Cybils

Poetry: The Small but Mighty Genre

Poetry is tiny but mighty in nominations. From words that rhyme, words that flow and shape emotions on all different topics to poetic forms, the Poetry Genre is home to a veritable stew of entries. These books will appeal to the very young, middle grade and/or young adults.

What belongs in Poetry? Anthologies and poetry collections written by various authors or a single author should be nominated. They can include illustrations or not. If the words on the page sing to kids of all ages and it is a collection of poems, Poetry is the category.

Beautifully written novels  in verse belong in MG Fiction or YA Fiction, while a single poem with luscious illustrations belongs in Picture Books.

This year,  Poetry is accepting poetry collections born as ebooks.

Poems come in endless styles and forms, shapes and sizes. If you have a collection that appeals to kids be sure to nominate it. The panelists are eagerly waiting to read what you nominate.

-- Jone MacCulloch

Go to the 2012 Cybils nomination form.

MG/YA Nonfiction: It Isn't Always Dry...

Part of a series to introduce each genre, written by the category chair.

I mean come on!  A famous pilot missing for years, all about crocodiles, the guy with the insane hairdo, creepy bugs, green solutions for our planet, plunging to the depths of the icy sea, riding the first bicycle, feeling the anger and triumph as women win the right to vote, getting inside the inner workings of an airplane, traveling the world…these are all subjects that have been or will be covered in the Non-fiction Middle Grade and YA category at some point.

Non-fiction is supposed to be the factual and true accounts of any given subject.  That doesn't mean it has to be boring. 

We're looking for engaging books that teach with darned good storytelling.  The reading level at Middle Grade is particularly important because we are fostering that love of reading, playing to their curiosity and investigative senses.  At the YA level, we are looking for more complex factual writing, but we're still looking at keeping that love of reading and learning going strong.

NFMGYA in a nutshell?

• Truth
• Storytelling
• Great writing
• Kid Appeal

-- Gina Ruiz

Go to the 2012 Cybils nomination form.

What We're Looking for in Nonfiction Picture Books

Part of a series to introduce each genre, written by the category chair.

You're never too young for nonfiction! Nonfiction Picture Books are the perfect way to introduce kids to the amazing world around them, from history and biography to art and nature. Science? Math? Animals? Sports? It's all here and more besides! We're looking for titles that make great read-alouds or are suitable for beginning and intermediate readers, illustrations and photographs that will wow kids and adults alike, and topics so fascinating that kids will want to go digging for more, more, more nonfiction!

Nonfiction Picture Books includes titles with factual content and informational titles, or books intended to teach. For example, the Magic School Bus series or biographies with fictional dialogue would be included. Titles are generally 48 pages or less with text aimed at younger readers and listeners.

-- Jennifer Wharton

Go to the 2012 Cybils nomination form.

Middle Grade (Realistic) Fiction

Part of a series to introduce each genre, written by the category chair.

Middle grade fiction encompasses a wide range of stories that do not have magical elements and are geared toward the 8 to 12 year old age group. Mysteries, histories, humor, sports, adventure and other tales set in the real world are all part of this category.

Readers this age are trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be, and reading fiction is a great way for them to explore the possibilities in the world without worrying that they are wearing the wrong thing!

Sometimes, they like to read about kids just like themselves in real life situations, whether they are kids who get good grades or constantly get into trouble. If these books are funny and action-packed, so much the better! On the other hand, since readers are expanding their world views, they often like to read about kids who are not like them—characters who have other interests, live in other places and times, have different kinds of families, and face struggles they may never have experienced.

The Cybils hopes to find realistic fiction books that are well-written and thought provoking but also make Middle Grade readers want to keep turning the pages. This is your chance to tell us what books you think middle grade readers will not only learn from but be excited about recommending to their friends.

-- Karen Yingling

Go to the 2012 Cybils nomination form.

Graphic Novels: More Than Just Comics

Part of a series introducing each genre, written by the organizer.

Comics FTW! The graphic novels category covers a wide range of stories--everything from wordless picture books appealing to the very young to intense, issue-based young adult novels--all of which tell their stories through serial artwork. All of these stories are welcome. We give an award for both the younger graphics and for the young adult graphics.

Since our goal is to have every book placed in the category where it stands the best chance of winning, we generally place graphics for emergent readers (for example, the Toon books),in the early reader category.  Early readers often combine images and text, due to the needs of the readers, so this is a category where graphics can be a great fit-- so go ahead and nominate them there!

Can't wait to read your choices!

--Liz Jones

Go to the 2012 Cybils nomination form.

Introducing Fiction Picture Books

Part of a series introducing each genre, written by the organizer.

The category of Fiction Picture Books would appear clearcut: books that are fictional with pictures. Oh, but that simplicity is deceptive. The genre contains titles for toddlers and third graders, funny stories and moving tales, history and fantasy, traditions and diversity, elegance and silliness, education and entertainment. An amazing conceptual range for books with typically 32 to 48 pages.

All these types of books must be weighed against each other to create a Cybils shortlist of standouts that excel in story, illustration, kid appeal and literary value. Not-so-simple a task in not-so-simple a category, but at end of the Cybils judging, we plan to bring you some of the best in fiction picture books and a final winner to represent them all.

--Pamela Coughlan

Go to the 2012 Cybils nomination form.

Fantasy and Sci-Fi Revealed

Part of a series to introduce each genre, written by the category chair.

Science fiction and fantasy take us to realms of the imagination: places and times and realities where the rules of life may be different than our own and where the impossible and improbable become real. But good science fiction and fantasy does more than that: it asks, "What if?" It makes us think. It holds up a mirror to our own society and lets us see ourselves in a different light.

Like our counterparts in the other categories, we'll be looking for books that combine the best writing with kid or teen appeal, but we'll also be looking at some of the unique requirements of the genre, such as world building and internal consistency. The elements in a science fiction or fantasy book don't have to be possible, but the writer must make us believe that they really could exist, perhaps do exist, if only we could find them.

This is a diverse category that includes a wide range of subjects, from wizards, demons, ghosts and vampires to outer space adventures, alternate history and dystopian futures. If a book has any unreal, otherworldly or mystical elements in it, chances are that it belongs here. Even if the fantastic elements are only a small part of the story, it should probably be nominated here. After all, some of the best science fiction and fantasy is about ordinary people who encounter the extraordinary and are changed by it. The only exception would be if the fantastic elements seem to be only in the imagination of a character, or are otherwise "not real" in the context of the story. Those books should probably be placed in the regular Middle Grade or YA categories.

SFF-oriented text novels with graphic sections belong here. If the book is primarily graphica, or a hybrid, it might fit best in the Graphic Novels category. Easy Readers, Early Chapter Books and Picture Books go in those categories even if they have Fantasy or Science Fiction content.

Finding the line between SFF and the other categories isn't always easy, so just nominate it where you think it best fits, and we'll move it if we think it would be better in a different category.

As we did last year, we are accepting born digital ebooks with no corresponding print version in the SFF Teen category (but not for the younger readers).

--Sheila Ruth

Go to the 2012 Cybils nomination form.

Power to the New Readers! Easy Readers and Short Chapter Books

Part of a series to introduce each genre, written by the category chair.

Last year, as the newbie, I was quite *ahem* straight-laced and literal with my category description. I felt so 6x9 … so traditional chapter-y. So, dare I say it? Easy to read. This year I’m going totally sophomoric!

It is what our readers want! Power to the new readers!

• The illustrations aren’t word decoders, they’re sight gags and sketches and real pictures of stuff.
• Readers like big type because it takes up more space on the page, not because they need glasses!
• Best of all, they can count the number of pages in a chapter on one hand!

Have you gotten a sense of the readers for this category? They are elementary-aged kids who are building their reading skills. The books in this category can hook them on reading and the best ones turn them into bookworms for life.

Our category ranges from the books that have some form of “read” on the cover to the short, illustrated chapter stories that prepare them for middle grade material. Easy readers are pretty, well, easy to recognize.

With short chapter books it gets a little more complicated. Sometimes the plot suggests we need to push it to middle grade … or sometimes it needs to move over to us. Nominate the book where you think it best fits and the Category Chairs will take it from there!

It isn’t always easy trying to decide the best reader is for a  nominated book, but we’re up for the task. We’ll do anything to help you create a bookworm!

--Terry Doherty

Go to the 2012 Cybils nomination form.

Book Apps: A Handy Definition

Part of a series to introduce each genre, written by the category chair.

Look! In your lap! Is it an ebook? Is it a talking book? Is it a movie? No, it really isn’t any of those. You poke it! You shake it! You tilt it! What could this be? Ohhhhh, you say, this is a BOOK APP!

Book apps are stand-alone applications on a touchscreen device like the iPad that combine features of books, audiobooks, ebooks, animation and video creating a unique experience for readers of all ages. Book apps have been developed for the youngest children - transposing Sandra Boynton’s classic board books into a book app; but they have also been developed for advanced YA readers, integrating text, video and images into an interactive experience.

The best book apps engage readers as they enter a story world or explore a nonfiction topic. The reader plays an active part in the experience, turning pages, triggering animation, tapping characters, solving puzzles.  The interactive features must build on the overall reading experience and not distract readers from the main flow. Each element of the app must draw the reader into the story world or nonfiction topic.

Once again, we will be evaluating book apps on iPads from the iTunes App Store, so all nominations must be available for the iPad, even if they are also available on other platforms. This is because we cannot ask judges to have access to a multitude of devices, and the iPad is still the most prevalent device.

As with all Cybils nominations, the book apps must be published between October 16, 2011 and October 15, 2012. That means the app must be originally released after October 16, 2011 - we aren’t looking at when updates occurred, only the original release. If you aren’t sure of the initial release date, you can check http://appshopper.com. 

--Mary Ann Scheuer

Go to the 2012 Cybils nomination form.

Thanks for joining us!

Nominations are now closed for the 2011 Cybils Awards. Thanks to all who nominated a book. We're still sorting through more than 1,100 titles behind the scenes. For those worried about having nominated a book in the wrong category -- fear not. We'll figure out where it's supposed to go. As long as it was nominated by midnight last night and otherwise meets our eligibility requirements, it's a go.

We hope you'll keep visiting us this season! We'll begin running the best of our judges' book reviews on Wednesday. Reminder: we're also looking for photos of your local indie bookstore. Take a few snapshots next time you wander in and let us know what makes them great.

--Anne Levy, Cybils Admin.