Cybils non-fiction list flexes some muscle
Thanks to Susan for an excellent post on the awesome might of the non-fiction list for tween and teen readers this year.  She lists all her panelists' reviews so far but first points out how the books are already attracting attention: Two of the five finalists for the National Book Award in Young People's Literature were nonfiction titles: Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice 

REVIEW Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell
We may be well past Halloween, but is there ever a bad time for a good ghost story? Nettle of the cleverly named The Muse, Amused--a Round I panelist for MG/YA Fantasy and Sci-Fi--reviews not only ghost stories but a whole array of YA books at her blog. The ghost story in question for today, though, is Cybils FSF nominee Shadowe

Some insights from a panelist ...
Hat tip to Sheila for passing along a link to some fascinating musings from a panelist with the middle grade Science Fiction/Fantasy list.  Critique de Mr. Chompchomp notes the reliance of Fantasy authors on magic doodads (trivia note: dubbed "

Annual Beg-For-Money Post
I look forward to this post every year about as much as I await the next 40-something birthday. I grit my teeth and suffer through it. I remind myself it could be worse -- I could be getting another C-section. So *holds breath* here goes ... Truthfully, Cybils has very few financial needs. For the last two years, we've bought beautiful fountain pens for our winning authors and illustrators: We printed up bookmarks and mailed them to many of you. And I paid a designer -- our o

REVIEW The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
Travis Jonker of the blog 100 Scope Notes is definitely a familiar face around the Cybils, and this year he's a Round I panelist for Fiction Picture Books. His blog covers news and reviews from the world of children's literature, from the perspective of an elementary school librarian. He also reviews for School Library Journal. There was just no way I could resist posting his review of Cybils nominee