It’s that time of year! The Cybils (Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards)?organizers and panels and judges have been announced! I’m excited to be a first-round judge in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category with a bunch of other very cool folks. What? No poetry, you might be asking? No nonfiction? I know! But here’s why I specifically requested this category.
- I started feeling kind of odd about being a panelist or judge in a category in which I have books eligible in other years.
- I don’t THINK I let the fact that I know many other writers in a category influence my opinions…but I’m not 100% sure.
- I love easy readers and chapter books.
- I want to read more?of them, and I figure what better way to immerse myself in the best of them than by being involved in the Cybils?
- I’m working on some manuscripts in this category, so this will be really fun to me as a reader and beneficial to me as a writer.
On the down side:
- I will miss discussing and debating great poetry books with my wonderful poetry friends! [Can’t wait to see what books they honor this year!]
- I’m feeling a bit left out already.
But I know I’m going to have a great time on my new panel, and I am SO ready to get started. So…start thinking about what books you want to nominate. Nominations open October 1, two weeks from today!
Congrats on your judge-dom, Laura! I completely understand why you switched categories, and hope I have to switch for those very same reasons some day.
This is my first trip to your new place, and it looks fabulous – so bright and clean and inviting with pretty colors. I wondered, though, if there is a button somewhere that will take me back to the blog homepage where I can scroll posts. Right now I only see a button for SITE, then I have to click on BLOG from there. A direct route would be good!
Happy writing (and judging)!
Ooh, good point, Renee. I will add a link to the blog homepage. Thanks for the feedback–super helpful!
Have fun judging! The Round 2 judging was a whole different ballgame from Round 1!
Congrats on your judge-dom, Laura! I completely understand why you switched categories, and hope I have to switch for those very same reasons some day.
This is my first trip to your new place, and it looks fabulous – so bright and clean and inviting with pretty colors. I wondered, though, if there is a button somewhere that will take me back to the blog homepage where I can scroll posts. Right now I only see a button for SITE, then I have to click on BLOG from there. A direct route would be good!
Happy writing (and judging)!
Ooh, good point, Renee. I will add a link to the blog homepage. Thanks for the feedback–super helpful!
Have fun judging! The Round 2 judging was a whole different ballgame from Round 1!
Good luck with the panel. It sounds like a great way to “immerse yourself in the best of them.”
Where can I learn about submitting my book for the award?
Thanks, Sandra! You or anyone else can nominate your book at the Cybils site starting Oct. 1. That’s when the nomination form will go up. You can learn more at the FAQ link at the Cybils site:>)
Good luck with the panel. It sounds like a great way to “immerse yourself in the best of them.”
Where can I learn about submitting my book for the award?
Thanks, Sandra! You or anyone else can nominate your book at the Cybils site starting Oct. 1. That’s when the nomination form will go up. You can learn more at the FAQ link at the Cybils site:>)
These are all great reasons to switch to the chapter book category. Maybe you can spark some poetic discussions with your readers here to fill the void. 🙂
Yeah, I think it was a good decision overall. It will be interesting to see if it feels any different when I DON’T know most of the writers:>)
These are all great reasons to switch to the chapter book category. Maybe you can spark some poetic discussions with your readers here to fill the void. 🙂
Yeah, I think it was a good decision overall. It will be interesting to see if it feels any different when I DON’T know most of the writers:>)
Congratulations, Judge Laura! I, too, am looking forward to reading & learning about new books I may have missed this year. This will be exciting for both of us – you’re judging a new category and I’ve never been a CYBILS judge before!
You’ll have a great time, Matt! The discussions are terrific–and you also learn quickly how a group of seemingly like-minded people passionate about poetry can vehemently disagree:>) So much of it truly does come down to personal taste!
Congratulations, Judge Laura! I, too, am looking forward to reading & learning about new books I may have missed this year. This will be exciting for both of us – you’re judging a new category and I’ve never been a CYBILS judge before!
You’ll have a great time, Matt! The discussions are terrific–and you also learn quickly how a group of seemingly like-minded people passionate about poetry can vehemently disagree:>) So much of it truly does come down to personal taste!
I kind of regret not applying to be a judge again this year, but after 2 years in a row, I figured it was time to give others a shot. I will miss the adult conversations about children’s books!
I know what you mean. I almost just took a year off. I didn’t want to hog the Poetry category:>)
I kind of regret not applying to be a judge again this year, but after 2 years in a row, I figured it was time to give others a shot. I will miss the adult conversations about children’s books!
I know what you mean. I almost just took a year off. I didn’t want to hog the Poetry category:>)