Two of my fellow category chairs have posted about Cybils since the call for judges was posted. Melissa is eloquent about the process. Please go read her post because I don't want to just repeat what she said.
I would like to encourage other bloggers to consider applying to be a judge. The beauty of Cybils is that nominations come from the public and the judges are a mix of teachers, librarians, parents, and book bloggers. I like the emphasis that is placed on kid appeal. Often I read major award winning books and I wonder about the amount of kid appeal (or lack thereof) that they have.
I've always enjoyed poetry. I started writing it in middle school and kept on through high school, college, and grad school. In high school, I read classic poets: Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Edgar Lee Masters, etc. I didn't discover poetry written for children and young adults until I took a children's literature class in college. It was love at first read. As a youth services librarian, I look nothing more than sharing poetry with kids and teens either at the library or in their schools. I always share poetry during my April outreach at schools to promote National Poetry Month. I've done poetry storytimes, book spine poetry with kids and teens, a variety of poetry activities with a homeschool group, put poetry on display, and even made poetry themed bulletin boards. To sum it up, I love both reading, writing, and sharing poetry with anyone who will stand still long enough.
The poetry category usually has a smaller amount of nominations than other categories. So that's less potential reading for Round 1 Panelists. Plus, poetry and verse novels are quick reads. Yes, you might want to give some another read, but on the whole the process of reading and selecting a short list is not as involved as you might think for poetry.
If you can't apply to be a judge, please nominate your favorite books and help us spread the word on social media. #cybils
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