2009 Cybils Awards

The community of children's and young adult book bloggers, aka the kidlitosphere, supports their own book awards with their time and talent. Bloggers nominate the books and serve as panelists and judges. The Cybils awards celebrate "the highest literary merit and "kid appeal."

The winners for 2009 were announced on The Cybils blog on Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. For great summaries and more information, see the announcement.

Purchasing through these links will support the program and help fund these awards.

Cybils Awards for Children's and Middle Grade Books

Picture Book (Fiction)

All the World
by Liz Garton Scanlon; illustrated by Marla Frazee
Beach Lane Books

Picture Book (Non-Fiction)

The Day-Glo Brothers
by Chris Barton; illustrated by Tony Persiani
Charlesbridge

Easy Reader

Watch Me Throw the Ball! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
by Mo Willems
Hyperion

Early Chapter Book

Bad to the Bone (Down Girl and Sit)
by Lucy Nolan; illustrated by Mike Reed
Marshall Cavendish Childrens Books

Poetry

Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors
by Joyce Sidman; illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Graphic Novel

The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook
by Eleanor Davis
Bloomsbury USA

Fantasy & Science Fiction

Dreamdark: Silksinger (Faeries of Dreamdark)
by Laini Taylor
Putnam Juvenile

Middle Grade Fiction

Chains
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Simon & Schuster

Cybils Awards For Young Adult Books

Non-Fiction

The Frog Scientist
by Pamela S. Turner; illustrated by Andy Comins
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Graphic Novel

Gunnerkrigg Court: Orientation
by Tom Siddell
Archaia Press

Fantasy & Science Fiction

Fire
by Kristin Cashore
Dial

Young Adult Fiction

Cracked Up to Be
by Courtney Summers
Macmillan

Texas Bluebonnet Award

And the winner is...



One Potato, Two Potato
by Cynthia DeFelice; illustrated by Andrea U'Ren

I love, love, love reading this book aloud. Cynthia DeFelice is an incomparable story teller!!

Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady are poor. Then Mr. O'Grady finds a magic pot that duplicates whatever lands in it. Once the premise is established the kids immediately "tumble" to the predicament when Mrs. O'Grady falls into the pot by accident.

Andrea U'Ren's comic illustrations perfectly complement this folktale. The image of Mrs. O'Grady's legs sticking out of the pot is the "money" page. I just let the kids savor the picture then wait for the "oh NOs" to start through the audience.

I can't believe I get paid to have fun like that!!

The Cybils

The Cybil Awards have been announced! I had the privilege of working on the Nonfiction MG/YA books committee this year and it was a great experience.

Cybil-ing

Chris at Bartography has eloquently reviewed the work of the Nonfiction Picture Book Nomination committee. His talent as a writer shines in this post. Serving on this committee was an experience I will never forget.

There have been some years when I've looked at the various award book lists and I've pondered, "What were they thinking?" Well, now I've had an inside look at the thought, interest, work and earnest discussion that goes into this process. Folks on the Bluebonnet committee serve for three years. Whoa. I can appreciate the learning curve.

I enjoyed every aspect of it especially the insightful comments from my fellow Cybil-ers, Anastasia, Chris, Deb, and Susan.

I love every book we nominated. The judges have their work cut out for them.