2011 Cybil Award Finalists Announced!

I am always looking for great new fantasy titles to read and the annual list of Cybil Finalists rarely disappoints. This year is no exception. (And here is where I disclose that I have no middle grade or even YA age readers in my house anymore, except me.)

Wait, what is a Cybil you ask? It is a book award given each year to the best in children’s and young adult titles. What makes the Cybils so especially extra cool? Oh let me count the ways…

1. It grew out of book bloggers and their passion for books. After five years, it has become a recognized, prestigious book award.
2. It is open to all books, from small presses to those published by the Big Six to self-published titles. (I know! How democratic!)
3. I always discover books I’ve not heard of before, and I say that as someone pretty plugged into the kid lit scene.
4. In their own words, If some la-di-dah awards can be compared to brussel sprouts, and other, more populist ones to gummy bears, the Cybils are more like organic chicken nuggets–yummy and delicious! I like to think my tastes are somewhere between brussel sprouts and gummy bears.
   
5. Anyone can nominate any children’s or YA book as long as it’s published in the designated time frame (for example, 2010 nominations had to be published between Oct 16, 2009 and Oct. 15, 2010). Also, only one nomination per book–which eliminates the whole popularity/voting element that can so easily be hijacked. (There’s that democratic thing again!)

To see the Middle Grade Fantasy and Science Fiction Finalists click here. For the YA Fantasy and Science Fiction Finalists, click here. There are also some great graphic novels for both Middle Grade and YA.

Have any of you read any of these? I’ve read Ship Breaker and have Plain Kate and Guardian of the Dead in my TBR pile. How about you?