Two intrepid librarians

Two intrepid librarians review the best nonfiction books for children

Sunday, January 1, 2012

CYBILS- Nonfiction Short Lists

We recently had the wonderful opportunity to serve as first round panelists for the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards or CYBILS. Louise judged the middle grade and young adult nonfiction books, and Cathy judged the nonfiction picture books.

For months we read, read and re-read the nominated titles. There were four panelists in Louise's group and seven in Cathy's, with each person living in a different part of North America and each panelist hosting their own book review blog. Email and Google Docs were our primary modes of communication as we evaluated each book using the CYBILS criteria: literary merit and kid appeal.

After weeks of evaluating, discussing, and debating the nominated titles, our work is complete. Here are the short lists for middle grade & young adult nonfiction books and nonfiction picture books. (We have linked each title that we reviewed in 2011.)

CYBILS Short List: Middle Grade and Young Adult Nonfiction (In alphabetical order)



How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg

Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea and Air
by Stewart Ross/Stephen Biesty


The Notorious Benedict Arnold by Steve Sheinkin



CYBILS Short List: Nonfiction Picture Books (in alphabetical order)
 
All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon

Bring on the Birds by Susan Stockdale



 I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat: History's Strangest Cures by Carlyn Beccia




The books on the short lists are now being evaluated by round two judges, and the winners will be annonced on Valentine's Day.

1 comment:

  1. Yay! Two great lists, and a beautiful roundup post, too. :)

    ReplyDelete