CYBILS Short List, Or: What I Will Be Reading for the Next 6 Weeks
After poring over 150 nominated books, the amazing Round 1 Panelists (who are all kid's book bloggers who's sites can be reached by clicking on their names at the end of the blurbs they wrote for the short list) for the Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade) category narrowed down the list to SEVEN books eligible to win the honor of the Cybil Award! As a reminder (for more details, click here), this award reflects both the literary merit AND "kid appeal," an important factor that is sometimes overlooked by other awards. With this in mind, I am trying to balance my adult critical faculties with what I see and hear kids grabbing, talking about and reading while I am at work at the book store. Click this link for descriptions of the books listed below. I will be reviewing all seven of the books on the list (actually, I reviewed on before I knew it had made he short list) and will post the reviews AFTER the winner is announced on February 14, 2011. The reviews will also reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the books that led me to choose a winner.
The Magnificent 12: The Call
written by Michael Grant
Dead Boys
written by Royce Buckingham
blurb by Karen Yingling
Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs
written and illustrated by Ursula Vernon
blurb by Charlotte Taylor
Fever Crumb
written by Philip Reeve
written by Jewell Parker Rhodes
blurb by Gwenda Bond
(the link is to my review, but Gwenda's blurb is a superb quick look at the book)
The Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere
written by Jacqueline West, illustrated by Poly Bernatene
blurb by Cindy Hannikman
Reckless
written by Cornelia Funke
blurb by Nicole Signoretta
