Cybils Nominations Start October 1st

Nominations open tomorrow! 

Rules are roughly as follows (the official version is here): 

• Anybody (real people only!) can nominate a book.
• You may nominate one book per category.
• If you have more than one book you’d like to nominate, enlist a friend or co-worker to help you out. (Real human friends only - no imaginary friends or pets or anything like that.)
  
• Nominated books must’ve been published in the US or Canada between Oct. 16, 2013 and October 15, 2014. 
• Additional information can be found here. 

The categories are:

• Easy Reader/Short Chapter Books
  These books for beginning readers, covering an age range from preschool to grade 3.


• Graphics covering everything from wordless picture books appealing to the very young to intense, issue-based young adult novels–telling their stories through serial artwork. There will be an award for both the younger graphics and for the young adult graphics.

• Fiction Picture Books books that are fictional with pictures,  typically 32 to 48 pages long - this category contains titles for toddlers and third graders. From funny stories and moving tales to history, fantasy, education and entertainment. 


• Elementary/Middle Grade Non-fiction from history, biography and sports to art, nature and science. Titles with factual content and informational titles, roughly 50% or more of the book should be narrative nonfiction (as opposed to experiments or activities) and books should be directed generally at ages 3-12.


• Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction Inventive, wild, and wonderful– speculative fiction for kids includes the obvious wizards and aliens, as well as talking animals, time-travel, ghosts, and paranormal abilities ... any books that push past the boundaries of daily life into the realm of the almost certainly impossible written for ages 8-12.


• Middle Grade Fiction This category encompasses a wide range of stories that do not have magical elements like mysteries, histories, humor, sports, adventure and other tales set in the real world that are geared to the 8 to 12 year old age group.


• Book Apps combine the interactive elements of tablet computers with literature and storytelling. Readers experience the story by interacting with the book.


• Poetry Anthologies and poetry collections written by various authors or a single author.


• Young Adult Fiction realistic fiction, contemporary or historical, funny or mysterious, romantic or adventurous. Books that are set in the real world of the past and present with all of its flaws and pain and humor and beauty published for young adults ages 12-18.


• Young Adult Speculative Fiction Stories from the realms of the imagination - magic, aliens, ghosts, alternate universes, time travel, space travel, high fantasy, dystopian, post-apocalyptic futures, horror, and sentient animals. The age range for this category is approximately 12-18.


• Young Adult Non-fiction books in this category take readers on amazing journeys with the added benefit with knowing that they are true. Narrative nonfiction that bring history alive, introduces you to complex topics or transports you into another culture. For grades 7 - 12. No textbooks please.

Once you have narrowed your choices down to one book in each category (eek that's hard!) here is the link to the Cybils nomination form (it goes live at midnight). If you have questions about what qualifies or which category would be best there are links on the Cybils website to the chair of each category.

Nominations close October 15th!