awwww.....

More Than Friends didn't win--though I'm sure the book that did is excellent.

Full listing of the Cybil's Winners here.

FYI

Prinz Honor book and Cybils Poetry finalist Your Own, Sylvia is now out in trade paperback, published by Knopf. ISBN 978-0-440-23968-0 $7.99.

calling Encyclopedia Brown!

The Cybils organizers are trying to track down some missing award winners to give them their very purty Cybils fountain pen.

WOO-HOO!

That extremely loud shriek "YES!" you may have just heard if you are anywhere on the North American continent was me, seeing the winner of the 2007 Cybil in the Poetry category.

Congratulations to all the winners!

polling place

Over at the Cybil's site, they are doing polls of the short lists for each book category - just for fun, of course. Today is the poetry poll. I probably don't really have to mention which title I voted for.

The Cybils fun just never ends

Over at "a Wrung Sponge," there's a nifty poem inspired by the Cybils shortlist. Also a contest, though it may already have been won.

Awarding

Probably most people have heard already, but the Newbery Award was just given to Good Masters, Sweet Ladies, one of the Cybil poetry shortlist books. Another on the poetry shortlist, Your Own, Sylvia, won a Printz honor.

I feel as if I should feel a little conflicted about this, because one of the points of the Cybils was to provide more balance towards kid-appeal than the prestigious literary awards, but wotthehell, I just feel thrilled.

no cigar--but then, I don't smoke

I'd like to get around to actual reviews at some point, but in the meantime, here are some (not necessarily all) of the poetry books that did not make it onto the Cybil's short list, but did find a place in my heart:

Where I Live by Eileen Spinelli. Tender, heartfelt poems that narrate the story of a girl adjusting to a new life.

Hey, You!: Poems to Skyscrapers, Mosquitoes, and Other Fun Things selected by Paul B. Janeczko. A lively tribute to all kinds of animate and inanimate objects, with an excellent design. Terrific overall reading.

Tap Dancing on the Roof by Linda Sue Park. Illustrated by Istvan Banyai. An innovative book of "sijo," a form of Korean poetry I haven't seen previously explored in children's poetry. By definition, "Sijo" always has an unexpected twist, and these poems often manage to surprise. The whimsical pictures are also a plus.

Miss Crandall's School for Young Ladies and Little Misses of Color by Elizabeth Alexander and Marilyn Nelson. A powerful collection of sonnets that tell a true and very moving story.

Shape Me a Rhyme by Jane Yolen. Photographs by Jason Stemple. Beautiful photographs inspired clever poems about shapes in nature. The design is lovely and the choices of shapes are sometimes delightfully surprising. Although not strong on emotional range, this is a welcome concept book.

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars written and illustrated by Douglas Florian. In a batch of many poetry books with specific themes, this was one that really felt like it was about something, that each poem was telling me something new and interesting.

Dog Poems by Dave Crawley. illustrated by Tamara Petrosino. I was taken by surprise by how much I liked this book. The pictures are on the overly cute side and the poems sometimes are too, but the funny poems actually made me laugh, and laugh again on the second reading. I also appreciated the variety of poetic styles, themes and emotions, particularly the true affection for the subject that shines through.

(Thanks to "Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast" and "MotherReader" for this blog topic.)

Speak now or forever hold your peace.

Nominations for the Cybils close tomorrow night.

everybody nominate now!

So far, we have a meager 13 offficial nominations in the CYBILS poetry category. C'mon people, don't you know that the more books you nominate, the crazier I'll be? Make me sweat some blood here - nominate your favorite poetry book of 2007.

Cybils panels are ready!

Yay! I will be helping the poetry nominating comittee with an awesome bunch of other folks. Let the versifying begin!

The initial nomination stage begins October 2st, so I wish everyone luck in whittling their best book lists down to one per genre. Oh, the torture...

to Cybil or not to Cybil

The 2nd annual CYBIL awards are coming up, and I'm trying to decide whether or not I should participate. I haven't been very active in the kidlitosphere lately, and I had to quit working, which means I can no longer bring current library experience to the party. On the other hand, I still know a child from a chicken, to quote Helen Lester, so maybe I could be of some help on one of the nominating committees.