The Finalists have been announced!
Now we wait with baited breath to see who will win this year! Because...
It's that time of year again! Time for the Cybils (The Children's and Young Adults Bloggers' Literary Awards). The judges (Children's writers who also blog about YA and Children's books) have deliberated for months, read thousands of pages of picture books, YA novels, Middle grade Fantasies, you name it, and they've finally selected their choices for the "finalists" for the best children's/YA books and book related products published in 2011 in the following categories:
1.) Book Apps
2.) Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books
3.) Fantasy and Science Fiction (Middle Grade).
4.) Fantasy and Science Fiction (YA).
5.) Picture Books
6.) Graphic Novels
7.) Middle Grade Fiction
8.) Middle Grade and Young Adult Non-fiction
9.) Young Adult Fiction
10.) Picture Books
11.) Poetry.
The Cybils are great because they get the word out about the books, and the book selection process, by having each judge blog about their experiences in the judging process, what they liked about the books chosen, etc. And the judges are writers so they understand what good writing and good story-telling really are. But they also understand what teens and kids these days like to read - unlike some literary awards that have gotten the reputation, alas, of choosing books that even adults find boring.... The Cybils judges live and breathe children's books and they know how to find stellar books among the stacks mailed to them -- books that kids (and what the hey, adults too...) will truly want to read and that will stand the test of time.
The books that become finalists and "win" get a lot of internet press as a part of the Cybils' author-blogging. And it looks like they've found some great finalists so far this year!
So was your book published in 2011 up for consideration for the Cybils this year? It could have been. Anyone in the populaton (except for yourself, of course) can nominate a book for consideration in the Cybils. That's why the poor judges have to read so, so many books! But that also allows books that perhaps are not yet as famous right-out-of-the-gate to be considered, and to perhaps win, and to definitely get some great interet press in the process. So I'm a huge fan of the Cybils! (Granted, I'm biased, b/c I served as a judge once before myself, and was super honored and thrilled to read all those great books!) But also, as a writer of YA literature, I can tell you that in any year that I have a new book out, I'll be encouraging someone I know to submit it to the Cybils for consideration. Having a lot of YA/Childrens writer/bloggers reading your book and possibly blogging about it is NEVER a bad thing. God Bless the Cybils!
So some of the books they've listed as finalists this year have definitely caught my eye and are making my 2012 reading list! These include: YA Novel "Stupid Fast" by Geoff Herbach http://www.cybils.com/2011-finalists-young-adult-fiction.html, YA Fantasy Red Glove (Curseworkers 2) by Holly Black (ah...Holly Black. No wonder the creative plot synopsis caught my eye!)http://www.cybils.com/2011-finalists-fantasy-science-fiction-young-adult.html, The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs: A scientific Mystery by Sandra Markle (Nonfiction PB)http://www.cybils.com/2011-finalists-nonfiction-picture-books.html, and The Inquisitor's Apprentice by Chris Moriarty (MG Fantasy)http://www.cybils.com/2011-finalists-fantasy-science-fiction-middle-grade.html. The synopsis on that one is my favorite of the four! But there are many other great books also listed on the site!
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So check out the CYBILS lists of finalists this year, and start your reading list a-growing too at http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/
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And next year, put a bug in someone's ear to nominate your 2012 book for the Cybils as well!
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Get YOUR great 2012 Children's/YA book out there where the world can see it!
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