly and compelled me to keep reading. I needed to know that Abby was going to pull through and be okay. Leap of Faith was a  sweet, hopeful story that I'm very glad to have read."
Miss Erin: Read her review

Leepike Ridge
by Nathan D. Wilson
Random House
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"Leepike Ridge is a book for every kid (and every grown kid) who played in refrigerator boxes, caught critters in the woods, and floated down creeks on homemade rafts. It's a fantastic story with a grand adventure, a heroic boy, bad guys that you love to hate, a loyal dog, and a hidden treasure. The fact that it's beautifully written with magical, transporting descriptions is gravy."
Kate: Read her review

Louisiana's Song
by Kerry Madden
Viking
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"In Gentle's Holler, Kerry Madden introduced young readers to Olivia (better known as Livy Two) Weems, a twelve-year-old with a passion for books and music. Livy has eight siblings of various ages and temperaments, a sweet mama, and a starry-eyed daddy. Money's tight -- Daddy's music fills the heart and ears more than it fills the pocketbook -- but the Weems make do, and their household is always bursting with family, love, and music. Louisiana's Song is a worthy sequel to Gentle's Holler, and, unlike many middle books in trilogies, can stand on its own two feet. When Louise learns to do the same, Livy Two will cheer her on, and so will readers."
Little Willow: Read her review

Miss Spitfire
by Sarah Miller
Atheneum
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"This book is the story of Helen Keller's teacher, Annie Sullivan, as she struggles to teach a girl who can neither hear, see, nor speak. She displays incredible strength and determination as she sacrifices herself completely for Helen. Almost everyone knows this story, but hearing it from the teacher's point of view is a really unique insight. This delightful debut novel will keep you rooting for teacher and student right up until its triumphant ending."
Miss Erin: Read her review

Wild Girls
by Pat Murphy
Viking
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"Pat Murphy tells the story of two girls -- the rule-following Joan (a.k.a. "Newt"), who just moved to California from Connecticut and has always written the kinds of stories she thought her teacher would like, and Sarah (a.k.a. "Fox"), who hangs out throwing rocks in the woods near the run-down house where she lives with her dad, a motorcycle-writer-guy who doesn't fit the image of any dad Joan has ever known. Fox and Newt form the kind of bond that can only be forged in secret clearings and treehouses, and together, they weather the storms of family trauma and trying (or not) to fit in among their peers. More than anything, though, they learn about writing and about the power of story to help us see truth -- especially when truth is different from the story that the grownups are dishing out."
Kate: Read her review

Welcome to the Cybils

Results are now in for the first-ever Cybils, which recognizes childrens' and YA books with a mix of literary quality and kid appeal. Click here for the list of winners, or download a printer-friendly version of the entire short list to take with you to the library or bookstore. 

Finalists: Fantasy and Science Fiction

One of the most complex and broad of all the categories, Fantasy and Science Fiction received 87 nominations. Shiela Ruth headed the busy panel that winnowed them down to five:

Ptolemy’s Gate
by Jonathan Stroud
Hyperion: Miramax
Magician John Mandrake (a.k.a. Nathaniel), rebel commoner Kitty, and wise-cracking, sarcastic djinni Bartimaeus are drawn together in spite of their differences to battle a powerful evil. The three learn more about each other and try to come to terms with their past, in this stunning series conclusion that also stands well alone.

Silver City
by Cliff McNish
Carolrhoda Books
The second in an astonishingly original trilogy, Cliff McNish's Silver City continues the story of six extraordinary and special children and how they are preparing to defend the world against an alien being, known only as the Roar, that is heading their way through space. A gripping sequel to The Silver Child, which nonetheless can be read as a stand-alone (though we recommend the entire series).

Beka Cooper: Terrier
by Tamora Pierce
Random House
Beka Cooper is one tough-but-vulnerable heroine who fights crime in a world of magic. Her passion to save the kidnapped children of the Lower Side, along with some action-packed scrapes with thieves and rogues, makes Beka Cooper a must read of 2006.

Last Dragon, The
by Silvana de Mari
Hyperion: Miramax
The Last Dragon is a clever, playful, and funny story with a lot of kid appeal. A very young elf, trying to stay alive in a world darkened by rain and oppression, finds life full of surprises as he tries to follow the destiny laid out for him in an ancient prophecy.

Pucker
by Melanie Gideon
Penguin: Razorbill
Pucker by Melanie Gideon is the story of seventeen-year-old Thomas Quicksilver who was disfigured in a fire when he was a child back before he and his mother were exiled to Earth from Isaura, a "pocket of a world," a parallel reality. His voice is both modestly wiseass and yet mature and sophisticated. Thomas sounds like a teenager, but one who is self-aware instead of self-obsessed.

Graphic Novels Finalists

Although a manageable 35 titles were nominated in this category, organizers decided to split it by age group to level the playing field for books pitched to little kids. So there are 10 finalists:

Ages 12 and under

Amelia Rules, vol. 3: Superheroes
by Jimmy Gownley
Renaissance Press
This book has a great cast of characters and bright, colorful art that uses the space on each page in creative ways. The issues dealt with by the kids in this book don't shirk from the hard stuff of kids' lives: divorce, moving, bullying, and a friend dying. But these tough issues are presented in very kid-friendly ways.

Babymouse: Beach Babe
by Jennifer Holm and Matt Holm
Random House
This book is just right for this age group. Babymouse deals with typical problems of childhood. The illustrator uses of color in the art as a visual cue when Babymouse is dreaming.

The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy's Great Idea
by Ann Martin, Rina Telgemeier
GRAPHIX/Scholastic
There are a variety of personalities in the characters, and the girls work well together, showing initiative and solving problems. The art is a nice blend of American Comics and Manga styles.

Kat and Mouse
by Alex De Campi; pictures by Federica Manfredi
TokyoPop
Two "less cool girls" in a clique-filled private school use their brains to solve a mystery and win out over the evil "cool" kids. A science experiment in the back gives the reader a chance to try the science the girls used to solve the mystery. The art is a good introduction to Manga style art.

To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel
by Siena Siegel and Mark Siegl
Aladdin / Simon & Schuster
This book is a graphic memoir. The story and the art work exceptionally well together. The book has a great message for anyone who must abandon his/her first passion: you can go back to it, in some form, later in life.

Ages 13 and up

American Born Chinese
by Gene Yang
First Second
The story in this book speaks to the universal experience of any teen who has just wanted to fit in. The blend of the three story strands is masterful.

Castle Waiting
by Linda Medley
Fantagraphics
In this 450+ page fairy tale, the art is very detailed and perfectly matched to the story. The author creates a believable world with unique and believable characters, weaving together well-known fairy tale fragments and allusions in her completely original story.

Dramacon Vol. 2
by Svetlana Chmakova
Tokyo Pop
This book give the reader an insider's view of the world of comic making: what it's like to go to a Con, how a young writer or artist breaks into the industry, even the debate between pure Manga and the new artistic styles that blend Manga and American Comics.

Flight Vol. 3
by Kazu Kibuishi & others
Ballantine
This is a great collection of stories and styles -- artistic styles as well as storytelling styles. Definitely a book to read again and again.

La Perdida
by Jessica Abel
Pantheon
The search for one's identity is rarely an easy thing. The character in this book is naiive, idealistic, and in Mexico without being able to speak fluent Spanish. The story is layered with art, politics, history, culture, and language.

Finalists: Non-fiction (Middle Grade and YA)

The Top Five, from a long list of 40:

Escape!
written by Sid Fleischman
Greenwillow

Freedom Walkers
written by Russell Freedman
Holiday House

Immersed in Verse
written by Alan Wolf
Lark Books

Isaac Newton
written by Kathleen Krull; illustrated by Boris Kulikov
Viking Juvenile

Team Moon
written by Catherine Thimmesh
Houghton Mifflin

Finalists: Middle Grade Fiction

Another popular category with 63 titles. Here's the short list:

Drowned Maiden's Hair, A
Laura Amy Schlitz
Candlewick
This gothic page-turner features a feisty orphan, a houseful of secrets, and a villain preying on unsuspecting victims.

Framed
Frank Cottrell Boyce
Harper Collins
Take a small grey Welsh town. Add great works of art. Stir.

Heat
Mike Lupica
Philomel
A heartwarming tale of immigration, baseball and familial love. It's a reminder of what the U.S.A. and Americans can be.

Kiki Strike
Kirsten Miller
Bloomsbury
What's better than Girl Scouts, books, and an underground world under New York City? Absolutely nothing! That's why Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City one of the most entertaining books of the year.

Weedflower
Cynthia Kadohata
Atheneum
WWII serves as the backdrop to this tale of internment, friendship, and growing flowers in the dry desert dust of Arizona.

Finalists: Young Adult Fiction

Eighty nominated YA books contended for a Top 5 berth:

Book Thief, The
written by Markus Zusak
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life, A
written by Dana Reinhardt
Wendy Lamb Books

Hattie Big Sky
written by Kirby Larson
Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
written by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Rules of Survival, The
written by Nancy Werlin
Dial