Cybils

There's still time to nominate books for the Cybils! Nominations are open until November 20th!

Imaginary Person Asks: Um, what are you talking about?

Me: The Cybils!

Imaginary Person: Do you mean the oracular seeresses of the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean???

Me: No, no, no. That's the sybils. I'm talking about the Cybils!!!

Cybils = the Children's and YA Bloggers' Literary Awards. It's a brand new award created by a group of fabulous kidlit bloggers. The awards will be given out in eight categories: fantasy and science fiction, fiction picture books, nonfiction picture books, middle grade fiction, YA fiction, middle grade and YA nonfiction, poetry, and graphic novels. Here's a link to the Cybils website itself. And here's a link to a Publisher's Weekly article about the Cybils. And here's a link to the song Personal Penguin, which is mentioned in a totally unrelated article about a Sandra Boynton board book that just happens to appear on the same page of Publisher's Weekly as the article about the Cybils.

I'll wait here while you go dance to the penguin song.

[dance break]

Welcome back.

The reason I'm telling you about the Cybils is that I've been lucky enough to be named a member of the Judging Committee for the Fantasy and Science Fiction Award. (The awesome power! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!) So go nominate something good for me to read. Nominations close on Nov 20. The Panelists will then narrow the nomination list to the Top Five. The Panelists for Fantasy and Science Fiction are:

- Sheila Ruth, Wands and Worlds

- Michele, Scholar's Blog

- Gail Gauthier, Original Content

- Erin, Miss Erin

- Kim Baccellia, kbaccellia

After Jan 1, the Judges will read the Top Five and deliberate. The Judges for Fantasy and Science Fiction are:

- J.L. Bell, Oz and Ends

- Fairrosa, Fairrosa's Reading Journal

- Sarah Beth Durst, Sarah's Journal

- Greg Fishbone, Greg R. Fishbone

- Cassie Richoux, Bookwyrm Chrysalis

I'm really excited about this. First of all, it's a brand new excuse to read a bunch of great books. (I know, I know, I didn't need an excuse, but it's still nice to have one. Part of me will always be that little girl sneaking books under her covers late at night. This is a nice legitimate excuse to sneak books.) And second, the other panelists and judges seem like really cool people. (I've already enjoyed checking out their blogs. Go visit them. Very cool.)

Anyway, to nominate a book for the Fantasy and Science Fiction category, click here. Main rules are: the book needs to have been published in English in 2006, and you can only nominate one book per category. The winners will be announced in early February.

Only a few days left! So get nominating!