Cybil Awards - a great resource to check out

I often keep my eye out for awards to clue me into books or movies I want to see.  You've probably heard of the Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Medal, and the Coretta Scott King Award. These awards recognize the best books in a year and are awarded by the American Library Association.  But I'd also like to draw your attention to a special award The CYBILS, the Children's and Young Adults Blogger's Literary Award.

The Cybils reward children's and young adult authors/ illustrators whose books combine the highest literary merit and 'kid appeal.' They also foster a sense of community among bloggers who write about children's and YA literature. One thing I particularly like is how the Cybils covers a wider range of children's books than the other awards.  This year, there is a new award for Short Chapter Books.  These are so important for new readers, and they don't receive much attention.

Nominations for the Cybils are open today! Anyone can nominate any book published in English from October 16, 2008 to October 15, 2009. You  may only nominate one book for each category. Nominations are open from October 1st to October 15. They've got a great form to use: Nomination Form 2009.

When all the nominations are collected, there are panelists in each category who read the books and narrow them down to a shortlist. On January 1st, the finalists are announced and a second group of judges will pick the winners, which are announced on Valentine's Day.

I'm very excited to be part of the judging panel for Easy Readers and Short Chapter Books this year.  It's a an exciting opportunity for me.  I'll be posting about many of the books nominated in this category in the upcoming months.