The Cybils Poetry Award ~ by Christy Mihaly

 

The Cybils Awards for 2021 books are out! These awards for children's and YA works recognize books with "highest literary merit and popular appeal." That's a tough standard, and it's hard to choose just one winner. 

I should know--I was a Round 2 judge this year in the Poetry category. We were tasked with reviewing a diverse field of finalists, and each of these books was truly wonderful in its own way.  I recommend them all!

Aaaand: The Cybils poetry winner is: Everywhere Blue by Joanne Rossmassler Fritz.

Congratulations, Joanne! This middle grade book is a a lovely and lyrical novel in verse. Maddie, the appealing and earnest protagonist, comes from a musical family and the story uses engaging poems to weave together music, mystery (Maddie's brother goes missing), family dynamics, and love for Earth. 

The judges were particularly impressed with the author's sensitive and age-appropriate treatment of difficult topics, including mental health and environmental crises. Beautiful poetry and interwoven musical references make this a truly outstanding work. 

And for more virtuoso poetic works, check out the other finalists: 

Me (Moth), by Amber McBride is a YA fantasy verse novel about grief and loss. It's also a ghost story and a powerful tale of healing, with haunting language and gorgeous imagery, full of myth and music and metaphor, and with a stunning twist. This masterpiece of storytelling was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. 

This book made me cry! Newbery Honor winner Red, White, and Whole, by Rajani LaRocca, is a middle grade verse novel that deals with growing up and grief. Reha lives in two worlds: Indian (her parents are immigrants) and not (as she works to fit in, in middle school). When her mother becomes ill, Reha realizes what's most important, and finds her courage. Beautiful use of metaphor and poetic language.

Snow Birds, by Kirsten Hall, illustrated by Jenni Desmond, is a collection of lively poems celebrating the birds that spend the winter in snowy climes. The art is superb, and the book conveys plenty of interesting information about winter birds. A sampling of verse: 

Black Rosy-Finch

Hop! Stop! Hop! Stop! SO MUCH SNOW!

    Check! Peck! Check! Peck! COME ON, LET'S GO!

        Peep! Cheep! Peep! Cheep! WE WANT MORE!

            Till back they bounce through the barn house door. 

In You Don't Have to Be Everything: Poems for Girls Becoming Themselves, Diana Whitney selected works by 68 poets including Amanda Gorman, Margaret Atwood, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Elizabeth Acevedo. The poems, exploring themes of loneliness and longing, seeking and sadness, shame and rage, speak to girls coming of age. Whitney says she wanted to collect voices she wished she'd heard when she was a teen. Here's an excerpt from a poem  by Elizabeth Spires, "Questions for Google": 

What does it mean and why does it matter?

How do I get from here to there? 

Where is the line that cannot be crossed? 

Why is the first time the best? 

Who will be coming and when will they get here? 

How long will it last before it is over? 

Who has the right and why do they have it? 

Who is the most important one?  

Starfish. Lisa Fipps has been garnering well-deserved praise (including a Printz Honor) for this powerful and beautifully written middle grade novel in verse. Ellie faces bullying (about her weight), and tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules. She finds friendship and acceptance, and through therapy finally feels ready to confront her badgering mother. Middle grade (and older) readers will respond enthusiastically to this much-needed title.

Call Me Athena, by Colby Cedar Smith, is an evocative YA historical novel in verse. It tells the story of a girl's coming of age in a Greek-French immigrant family in 1930s Detroit. Told in beautiful poetry with multiple voices and great historical details, this book impressed the judges with deep historical research and comprehensive back matter. 

If you haven't read these, don't wait -- get down to your library or bookstore and check them out. If you have -- what's your favorite? Are there other recent works of poetry you'd recommend? Please share in the comments. And thanks for supporting poetry for kids!

The CYBILS Awards ~ by Christy Mihaly

A round of applause, please, for the dozen delightful books that have won Cybils Awards for 2020. Recommended reading for all! 

For details about the books and how to order, see the Cybils announcement, here. I've shared the covers of all the winning books at the end of this post. 

The Cybils, a blogger-powered program, recognizes books that librarians, educators, and other children's book bloggers are itching to put into the hands of young readers. This year, 987 books were nominated. The official mission statement explains: The Cybils Awards aims to recognize the children’s and young adult authors and illustrators whose books combine the highest literary merit and popular appeal. If some la-di-dah awards can be compared to brussels sprouts, and other, more populist ones to gummy bears, we’re thinking more like organic chicken nuggets. We’re yummy and nutritious.

I was honored to be chosen as a nonfiction panelist for the yummy and nutritious Cybils this year. As a Round 1 Panelist, I worked with a crew of outstanding book bloggers to name the finalists at the end of December. This year, some categories were combined. We reviewed all the nonfiction nominees, with three subgroups for elementary, middle, and high school levels. That was more than 200 books. 

It was a great chance to read many excellent books that had escaped my attention in this pandemic year. All the panelists were engaged and well-informed. As we read, we compared notes online, and for the final vote we conferred (for hours!) by Zoom to narrow our choices to the short-listed finalists for each level. I, for one, was glad that I didn't have to choose the single "best" book in any category. 

Having seen the review process, I can attest that the winners have got to be outstanding. If you're not familiar with any of these, check them out! And let's get more great books into the hands of more readers. Thanks!

Just announced Feb. 14, the worthy winners are:  

EASY READER

  

EARLY CHAPTER BOOK

FICTION PICTURE BOOK

ELEMENTARY NONFICTION         

   

ELEMENTARY/MG SPECULATIVE NONFICTION

MG GRAPHIC NOVEL

 

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION

MIDDLE GRADE NONFICTION

YOUNG ADULT GRAPHIC NOVEL
      

HIGH SCHOOL NONFICTION 

YOUNG ADULT FICTION

YA SPECULATIVE FICTION

Warm congratulations to the winners, and very happy reading to all!

~Christy

Wyoming Kids 💘💘 Their Books

By Leslie Colin Tribble  💕

On this Valentine's Day, I want to give a shout out to a program which engages Wyoming's K-3 grade students with reading. A collaboration of the Wyoming State Reading Council and the Wyoming Library Association, the Buckaroo Awards are sure-fired fun and a great way to get kids reading.

Saddle Up, Let's Learn About the Buckaroos

The Buckaroo Award is designed to help primary students
*learn about contemporary authors,
*become aware of the qualities of a good book
*teach students about choices and voting procedures
*provide children with a chance to honor the author of the winning book.

During the school year, students read or have read to them books from the list of current nominees both fiction and non-fiction. Then around March 1, the children vote for their absolute favoritest book, and the ballots are tallied by teachers and school librarians. Those results are sent to the state committee and the winners are announced. Depending upon the desires of the state committee, the winner is honored with a donation made in their name to a literary organization. The book is also highlighted in online sites such as NoveList, which can significantly improve a book's visibility and sales.

Last year's winner was B.J. Novak's A Book With No Pictures. First Runner Up was President Taft is Stuck in the Bath by Mac Barnett with Second Runner Up Chris Tougas' Dojo Daycare.

A Round Up of the 2016-2017 Buckaroo Nominees

This year's list features four nonfiction books and six fiction. I wanted to read the books but wouldn't you know it, every single title was already checked out! Although that's my loss, I'm thrilled children are immersing themselves in such great reading material.

1. Annie and Helen - Deborah Hopkinson/Raul Colon
   The story of Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan.

2. Elizabeth Started All the Trouble - Doreen Rappaport/Matt Faulkner
    This nonfiction book deals with the early suffragette movement.

3. Frog on a Log - Kes Gray/Jim Field

   A rhyming picture book about animals and their designated seats.

4. McToad Mows Tiny Island - Tom Angleberger/John Hendrix

    Here's another book featuring an amphibian, but this fellow spends a lot of time with various     modes of transportation in order to mow Tiny Island.

5. Mother Bruce - Ryan Higgins  

    Bruce is a grumpy bear who loves eating eggs until he hatches some goslings.

6. Ragweed's Farm Dog Handbook - Anne Vittur Kennedy  

    Ragweed wants to help other farm dogs succeed so he's written this handy dandy guidebook.

7. There's a Lion in My Cornflakes - Michelle Robinson/Jim Field

    The misadventures of two brothers who get some crazy prizes in their cereal boxes.

8. Too Tall Houses - Gianna Marino  

    Rabbit and Owl are best friends until they start building taller and taller houses.

9. A Tower of Giraffes - Anna Wright   

    This nonfiction book introduces children to the collective nouns for various animal groups.

10. Winter Bees - Joyce Sidman/Rick Allen - This nonfiction poem teaches readers about how animals survive in winter.

This year's winner will be announced in April. According to our local children's librarian, the kids love each of the nominees. Ragweed might just come out on top because he throws up in the book - a surefire way to make kids LOVE a book.

Why not find your favorite Valentine and read some of these heart-warming treats today?

💖