The CYBILS — Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards
| Each year bloggers across the web read, review, nominate and vote on titles in each of the following categories as the best children’s and YA books of the previous year. The Cybils Awards “aim to recognize the children’s and young adult authors and illustrators whose books combine the highest literary merit and popular appeal.” Enjoy! | |
 |
Audiobooks The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog In a 13th century French inn, travelers including a nun, troubadour, and brewer, exchange stories of their encounters with three miraculous children who are set to be brought before the king for treason. Jeanne is a peasant girl who has visions; William, a teenage monk with incredible strength; and Jacob, a Jewish boy who has healing powers. They are accompanied in their adventures by Gwenforte, Jeanne’s faithful greyhound, who has returned from the dead. Ages 10 and up |
 |
Board Books City Block Exploring city life has never been more exciting and beautiful than it is in Christopher Franceschelli and Peskimo’s latest board book collaboration Cityblock. Readers turn pages and lift flaps to hail taxis, visit gift shops, and eat pizza from the local pizzeria, all without ever leaving the comforts of home. The bright color palette of the durable die-cut pages, the diverse characters, and the assorted locations make for a colorful and accessible way of exploring every facet of an urban city life and a great primer for those looking to learn more about the metropolitan experience. Ages 3-5 |
 |
Early Chapter Books Mango & Bambang: The Not-a-Pig (Book One) Mango Allsorts is good at all sorts of things, not just karate and chess. Bambang is most definitely not-a-pig and is now lost in a very busy city. When the two unexpectedly meet, a friendship begins. Bambang requires a great deal of coaxing and comforting to help him acclimate to the big city, and Mango is just the girl for the job. But when Mango faces a nerve-racking challenge of her own, will Bambang be able to return the favor? Filled with adventures and plenty of banana pancakes, this collection of four stories is sure to amuse and inspire any child — or not-a-pig. Ages 6-9 |
 |
Easy Reader Snail and Worm: Three Stories About Two Friends Snail and Worm are best friends who support each other during a silly game of tag, through Snail’s adventure up a flower stalk, and when Worm’s pet goes missing. Ages 6-9 |
 |
Elementary Non-Fiction Giant Squid A nonfiction picture book exploring the mysterious life of the elusive giant squid. Ages 6-10 |
 |
Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novels Lowriders to the Center of the Earth (Book 2) (Lowriders in Space) By: Cathy Camper and Raul the Third Lupe Impala, Elirio Malaria, and El Chavo Octopus are now the proud owners of their own garage–but when a series of earthquakes hit their town and Genie, their beloved cat, disappears they find themselves traveling to the realm of Mictlantecuhtli, Aztec god of the Underworld, who is keeping Genie prisoner. Ages 8-12
|
 |
Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction Shadow Magic By: Joshua KhanThorn, a boy sold into slavery who must serve the royalty of Castle Gloom for a year and a day to earn his freedom, and Lilith Shadow, the 13-year-old ruler of Gehenna, who is forbidden to practice the magic that is her heritage, join forces to solve the murders taking place in Gehenna. Ages 10-13 |
 |
Fiction Picture Books A Hungry Lion, or A Dwindling Assortment of Animals Members of a large group of animals, including a penguin, two rabbits, and a koala, disappear at an alarming rate but the hungry lion remains. Ages 4-8 |
 |
Juvenile Non-Fiction Some Writer!: The Story of E.B. White E.B. White’s personal letters, photos, and family ephemera are combined with exquisite artwork to tell the story of this American literary icon. Ages 7-10 |
 |
Middle Grade Fiction Ghost (Track) Ghost, a naturally talented runner and troublemaker, is recruited for an elite middle school track team. He must stay on track, literally and figuratively, to reach his full potential. Ages 10 and up |
 |
Middle Grade Non-Fiction Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story Tells the true story of six-year-old Sachiko Yasui’s survival of the Nagasaki atomic bomb on August 9, 1945, and the heartbreaking and lifelong aftermath. Ages 10-14
|
 |
Poetry The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary A story told in verse from multiple perspectives of the graduating fifth grade class of Emerson Elementary. The kids join together to try to save their school from being torn down to make way for a supermarket. Ages 8-12 |
 |
Young Adult Fiction Salt to the Sea As World War II draws to a close, refugees try to escape the war’s final dangers, only to find themselves aboard a ship with a target on its hull. Ages 12 and up |
 |
Young Adult Graphic Novels March: Book Three By the fall of 1963, the Civil Rights Movement has penetrated deep into the American consciousness, and as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, John Lewis is guiding the tip of the spear. Through relentless direct action, SNCC continues to force the nation to confront its own blatant injustice, but for every step forward, the danger grows more intense: Jim Crow strikes back through legal tricks, intimidation, violence, and death. The only hope for lasting change is to give voice to the millions of Americans silenced by voter suppression: “One Man, One Vote.” Ages 14 and up
|
 |
Young Adult Non-Fiction Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea Every Falling Star, the first book to portray contemporary North Korea to a young audience, is the intense memoir of a North Korean boy named Sungju who is forced at age twelve to live on the streets and fend for himself. To survive, Sungju creates a gang and lives by thieving, fighting, begging, and stealing rides on cargo trains. Sungju richly re-creates his scabrous story, depicting what it was like for a boy alone to create a new family with his gang, his ‘brothers’; to be hungry and to fear arrest, imprisonment, and even execution. This riveting memoir allows young readers to learn about other cultures where freedoms they take for granted do not exist. Ages 12 and up |
 |
Young Adult Speculative Fiction Illuminae Caught in the crossfire of a megacorporation rivalry in 2575, Kady and Ezra, who have just broken up, flee their home planet on an evacuation ship that is quickly overwhelmed by a fast-spreading plague. Ages 12 and up |
Subscribe to Read & Shine
We invite our readers to contribute articles to Read & Shine. If you are interested email your story to: readandshine@clcd.com