Happy New Year! Just popping in briefly to let you know the 2009 Cybils Finalists have been announced. First round panelists read a total of 931 books in 10 categories to come up with this shortlist:
Easy Readers & Short Chapter Books
Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade)
Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult)
Fiction Picture Books
Graphic Novels
Middle Grade Fiction
Non-Fiction Middle Grade/YA
Non-Fiction Picture Books
Poetry
Young Adult Fiction
Since I’m a Poetry Judge this year, I was most anxious to see these finalists:
African Acrostics: A Word in Edgeways, by Avis Harley
Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors, by Joyce Sidman
The Bill Martin Jr. Big Book of Poetry, ed. by Bill Martin, Jr. & Michael Sampson
The Monsterologist: A Memoir in Rhyme by Bobbi Katz
The Tree That Time Built: A Celebration of Nature, Science and Imagination, ed. by Mary Ann Hoberman and Linda Winston.
I’ll be working with my fellow judges (Greg Pincus, Sara Lewis Holmes, Elaine Magliaro, and Stacey Shubitz), under the guidance of Poetry Coordinator, Kelly Fineman, to pick one of these wonderful titles to receive the 2009 Cybils Award for Poetry (to be announced February 14th). I can tell it’s going to be a tough decision!
Congratulations to all the finalists, thanks to all the first round panelists for their hard work, and thanks to Anne Levy, Cybils Coordinator.
May I just add that I’m extra thrilled to see several of my favorite books from 2009 on the shortlist: Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes (middle grade fiction), Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (middle grade fantasy/science fiction), and All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee (fiction picture book)!! Way to go!!
Jama's Alphabet Soup 
Awesome books! So much reading to cram in between so much writing to be done! I’d better get busy!
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Just in time for 2010 reading!
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Happy New Year, Jama! Thanks for posting the CYBILS list.
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Oh, I know. Quite a few titles I hadn’t heard of before.
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*nods and takes another bite of cookie*
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Same to you, Farida! Loved your short story :).
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You are going to have a fun and interesting time picking a winner, I can tell you that for sure. And I was thrilled to see books by friends on the lists – All the World and Operation Yes in particular!
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Oh, boy! New books to track down. Thank heavens for this list–I miss so many books. Can’t wait to find Sidman’s new one and a new book by Mary Anne Hoberman is cause for celebration.
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I’m so happy for Sara, Liz and Grace! I’m also a big Barbara O’Connor fan, so was happy to see Popeye and Elvis get the nod.
I’m looking forward to talking poetry with my fellow judges — should be a fun and engrossing challenge!
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I feel the same way — this list calls attention to some titles that don’t necessarily get heavily reviewed in the blogosphere. I need to take a speed reading course to keep up with everything!
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Thanks for posting these. Congrats to all the finalists.
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Printing out the whole darn list and getting myself into trouble at the bookstore. Because that’s the kind of girl I am.
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Oh, you’re gonna have so much fun judging, though you’ve all got your work cut out for you!
Jules
7-Imp
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You’re welcome, Beverly! It’s quite a list, isn’t it?
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I’m right behind you. So hard to resist, when they all sound so good. 🙂
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Yes, it’s going to be tough coming to a decision!
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