Our own Pam "MotherReader" Coughlan is taking a well-deserved rest this year from hosting the 48-Hour Book Challenge--handing it off for the nonce to Karen "Ms." Yingling, also a familiar face around the Cybils, and this past year's Middle Grade Fiction Chair.

In case you've never heard of the 48-Hour Book Challenge, what it is, in essence, is a fun opportunity to Drop Everything And Read...and blog. In Ms Yingling's words, "My favorite thing about the challenge (after the lack of housework, of course) is connecting with other bloggers and seeing what is on everyone else's TBR pile."

This year it's going to be held June 7-9 (which coincides nicely with my book birthday on June 8th!), and to find out more about prizes and other stuff, check out Ms. Yingling Reads.

We've already gotten a few enthusiastic e-mails and such suggesting nominations for next year, and we couldn't be happier that y'all are so proactive. BUT! Please remember that nominations officially open in October--we can't do anything about it at the moment. So please make a note of your favorites so you can tune in this fall and nominate them!

There are lots of ways to keep that Cybils momentum going, though--you can tweet or blog, you can make a Goodreads or Pinterest list...and I guess there's always good old pen-on-dead-tree (still my preferred mode of notetaking). Just remember you'll have to come back in October and submit them via our nominations form. For a refresher on the official process, click here.

--Sarah Stevenson, blog editor

We love our Cybils winners, and they think we aren't too bad ourselves--at least, judging by the tweets and blog posts reacting to Thursday's announcement of the 2012 winning titles. We're always happy to share the love, so here are a few of our favorites:

• Laura Salas, author of winning Poetry title BookSpeak (and former Cybil-ite and longtime blogger herself) had some absolutely lovely words for us on her blog (and a great initial reaction post, too).
• Faith Erin Hicks, author of Teen Graphic Novels winner Friends With Boys, tweeted: OMG YOU GUYS Friends With Boys won a Cybill!!!! http://www.cybils.com/2013/02/the-2012-cybils-awards.html#more … lookit me with all those Real Authors!
• Macmillan Kids gave us a shout-out on Twitter, too: Yay! A HOME FOR BIRD and BOMB won in the 2012 #Cybils Awards! http://ow.ly/hIg3V
• Anne Nesbet, author of SFF finalist title The Cabinet of Earths, shared the love on announcement day: So amazed & touched by the work book-loving bloggers put into the #Cybils! Thank you! THE CABINET OF EARTHS was tickled to be a finalist. :)
• Small Planet Digital, publishers of winning Book App Dragon Brush, posted some jubilation on their Tumblr. 

Elementary & Middle Grade

Book Apps

Dragon Brush
By Small Planet Digital
Nominated by: Aurora Celeste

What would you paint if you had a magic paintbrush? Would you paint all the riches you might want? But what might happen if an evil lord tries to steal this away? Dragon Brush takes children into this scene. The story resonates with heart and kindness as Bing-Wen, the story’s young rabbit hero, discovers the true gift of artwork—creating for those you love. Dragon Brush will charm and entertain with its solid story balancing interactivity and narrative. High production values marked by smooth narration, excellent musical score and precise sound engineering enhance the ancient Chinese folktale setting. Clever and often funny interactions are discoverable on each page of the story, including hidden ink pots that lead to a surprise for the reader. The app works well for a wide age range and will inspire repeat readings. The end of the story includes a painting app where the ink pots add colors and textures with which to paint. Each painting can be erased, saved, or shared. Dragon Brush exemplifies the standards of the Cybil Awards with its perfect blend of story, technology, and entertainment.

Fiction Picture Books

Home for Bird, A
By Philip C. Stead
Roaring Brook
Nominated by: Amy @ Hope Is the Word

A Home for Bird is a character-driven story about a frog named Vernon who sets off on a perilous journey to help his silent friend find home and happiness. Vernon is a loyal protagonist with whom preschoolers will easily relate. A Home for Bird offers an engaging read-aloud experience, with ample opportunity for audience participation, and a narrative with both subtle humor and charm. Stead's vibrant and fluid illustrations are a perfect match to the story, and will have young listeners clamoring for parents, teachers, and/or librarians to "read it again!"

Nonfiction Picture Books

Mrs. Harkness and the Panda
By Alicia Potter, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: Cathy Potter

Who could forget the endearing face of a panda bear like the one on the cover of Mrs. Harkness and the Panda? It is more difficult to remember, however, who brought the first panda bear to America. In 1934, when the story starts, only a few people even knew pandas existed. Mrs. Harkness, a young New York dress designer, seemed to be the least-likely person to go to far-off China to look for one. Yet when her husband dies during an attempt to find a panda, off she goes on the adventure of a lifetime to fulfill his quest.

Reading this book is an adventure of its own. It delves into China with rich colors, using actual Chinese writing on the paper in the background of the illustrations, photographs of Chinese coins, and even including some well-placed Chinese words. Each page and each reading reveals new discoveries.

The story of a young woman heading off into the unknown is one of bravery and perseverance that is sure to appeal to a wide range of readers. Mrs. Harkness would be perfect to introduce a geography or history lesson about China. Although it is a biography, this book is also likely to stimulate conversations about animal conservation, particularly discussions about endangered animals and how our views of how to care for rare animals have changed. It is truly a memorable and inspiring book.

Easy Readers

A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse
By Frank Viva
Toon Books
Nominated by: Lizjonesbooks

A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse is a modern-day rendition of the “Are we there yet?” story. A mouse and a boy travel by boat to Antarctica, all the while seeing fun and interesting things. Alas, Mouse just wants to get there, and then, once there, wants to go back home. The story is told in graphic novel format through speech bubbles and gorgeous illustration. While a fun read for children of all ages, the writing works perfectly for children just beginning their adventure as readers. There are plenty of decodable words, many sight words and lots of opportunity for the pictures to help out when the words are unfamiliar. There is a limited amount of text on each page and the font chosen is big and clear. A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse is the perfect trip to take with a new reader. Enjoy!

Early Chapter Books

Sadie and Ratz
By Sonya Hartnett, illustrated by Ann James
Candlewick Press
Nominated by: Katherine Sokolowski

When Hannah's 4-year-old brother sneaks into her room, changes the TV channel, or uses all the colored markers, Hannah takes matters into her own hands. Literally. Her hands, which she's dubbed Sadie and Ratz, seek revenge by trying to rub Baby Boy's ears off. Hartnett's subversive chapter book doesn't shy away from children's dark side, which is one of its strengths. It isn't long before Baby Boy figures out a way to retaliate--he accuses Sadie and Ratz of his misdeeds, like spilling milk and scribbling on walls. Hannah, stumped by this turn of events, sends Sadie and Ratz on vacation, but the pair continues to get blamed. 

How Hannah and Baby Boy resolve this conflict of hand warfare will delight readers, and quite possibly dismay parents hoping for a tidier ending. James's expressive charcoal illustrations further dramatize the children's swirling emotions. This powerful book about the murky underbelly of sibling rivalry deserves a big hand!

Poetry

BookSpeak!: Poems About Books
By Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Josee Bisaillon
Clarion Books
Nominated by: Katie Fitzgerald

"If a book remains unopened
and no reader turns its page,
does it still embrace a story
or trap words inside a cage?"

BookSpeak! celebrates all things books. One of our judges stated that it shows kids "how to look at a common object with new eyes." Another said, "I love the many 'voices' she created within the book world." A third judge noted, "when read aloud, I feel these poems have heaps of personality--and utility, too."

Laura Purdie Salas explores reading, writing, stories, and book components in a wide variety of poetic forms, styles, and imaginative voices. From the lyrical "Skywriting" to the clever personification of “Index,” the poems flow from beginning to end, providing helpful models that young writers may enjoy exploring and imitating.

Josee' Bisaillon's use of collage, digital montage, and drawings completes the whole package. Complemented by a distinctive use of typeface and energetic and expressive illustrations, BookSpeak! is a book of book poems that readers of all ages will return to again and again.  

Graphic Novels

Giants Beware!
By Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado
First Second Books

Nominated by: Charlotte

Claudette can't wait to be a hero, just like her dragon-slaying dad (who's now stuck at the forge in a wheelchair after a vicious battle). When she learns that a giant attacked her town--and the citizens just let it get away!--she knows this is her chance. She persuades her friend and her little brother to go out questing with her, and the result is a story full of adventure, humor, and heart. Aguirre and Rosado have refreshingly eschewed traditional gender roles, creating likeable but realistically flawed characters in a quasi-medieval world. Told with expressive, full-color art and nice repetition of language for developing readers, this fun and funny story is sure to appeal to kids.

Fantasy & Science Fiction

The False Prince: Book 1 of the Ascendance Trilogy
By Jennifer A. Nielsen
Scholastic
Nominated by: Natalie Aguirre

Sage is taken from his orphanage along with three other boys and thrust into an attempt to save the kingdom from impending war. If he loses, it's certain death, but Sage is very reluctant to win, since the prize at the end means becoming someone's pawn and living a lie for the rest of his life. The detailed world Nielsen creates is full of life, populated with mystery, twists and turns, and engaging and complex characters. Readers don't know who to trust, while Sage knows he can trust no one, especially not Connor, the man who stole them away and has aspirations of his own. Sage's voice is perfection, reading like a medieval Sherlock Holmes. Unreliable and snarky, Sage keeps his observations, assets, and motivations to himself until he knows he can benefit. Readers can't help but cheer for him, even as he struggles to come to grips with the ups and downs of a fate he doesn't desire.

Middle Grade Fiction

Wonder
By R. J. Palacio
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: Flowering Minds

Young Adult

Nonfiction Books

Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon
By Steve Sheinkin
Flash Point
Nominated by: Monica Edinger

A taut, real-life spy thriller, Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin is the true story of how the United States, Hitler's Germany, and the Soviet Union each sought to build the world's first nuclear weapon by whatever means possible. A first-rate page turner that has impeccable research and is sure to interest both MG and YA readers, Bomb is the perfect example of how nonfiction can be everything fiction is--and more.

Graphic Novels

Friends with Boys
By Faith Erin Hicks
First Second Books
Nominated by: Adam Shaffer (@MrShafferTMCE)

When homeschooler Maggie joins her older brothers at the public high school, she isn't sure what to expect--and her mother isn't around anymore to ease the transition. This contemporary coming-of-age story captures realistic teen behavior, though a mysterious ghost adds fantasy to the mix. Compelling illustrations in black and white play with the intersections of light and dark, past and future.  The richness of the relationships, the resonance of Maggie's emotional life, and the satisfying--though pleasantly ambiguous--conclusion make Maggie's story one to remember.

[For a shorter version of this blurb, check out Graphic Novel judge Emily Mitchell's review haiku.]

Fantasy & Science Fiction

Seraphina
By Rachel Hartman
Random House Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: Ana @ things mean a lot

Young Adult Fiction

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
By Jesse Andrews
Amulet
Nominated by: Leila Roy

Greg wants you to know that he's not writing some soppy cancer book.  The impending death of his sorta-friend, sorta-ex-girlfriend Rachel from leukemia won't teach him any great lessons about the meaning of life. He's gonna swear. He's gonna crack sick jokes. There will be awkward silences. And he'll make stupendously bad films with his best friend, Earl, while ignoring his own rules about staying under the radar during senior year.

What Greg doesn't tell you is that his story will break your heart anyway. With sharply-drawn characters,  dialogue so real you expect to hear it in the school hallway, and a mix of formats that keep the story moving, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a book that will make readers laugh out loud even as they sympathize with Greg's bumpy journey into adulthood.

Don't forget to tune in tomorrow morning (or tonight, depending on how you look at it), February 14, at 12:01 a.m. PST for the announcement of this year's 2012 Cybil Award winners! We'll be announcing this past year's best of the best as selected by the Round 2 judging panels, although of course we couldn't have done it without all 100+ of our hardworking blogging volunteers.

That's 12:01 on February 14th, right here at Cybils.com--Valentine's Day for some, announcement day for those of us keeping tabs on the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards. See you soon!

It's fitting that our final review of the finalist period would come from a loyal and hardworking Cybils regular--Charlotte Taylor, who blogs about children's and YA fantasy and sci-fi at Charlotte's Library. She was a round 1 judge this year for MG Fantasy and Sci-Fi, and one of the most fun aspects of her blog is that every Sunday, she does a roundup of MG SFF reviews from around the kidlitosphere. Fun fact: Charlotte is an archaeologist. How cool is that?

This past spring, she reviewed Cybils MG SFF finalist The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen and called it her favorite of the year to date. It's also made it onto a lot of our judges' personal fave lists. It's a novel of political intrigue, sort of a non-magical fantasy, though it promises plenty of action and adventure. In her review, Charlotte said:

Sage, a mischievous, conniving, intelligent thief/orphan boy, tells the story from a beautifully unreliable first person point of view. There's a huge emotionally charged story embedded in this unreliable narration...

Katie Fitzgerald of Secrets & Sharing Soda is today's featured blogger. She's a Round 1 panelist for Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books, she's a children's librarian by day, and she blogs about a wide range of kidlit-related topics--including regular features called Old School Sunday, in which she reviews books published in the '90s and before. Fun fact: Katie furnished the very first review we posted this Cybils season.

One of the reviews she posted earlier in 2012 described Early Chapter Books finalist Marty McGuire Digs Worms!, written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Brian Floca. The second installment in the Marty McGuire series, this latest novel follows the third-grader's Save-the-Earth exploits. In her review, Katie said:

Marty is science-minded and loves to get her hands dirty, which is great, and I think kids are certainly drawn to her impatience and her desire to do the right thing, even if she doesn’t always manage to do it.

Our featured reviewer for the day, Helen Dineen, is a UK-based blogger at CAppTivated Kids, where she blogs about iPad apps for young children. She's always on the lookout for entertaining and educational apps for her two little ones, and on her blog she posts about her favorites. Fun fact: Though she's a Twitter veteran, she's relatively new to blogging--she just started in 2012, but she impressed us with her in-depth book app reviews.

One of the apps she wrote about last year was Cybils finalist Rounds: Franklin Frog, developed by Nosy Crow Apps from a story by Barry and Emma Tranter. It's part of a series that looks at the life cycle of a different animal in each installment, and it's chock-full of fun frog facts. In her review, Helen says:

I really like the way Franklin asks the reader to help him in his journey – to jump across the pond, to catch food with his long, sticky red tongue, or to find somewhere to hibernate. My children enjoyed doing this, and so absorbed the facts easily along the way.

Kellie Tilton, aka Kell, is today's featured blogger. A university librarian and Round 1 judge for YA Fiction this year, she blogs at The Re-Shelf, where she posts primarily about young adult fiction, especially contemporary romance, fantasy, and dystopians. Fun fact: she's a big Doctor Who fan (a surprising number of us Cybils folk are...)

One of the YA Cybils finalists Kellie reviewed this past year was I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga (a past Cybils winner for Boy Toy in 2007). His latest is told from the viewpoint of the son of a notorious serial killer. Needless to say, it's a thriller, and main character Jazz is using his unique perspective to help the police solve some murders. As Kellie says in her review,

I Hunt Killers is, thus far, one of my favorite reads of the year.... Holy geez. Creepy, intense, gory, funny – if you like these things, pick it up immediately.

Today's featured review comes from Round 1 Poetry judge and Cybils regular Mary Lee Hahn, who blogs with fellow teacher Franki Sibberson at A Year of Reading. Fun fact: Did you know they keep a list of 100 Cool Teachers in Children's Literature? Laura Ingalls and Professor McGonagall aren't the only cool teachers you'll find--go check it out.

One of her reviews this past year was of Cybils Poetry finalist UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian (also no stranger around the Cybils). His poems explore the lives and communities of honeybees and their importance to our ecosystem. In Mary Lee's review, she cites a sample poem and sings the book's praises:

Douglas Florian does it again! A perfect trifecta of illustrations and poems and just enough information on every page.

Today's featured review comes from Richie Partington, a Round 2 judge for MG/YA Nonfiction, faculty at San Jose State University's School of Library and Information Science, and blogger at Richie's Picks. At his site, he writes detailed reviews of recent and upcoming books for children and young adults. Fun fact: he once had dinner with J.K. Rowling!

One of the books he reviewed was Cybils NFMGYA finalist Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95, by Phillip Hoose. It's the astounding story of a shorebird, banded B95, who has survived for nearly twenty years while his species begins to dwindle around him. Richie describes the importance of this story in his review:

Phillip Hoose shows how – for a particular species of endangered shorebird – the struggle is on across two continents between the man-made forces that are contributing to the threat of extinction and those citizens and leaders who hope to counter those forces and save this species.

Our featured review of the day comes from the blog Delightful Children's Books, which is the online home of Round 1 Nonfiction Picture Books judge Amy Broadmoore. Besides having an adorable sock monkey in the header, her blog also features recommendations for outstanding picture books--fiction and nonfiction--that encourage kids to love reading and explore the world around them. Fun fact: her Read Around the World booklists are fantastic--no wonder she's a founder of International Book Giving Day.

Recently, she posted a roundup of some favorite titles from the NFPB reading period, including finalist Island: A Story of the Galapagos by Jason Chin. Island tells the story of how these amazing and ecologically diverse islands came to be, illustrated by beautiful paintings. In her review, Amy says:

Chin tells an engaging story about an island forming, the island becoming populated by plants and animals, plant and animal populations changing over time, and, finally, the island sinking into the sea.

Our finalist lists get put to use in a number of different ways, from fodder for individual TBR piles to reference sheets for booksellers. As our NFPB category chair Jennifer Wharton shows in a recent blog post, our finalists are also helpful for librarians, who can use them for collection development.

If you're curious how librarians use the lists of finalists, take a gander at her post, which looks at which Cybils books her library is going to buy, which they already own, and sprinkles in a bit of information on circulation statistics as well as commentary. It's an intriguing inside view for us non-librarians!

Deb Marshall, one of our Round 1 judges in Middle Grade Fiction, is today's featured blogger. As for her area of expertise, her blog name says it all: Just Deb: Reading and Writing for Children and Teens. She's a 25-year veteran of public library youth services as well as a professional storyteller in Alberta, Canada. Fun fact: she's got some great resources and posts for those interested in MG/YA from Canada.

Recently she posted about Middle Grade Fiction finalist The Adventures of Beanboy by Lisa Harkrader. How can you resist a book whose jacket copy begins with "Never underestimate the power of the bean"? It's a charming story about a kid who draws comics and his superhero character Beanboy. In her review, Deb describes the main character, Tucker MacBean:

Not only is he on a quest to create the best superhero sidekick in order to win a contest, he's also on a quest to find the hero's heart within himself. The hero's heart that will allow him to stand up for himself and what he wants...

Jennifer Wharton, our Nonfiction Picture Books category chair, blogs about books at Jean Little Library--but she also has another blog, Flying Off My Bookshelf, where she uses a really neat flipcard feature to showcase book reviews in a colorful, cover-art-oriented fashion.

Today's featured review is from one of those flipcards--a couple of months ago Jennifer looked at Teen Graphic Novels finalist Ichiro by Ryan Inzana. Ichiro is half Japanese and half American, and when his American father dies, his mom decides to move them to Japan. It's a complex story about identity, war, and growing up. As Jennifer put it in her review,

Ichiro's complex feelings about his soldier father, his American grandfather's feelings about war, his Japanese grandfather's remembrances of WWII, and the dialogue he has with the spirits in the underworld, especially the god of war, all shape and mature his thoughts and ideas.

Continuing the series of posts highlighting our Round 1 judges' personal favorites, we've got a couple from the Young Adult Fiction category (which is another one that always gets a ton of nominees)--check out some worthy books that didn't quite make it onto the shortlist this year:

• Kendall Kulper of Blogging for YA shares her Ten Hidden Gems from the Cybils Nominees List. 
• Sarah Gross of The Reading Zone has put together her personal list of Cybils YA highlights.

As always, I'm going to have the world's biggest TBR list after this is all over...

--Sarah Stevenson, blog editor

Amy Uptain, who blogs at Hope Is the Word, is a Cybils veteran, Round 2 judge in Nonfiction Picture Books--and today's featured blogger. A former teacher and librarian, she currently is a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of three young children. She blogs about her life, parenting, and home education as well as about the books she reads. Fun fact: she hosts an Armchair Cybils!

One of the books Amy reviewed for her Read-Aloud Thursday feature was Cybils Fiction Picture Books finalist Creepy Carrots! written by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Peter Brown, a title that also got starred reviews from both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. In her review, Amy says:

Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds is a fun story that takes something that is decidedly not creepy–carrots–and turns the root vegetable into a veritable menace, at least to one Jasper Rabbit.

Today's featured blogger comes to us from all the way Down Under--Christchurch, New Zealand, to be specific. Zac Harding is a children's librarian who blogs at My Best Friends Are Books, and he's a Round 2 judge this year for YA Fantasy and Sci-Fi. He also blogs at the Christchurch City Libraries blog and the Christchurch Kids Blog, posting about books he's read and wants to read. Fun fact: Along with a few other Cybils judges, he's on the planning team for International Book Giving Day on Feb. 14.

A few months ago, Zac wrote a glowing review of Teen SFF finalist Every Day by David Levithan. What if you woke up every morning in a different body? That's the question posed by this book, and the narrator, A, has just gotten used to it...sort of...when love throws a wrench into the works. In his review, Zac says:

Every Day is one of the most extraordinary, thought-provoking, and emotional stories I’ve ever read.  Even now, 3 days after reading the final sentence, I’m struggling to put into words how much this book has affected me.  It’s completely different from anything I’ve ever read...

We've got a few more lists of favorites that didn't quite make it onto the shortlists this year--all from Fantasy and Sci-fi, which is not a surprise when you consider the sheer number of submissions in that category. So if you're looking to add to your TBR pile, check out these worthies from our Round 1 judges:

• Sheila Ruth, our SFF category chair, also was a panelist for Round 1 SFF for teens, and she's posted a wonderful account on Wands and Worlds of what it's really like to have to sift through all those books every year, looking for the gems--and having to reject some real diamonds. She also lists some of her favorite non-finalist titles. 
• Tanita Davis, my co-blogger on Finding Wonderland, also did a roundup/post-mortem on what the process was like this year in teen SFF and which books she wishes could have been part of the shortlist. 
• Sherry Early of Semicolon, who was part of the elementary/MG fantasy and sci-fi panel, posted a list of 12 favorites--some shortlisted, some not--as well as a fantastic list of quotable quotes from books she read over the course of the past year.