Two Cool Things: Cybils and KidLitCon 2015

When I get asked for reading recommendations, I often go to the Cybils shortlists. If you've been reading Everead for a while you'll know that I love the Cybils. I recommend them highly as a place to find good books. They're divided into fifteen categories, and they make it easy for me to find what I'm looking for. An early reader? Yes. A YA realistic fiction book? Gotcha covered. New poetry? Yes! There is more than Shel Silverstein out there. All the books on the shortlists were published in the year prior. This is new, good stuff.  I like to think of the Cybils as the "bloggers choice" award. The criteria for winning are that a book have 1) strong kid appeal and 2) high literary merit. (Kind of like Kix. Kid-tested, adult approved.)

I have been selected as a Cybils judge again this year! Hooray! So from October 1-15 a form will appear on the Cybils site where anyone can nominate their favorite kidlit/YA book of the year (specifically published in the last 12 months). In fact, please do this if you can! Anyway, once all the nominations are in the first round Cybils panelists read all the nominees in a category and pick 5-7 of them for a shortlist. These are announced Jan 1. Then second round Cybils panelists decide which of the shortlisted book should be this year's winner, and those are announced on Feb 14.

This year I will be a Round 2 judge in the Graphic Novels category. So thrilled.

2. Speaking of thrilling stuff, I'm going to KidLitCon again this year! So memorize my face (above) and find me if you're going to be there.

I went a few years back when it was in NYC. It was a great experience. Though I never properly blogged about it (only wrote this excited bit and this recap of the first leg of my trip), I loved connecting with other bloggers, and hanging out with my brother Ransom who met me in the city.

This year is going to be even more awesome because I am on two panels! Whaaat? I'm pinching myself that I get to be presenting. And twice over! I will be on a panel about non-fiction and on this panel about judging book awards. I'm totally starstruck by the people I'll be presenting with. Wish me luck!