The 2006 Cybils Awards Presented by the Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards Committee – www.Cybils.com

Co-Creators: Anne Boles Levy and Kelly Herold

Fantasy and Science Fiction Last Dragon, The Short List Titles by Silvana de Mari Winner: Ptolemy’s Gate Hyperion: Miramax The Last Dragon is a clever, playful, and by Jonathan Stroud funny story with a lot of kid appeal. A very Hyperion: Miramax young elf, trying to stay alive in a world Magician John Mandrake (a.k.a. Nathaniel), darkened by rain and oppression, finds life rebel commoner Kitty, and wise-cracking, full of surprises as he tries to follow the sarcastic djinni Bartimaeus are drawn together destiny laid out for him in an ancient in spite of their differences to battle a prophecy. powerful evil. The three learn more about each other and try to come to terms with their Pucker past, in this stunning series conclusion that by Melanie Gideon also stands well alone. Penguin: Razorbill

Pucker by Melanie Gideon is the story of Silver City seventeen-year-old Thomas Quicksilver who by Cliff McNish was disfigured in a fire when he was a child Carolrhoda Books back before he and his mother were exiled to The second in an astonishingly original Earth from Isaura, a “pocket of a world,” a trilogy, Cliff McNish’s Silver City continues parallel reality. His voice is both modestly the story of six extraordinary and special wiseass and yet mature and sophisticated. children and how they are preparing to defend Thomas sounds like a teenager, but one who the world against an alien being, known only is self-aware instead of self-obsessed. as the Roar, that is heading their way through space. A gripping sequel to The Silver Child, which nonetheless can be read as a stand- Graphic Novels alone (though we recommend the entire Ages 12 and under series). Winner: Amelia Rules, vol. 3: Superheroes Beka Cooper: Terrier by Jimmy Gownley by Tamora Pierce Renaissance Press Random House This book has a great cast of characters and Beka Cooper is one tough-but-vulnerable bright, colorful art that uses the space on each heroine who fights crime in a world of magic. page in creative ways. The issues dealt with Her passion to save the kidnapped children of by the kids in this book don’t shirk from the the Lower Side, along with some action- hard stuff of kids’ lives: divorce, moving, packed scrapes with thieves and rogues, bullying, and a friend dying. But these tough makes Beka Cooper a must read of . issues are presented in very kid-friendly ways.

The Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Award (Cybils) Finalists and Winners for books published in 2006 – www.Cybils.com 1 Babymouse: Beach Babe fit in. The blend of the three story strands is by Jennifer Holm and Matt Holm masterful. Random House This book is just right for this age group. Babymouse deals with typical problems of by childhood. The illustrator uses of color in the art as a visual cue when Babymouse is In this 450+ page , the art is very dreaming. detailed and perfectly matched to the story. The author creates a believable world with The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy’s Great Idea unique and believable characters, weaving by Ann Martin, Rina Telgemeier together well-known fairy tale fragments and GRAPHIX/Scholastic allusions in her completely original story. There are a variety of personalities in the characters, and the girls work well together, Dramacon Vol. 2 showing initiative and solving problems. The by Svetlana Chmakova art is a nice blend of American Comics and Tokyo Pop Manga styles. This book give the reader an insider’s view of the world of comic making: what it’s like to Kat and Mouse go to a Con, how a young writer or artist by Alex De Campi; pictures by Federica breaks into the industry, even the debate Manfredi between pure Manga and the new artistic TokyoPop styles that blend Manga and American Two “less cool girls” in a clique-filled private Comics. school use their brains to solve a mystery and win out over the evil “cool” kids. A science Flight Vol. 3 experiment in the back gives the reader a by Kazu Kibuishi & others chance to try the science the girls used to Ballantine solve the mystery. The art is a good This is a great collection of stories and styles - introduction to Manga style art. - artistic styles as well as storytelling styles. Definitely a book to read again and again. To Dance: A Ballerina’s by Siena Siegel and Mark Siegl Aladdin / Simon & Schuster by This book is a graphic memoir. The story and Pantheon the art work exceptionally well together. The The search for one’s identity is rarely an easy book has a great message for anyone who thing. The character in this book is naiive, must abandon his/her first passion: you can go idealistic, and in Mexico without being able back to it, in some form, later in life. to speak fluent Spanish. The story is layered with art, politics, history, culture, and Graphic Novels: Ages 13 and up language. Winner: American Born Chinese by Gene Yang Non-fiction (Middle Grade and First Second YA) The story in this book speaks to the universal Winner: Freedom Walkers experience of any teen who has just wanted to written by Russell Freedman

The Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Award (Cybils) Finalists and Winners for books published in 2006 – www.Cybils.com 2 Holiday House Absolutely nothing! That’s why Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City one of the most Escape! entertaining books of the year. written by Sid Fleischman Greenwillow Weedflower Cynthia Kadohata Immersed in Verse Atheneum written by Alan Wolf WWII serves as the backdrop to this tale of Lark Books internment, friendship, and growing flowers in the dry desert dust of Arizona. Isaac Newton written by Kathleen Krull; illustrated by Boris Young Adult Fiction Kulikov Winner: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Viking Juvenile Playlist

written by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan Team Moon Knopf Books for Young Readers written by Catherine Thimmesh

Houghton Mifflin Book Thief, The

written by Markus Zusak Middle Grade Fiction Knopf Books for Young Readers Winner: A Drowned Maiden’s Hair: A Melodrama Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life, A Laura Amy Schlitz written by Dana Reinhardt Candlewick Wendy Lamb Books This gothic page-turner features a feisty orphan, a houseful of secrets, and a villain Hattie Big Sky preying on unsuspecting victims. written by Kirby Larson Delacorte Books for Young Readers Framed Cottrell Boyce Rules of Survival, The Harper Collins written by Nancy Werlin Take a small grey Welsh town. Add great Dial works of art. Stir. Fiction Picture Books Heat Winner: Scaredy Squirrel Mike Lupica Melanie Watt Philomel Kids Can Press A heartwarming tale of immigration, baseball An anxious squirrel, who is most comfortable and familial love. It’s a reminder of what the staying in his familiar surroundings and U.S.A. and Americans can be. sticking to his rigid daily schedule, is surprised when the unexpected occurs. The Kiki Strike illustrations and the text features add to the Kirsten Miller humor. Bloomsbury What’s better than Girl Scouts, books, and an Emily’s Balloon underground world under New York City? Written and illustrated by Komako Sakai The Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Award (Cybils) Finalists and Winners for books published in 2006 – www.Cybils.com 3 Chronicle Books 3-D ABC: A Sculptural Alphabet A bittersweet glimpse into the mind of a written and illustrated by Bob Raczka toddler who has befriended a yellow balloon. Milbrook Press This art exhibit in a book begins with “A is Learning to Fly for Arrow” and ends with “Z is for Zigzags.” Written and illustrated by Sebastian In between a and z, readers are treated to a Meschenmoser visual feast, with the different types of Kane/Miller sculpture and the materials they use both A simple book with an important message, indoors and out clearly explained. this is the story of a penguin who wants to fly and his friend who helps him. The humorous Aliens Are Coming!: The True Account Of illustrations add to this message about dreams The 1938 War Of The Worlds Radio and friendship. Broadcast written and illustrated by Meghan McCarthy Waiting for Gregory Knopf Written by Kimberly Willis Holt; illustrated McCarthy’s funny illustrations— of wide- by Gabi Swiatkowska eyed cartoonish people in a panic, drooling Henry Holt and Co. aliens on city streets, and long-legged Martian A young girl, living in the whimsical, vehicles taking over the country—are among imaginative world that only Gabi the many highlights of the book subtitled The Swiatkowska can create, anticipates with True Account Of The 1938 War Of The great excitement the birth of her cousin, only Worlds Radio Broadcast. to grow increasingly confused by her family’s peculiar responses to her questions about An Island Grows exactly how and when the baby will arrive. written by Lola M. Schaefer; illustrated by Cathie Felstead Wolves Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins Written and illustrated by Emily Gravett Simple rhymed couplets and colorful collage Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing a illustrations tell of an island’s formation, from clever book-within-a-book that uses the initial undersea volcanic eruption to the expressive collage and mixed media to tell the arrival of flora, fauna, people and culture. A tale of a curious rabbit who finds real-life graceful, engaging lesson in basic geology for adventure in addition to the information he young children. expects when he checks out a library book about wolves. Little Lost Bat written by Sandra Markle; illustrated by Alan Non-fiction Picture Books Marks Winner: An Egg Is Quiet Charlesbridge written by Dianna Aston; illustrated by Sylvia Markle describes the early life of the Mexican Long free-tailed bat. Her research is reflected in the Chronicle Books storyline which also has an emotional tug to This uncommonly elegant title explores eggs pull the child into the book. Marks evokes the in their many shapes, sizes, colors, textures, darkness of the cave and evening sky and and other qualities. With layered, wonder- tenderly depicts the faces of mother and child. filled text and gorgeous ink-and-watercolor art, it’s earned a standing ova-tion.

The Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Award (Cybils) Finalists and Winners for books published in 2006 – www.Cybils.com 4 Poetry Any children’s or young adult title published Winner: Butterfly Eyes and Other in English in 2006 was eligible, and anyone Secrets of the Meadow could nominate a book. Nominees then went through two rounds of judging: those written by Joyce Sidman; illustrated by Beth surviving the first cut were announced New Krommes Year's Day. Houghton Mifflin

Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich The Organizers written and illustrated by Adam Rex The administrative committee for the 2006 Harcourt Children’s Books Cybils consisted of:

Handsprings Anne Boles Levy (http://dadtalk.typepad.- written and illustrated by Douglas Florian com/book_buds_kidlit_reviews/) – Editor and Greenwillow Books/ HarperCollins Co-Creator Kelly Herold ((http://kidslitinformation.- Jazz blogspot.com/)) – Fiction Picture Books and written by Walter Dean Myers; illustrated by Co-Creator Christopher Myers Holiday House Betsy Bird (http://fusenumber8.-

blogspot.com/) – Middle Grade Fiction Tour America: A Journey Through Poems and Art Chris Barton (http://www.chrisbarton.- written by Diane Siebert; illustrated by info/blog/blog.html) – Non-Fiction Picture Stephen T. Johnson Books Chronicle Books Jen Robinson (http://jkrbooks.typepad.com) – Young Adult Fiction About the 2006 Cybils The Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Liz Burns (http://yzocaet.blogspot.com/) – Literary Awards, or Cybils, were won by nine Graphic Novels books in eight categories, from picture books Mindy Rhiger (http://propernoun.net/) – MG to graphic novels and even fantasy and and YA Non-Fiction science fiction. Sheila Ruth (http://www.wandsandworlds.-

com/blog1/) – Fantasy and Science Fiction The awards cap five months of activity by roughly 80 volunteers, who plowed through Susan Thomsen (http://chickenspaghetti.- 482 books nominated by the public at the typepad.com/chicken_spaghetti/) – Poetry Cybils blog, www.cybils.com . The contest grew out of a comment on a blog post last The Cybils logo was developed by Stephanie October and rapidly gained traction in the Ford of The Children’s Literature Book Club tight-knit community of librarians, teachers, (http://childlitbookclub.blogspot.com/index.ht homeschoolers, parents, authors and ml). illustrators, dubbed the “kidlitosphere.”

The idea was to find books with literary merit that kids couldn’t put down, striking a balance between the highbrow Newberys, for example, and the populist Quill awards.

The Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Award (Cybils) Finalists and Winners for books published in 2006 – www.Cybils.com 5