What are Cybils? The acronym stands for children’s and young adult bloggers literary awards. Bloggers who specialize in children’s and young adult books have developed the Cybils awards to highlight some of the best books published in the previous year. Right now you can nominate your favorite books by genre, until October 15, 2011.

Once the lists are complete, the Round I Panelists read all the books nominated and blog like crazy. They will narrow the list down, and then in the end of December, pass their picks to the Second Round Judges. Those judges deliberate in secret and their choices are revealed in February.

I am happy to announce that this year I have been chosen to be a Round 1 Panelist for the Middle Grade/Young Adult Nonfiction category. My fellow panelists are:

Round One Panelists

Sarah Rettger
Archimedes Forgets

Kara Dean
Not Just for Kids

Karen Ball
Ms. B’s Favorites

Jennifer Rothschild
Biblio File

Ed Sullivan
Rogue Librarian

Louise Capizzo
The Non-Fiction Detectives

Be sure to visit their blogs for Cybils reviews.

In the Nonfiction MG/YA category, the Round 2 Judges will be:

Carol Rasco
Rasco from Rif

Margo Tannenbaum
The Fourth Musketeer

Colleen Mondor
Chasing Ray

Ritchie Partington
Ritchie’s Picks

Sarah Sammis
Puss Reboots

Did you nominate a book yet? I’d love to hear what you nominated and why.

Series: Scientists in the Field

Reading level: Middle grade, 9-12

Summary:  Have you ever wondered what it would be like to study elephants in Africa? This book follows Dr. Caitlin O’Connell as she studies elephant social life and communication and at the same time works on ways to prevent elephants from ruining crops planted by local people. She discovers that elephants communicate to one another by detecting vibrations in the ground with their feet and trunks.

Illustrations:  Photographs by Caitlin O’Connell and Timothy Rodwell

Comments:  The Elephant Scientist is a wonderful new addition to the outstanding Scientists in the Field series. Because the scientist in the spotlight is one of the co-authors, this book has unprecedented access to how the science was done and what the scientist was thinking. The book not only reveals the process of science, but also gives state-of-the-art information about elephants, as well. How the elephants talk to one another is absolutely fascinating.

Related activities:

Simply Science a a review of a related book, Elephant Talk by Ann Downer. and a link where you can listen to elephants, as well as activities

Exploring Elephants at Growing With Science

Compatible fiction:  The White Elephant by Sid Fleischman and illustrated by Robert McGuire

Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin Books for Children;  (July 11, 2011)

ISBN-10: 0547053444
ISBN-13: 978-0547053448

Click on button to return to main science book list.

Today we are excited to be joining a new meme called STEM Friday at Chapter Book of the Day.

Jeff at NC Teacher Stuff shares another STEM book perfect for summer reading: How Do Waves Form?

The fuss is all about the strangest, most wondrous, and captivating bird on the planet, called a kakapo parrot.

My family first learned about the adorable kakapo parrot from Sir David Attenborough’s The Life of Birds. The kakapo lives in New Zealand, known for its unusual bird life. In this case “unusual” is an understatement. These large, flightless parrots (weighing up to eight pounds) have soft green feathers that smell strongly of honey, of all things. The sweet smell is thought to come from a bacteria that lives on the birds. They are active at night, and hide during the day in burrows under the ground. That is not where you would expect to find a parrot at all.

Photograph from Brent Barrett at Wikipedia

This tale does have a sad part. Over the last few hundred years, the kakapo numbers have plummeted. A few times they were thought to be nearly extinct. Right now conservationists are trying valiantly to save the less than 100 birds that remain.

With the team of experienced nature writer Sy Montgomery and and fabulous photographer Nic Bishop, you know Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot is going to be high quality. Two of their previous books have been Sibert Honor books. What really tips this book into another category is their obvious passion for the topic. You can tell these two are thrilled to be freezing and wet on a remote island near Antartica chasing the kakapo story to share with us.

Photograph by Mnolf at Wikipedia

As Montgomery so eloquently reminds us, we don’t know the ending to this particular story yet. “We could be witness to one of the most thrilling conservation success stories in human history – or one of the noblest but most tragic failures.”

What do you think?

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 80 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (May 24, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0618494170
ISBN-13: 978-0618494170

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by the new Nonfiction Monday blog to see who is hosting each week. This week’s post is at Charlotte’s Library.

If you are a fan of children’s nonfiction books, be sure to visit the new Nonfiction Monday Facebook page.

And with the New Year comes a big cheer as the 2010 Cybils shortlists are announced!

What are Cybils? The acronym stands for children’s and young adult bloggers literary awards. Bloggers who specialize in children’s and young adult books have developed the Cybils awards to highlight some of the best books published in the previous year. Back in September people nominated their favorite books by genre. Since then the Round I panel of judges read and blogged like crazy to whittle the nominations down to this shortlist of seven. And they are:

2010 Cybils Nonfiction Picture Book Finalists
(The titles are linked to take you to Amazon for more information)

	Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy (Simon and Shuster)
	Bones by Steve Jenkins (Scholastic Press)
	Henry Aaron's Dream by Matt Travares (Candlewick Press)
	Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney (Little Brown Kids)
	Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald by Roxane Orgill (Candlewick Press)
	The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According To Susy) by Barbara Kerley (Scholastic Press)
	Dinosaur Mountain: Digging into the Jurassic Age by Deborah Kogan Ray (Farrar Straus Giroux)

What an awesome list!

A big thanks to the Round I judges for all their hard work:
Doret Canton, Happy Nappy Bookseller
Shirley Duke, Simply Science
Amanda Goldfuss, ACPL Mock Sibert
Abby Johnson, Abby (the) Librarian
Jone MacCulloch (category organizer)
Karen Terlecky, Literate Lives
Carol Wilcox, Carol’s Corner

And now it is time for the Round II judges (including me) to narrow the list to one winner. Looks like it is going to be quite a task.

Be sure to stop by the Cybils website and check out the shortlists for all the other categories.

Starting with bacteria, Sidman has chosen to highlight organisms that have survived when others have gone extinct. She gives both the good (bacteria have important jobs) and the bad (a few can cause disease). Accompanying each are Prange’s delightful illustrations, also power-packed with information if you only know to look. And, if you have heard any of the buzz about this book you know, Prange’s use of yarn to make a timeline of the earth just has to be seen to be appreciated. Amazing!

Being a biologist by training, I was interested in the serious nonfiction side of this book. Yes, each creature Joyce Sidman has chosen is represented by a lovely, creative poem. Opposite, however, is a page of exquisitely condensed scientific information, including (gasp!) scientific names. Let’s be upfront, this book takes a decidedly modern, scientific view of how the world came to be.

Given the extensive amount of research the author did, the experts she consulted and how up-to-the-minute her information, this book in many ways surpasses those filed in the 500′s rather than the 800′s. Add my kudos to the long list of others for this book.

As for reading level, I think that (once again) although Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Survivors looks like a picture book and the poetry is deceptively short and sweet, it is more appropriate for older children.

If you love poetry and want to see the 14 organisms Sidman and Prange chose to celebrate as survivors, then I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this book.

If anyone from Houghton Mifflin stops by:  A poster set with the poems and illustrations and the nonfiction information on the back, including the yarn timeline, would probably be found in every classroom and household in the country.

Reading level: Ages 4-8 (Amazon)
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (April 5, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0618717196
ISBN-13: 978-0618717194

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by Anastasia Suen’s Nonfiction Monday page. This week’s post is at Playing By The Book.

The book has the feel of nonfiction because the text is written as a journal, going back and forth between entries written by both boys. Each boy has his own voice and each tells of the same events from his individual perspective. Factual information about Africa, its people and animals abound. Sprinkled throughout are actual photographs of the boys and of Africa. To make it even harder to tell fact from fiction, the book comes with a DVD interview of the two boys talking about their experiences traveling to Africa to research the book.

As you read, however, it becomes apparent the adventures in the book are fictionalized. The boys would have to be pretty unlucky to encounter all the things that befall them. Starting out with a close call with a mother white rhino that knocks their own mother out of the vehicle they are riding in, the boys run up against everything from frightening giant crocodiles to being held hostage by an angry poacher. Through the book, Gannon and Wyatt experience one harrowing conflict after another.

In fact this intense drama, including graphic accounts of wounded and dying animals, also makes this book a bit difficult to classify as far as intended age of reader. Travels with Gannon and Wyatt:  Botswana just won a silver Moonbeam award in the Best First Book – Chapter Book category. On the other hand, it is listed as young adult at Amazon. I would say probably middle grade based on content. The main characters are supposed to be fifteen, and kids usually like to read about older main characters. It might be appropriate for reluctant readers who like their adventure rapid fire.

What we see in the video trailer is the part of the book that I enjoyed, the flavor of actually being in Botswana.

Doesn’t that make you want to travel, too?

As an aside, the boys, both real and fictional, are homeschooled. If you are interested in finding out more, Reading to Know has an interview with author Patti Wheeler

Reading level: Young Adult (Amazon)
Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Claim Stake Publishing, LLC; Har/DVD edition (June 2010)
ISBN-10: 1936284006
ISBN-13: 978-1936284009

Book provided for review.

Edit: This book is nominated for a Cybils in Middle Grade Fiction.

Take a look for yourself:

You know what is sweet? Barney Saltzberg wrote the song for the video, too. Talk about a multi-talented person.

As an art masterpiece volunteer for many years, I wish I could give a copy of this book to every student I ever taught, but especially the intense little boy who tore up his art projects in first grade. But let’s face it, Barney’s message is wonderful for people of all ages in all sorts of situations. Beautiful!

Reading level: Ages 4-8 (and up!)
Hardcover: 28 pages
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; Pop Ill edition (September 23, 2010)
ISBN-10: 076115728X
ISBN-13: 978-0761157281

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by Anastasia Suen’s Nonfiction Monday page. This week’s post is at In Need of Chocolate.

This book is nominated for a Cybils in the nonfiction picture book category.

The good news is Hot X is much more than a guide to algebra. It’s also a hip call for young people to work hard, particularly at math, in order to attain their dreams. McKellar wants her readers to feel smart and confident, and develop the skills to be successful. It is a very positive message repeated throughout the book.

How is the math? A huge plus is that the questions are based on fresh, real world examples and each step is explained clearly. There are shortcuts and memory tricks. This celebrity author does know math. The book would be useful for anyone struggling with algebra, including adults.

Is Hot X too “girly” for guys? The illustrations of high heel shoes are probably not going to draw them in, but the cute girls are a whole different story. Let’s face it, at a certain age boys are going to find girls pretty interesting, and this book is in a way a look into the mysterious minds of young women. Plus it is easy to skip the parts aimed at young women and got straight to the math. Danica even admits she gets letters from boys who have used the book.

Although clearly written as a resource to purchase as a to supplement a math course, the tips and exercises could be a useful for instructors or for tutors looking for yet another way to get a point across. There are are additional solutions to problems on McKellar’s website.

The bottom line is that Hot X is much more than just a pretty face and a clever title. If you are studying or teaching algebra, you should take a look at it.

Hardcover: 417 pages
Publisher: Hudson Street Press (August 3, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1594630704
ISBN-13: 978-1594630705

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by Anastasia Suen’s Nonfiction Monday page. This week’s post is at Write About Now.

In each spread, on the right is a photograph with a creature or creatures hidden inside. On the left is a poem with clues as to the camouflaged critter(s) identity. The photograph page opens as a gatefold and underneath is the same photograph with the background faded to show where the animals are hiding, as well as a full page of information about the animal that has been revealed.

The photographs steal the show in this book. A lot of credit has to go to the photographer for locating interesting animals and finding appropriate backgrounds. That can’t have been easy. Some of the animals are definitely easier to spot than others, but they are all visually appealing.

The first book gathered numerous awards and the second isn’t far behind. Where in the Wild? won the 2008 SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books, as well as the 2008 Animal Behavior Society Outstanding Children’s Book Award. It was also a 2008 Cybils finalist in the nonfiction picturebook category. Where Else In The Wild? More Camouflaged Creatures Concealed and Revealed has been nominated for a Cybils in 2010, and is an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12.

These books are gaining attention because they are not just fun and informative, they also encourage children to develop their observation skills. Teachers will find the books especially useful because they encompass both language arts and science. See if you can find where one is hiding today!

Where in the Wild?

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 44 pages
Publisher: Tricycle Press; illustrated edition edition (September 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1582462070
ISBN-13: 978-1582462073

Where Else In The Wild? More Camouflaged Creatures Concealed and Revealed

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 50 pages
Publisher: Tricycle Press (October 13, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1582462836
ISBN-13: 978-1582462837

If your children enjoy these books, they might also like the older book How to Hide a Butterfly and Other Insects by Ruth Heller.

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by Anastasia Suen’s Nonfiction Monday page. This week’s post is at Picture Book of the Day.

Be sure to take time, however, to nominate your favorite children’s and young adult books for Cybil Awards. Nominations are open until  October 15th at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern time). Simply go to the Cybils website, scroll down to the appropriate genre of the book you want to nominate and then follow the simple instructions. Make sure your book was published within the last year, between the dates listed in the rules. (I hope my nomination is going to be considered because it is being released near the October 15, 2010 deadline.)

Not interested in nominating a book? The Cybils website is an absolutely fabulous place to find exciting new books for your age group and interests. The nominated books are the cream of the children’s book world, and you will find some treasures. The good news for busy folks is that the book lists will be finalized at the end of the nomination period and can be viewed at any time in the upcoming months.

Holiday shopping, anyone?