{"id":301,"date":"2016-02-13T14:04:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-13T14:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/writingya.com\/?p=301"},"modified":"2018-11-20T05:43:34","modified_gmt":"2018-11-20T05:43:34","slug":"us-and-books-we-ship-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingya.com\/?p=301","title":{"rendered":"Us and Books: We Ship It…A CYBILS WINNER UPDATE!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

And now for THE WINNERS of the 2015 Cybils Awards! We listed Speculative Fiction books from both age categories, since they are of particular interest to us, and then the YA categories:<\/p>\n

\nMG Speculative Fiction<\/h3>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Fog Diver
<\/b><\/a>by Joel Ross
\nHarperCollins
\nNominated by: PLCarpenter<\/a><\/div>\n

The Fog Diver<\/i> is a fun, exciting adventure set in a dystopian
\nfuture where remnants of humanity live on the highest mountaintops and
\nin airships above a deadly fog of microscopic robots covering the
\nplanet. The nannites were created to clean up Earth\u2019s pollution, but got
\n out of control and the fog they created killed billions of humans. A
\nboy named Chess is lowered into the fog each day by his crewmates on a
\nsalvage ship flying above the clouds to scavenge on the earth\u2019s surface.
\n He is the best fog diver there is\u2014the fog mysteriously energizes him.
\nThe secrets behind his fog-diving ability put a target on his back and
\nwill impact the survival of his family, and the fate of humankind.<\/div>\n

\n<\/div>\n
\nThe strong cast of multi-cultural,
\nunder-privileged kids who make up the salvage crew are fiercely loyal to
\n each other, and to the one adult who\u2019s cared about them, Mrs. E. But
\nMrs. E is dying from fogsickness, and the kids set off on a dangerous
\nquest to save her, while struggling to keep Chess and his secret safe.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n

The Fog Diver<\/i> is filled with action, drama,
\n and mystery (with bonus steampunk air pirates). The author addresses
\nthe exploitation of others, poverty, the conflict between the haves and
\nhave-nots, and the dangers of messing with technology and Mother Nature.
\n The tension created by the conflict in the plot is lightened by the
\nauthor\u2019s use of word play, as characters try to make sense of stories
\nthey\u2019ve heard about the past. \u201cMay the horse be with you,\u201d a
\nconstellation called Oprah, and a red-caped hero named Superbowl are a
\nfew mixed-up historical references. In this culture, cash is worthless
\nexcept when used as toilet paper. The book moves with brisk assurance
\ntoward a thrilling conclusion, with plenty of intrigue left for the
\nfuture.<\/p>\n

\nYoung Adult Fiction<\/h2>\n
\nEvery Last Word
<\/b><\/a>by Tamara Ireland Stone
\nDisney-Hyperion
\nNominated by: Jennifer Donovan<\/a><\/div>\n
\nSamantha McAllister, a \u201cnormal\u201d teen
\nin almost every way, hides a secret from her closest friends: she lives
\nwith Purely-Obsessional OCD. For better and for worse, Tamara Ireland
\nStone asks us to step into the shoes of our leading lady, navigating
\nthrough the murky waters of high school cliques, bullying, weekly
\ntherapy sessions, and a new passion that she has to keep secret from her
\n friends. When Sam\u2019s new friend, Caroline, introduces her to the
\nclandestine meeting of Poet\u2019s Corner, her life changes forever.
\nEvery Last Word<\/i> stands out
\nbecause of its honest, moving portrayal of mental illness. But it also
\nstands out because of Sam\u2019s hard-earned character growth. After being a
\nbully just to fit in with her toxic friends, becoming a member of Poet\u2019s
\n Corner allows her to right some past wrongs and learn that finding your
\n unique voice is more important than blending in with your friends.
\nAlong the way, we experience the highs and lows of high school cliques,
\nshow how there are always ways to redeem yourself even if they aren\u2019t
\neasy, and feel the emotions of all involved from every angle. The poetry
\n included helps break the ice on what can be a difficult topic, making
\nit more accessible, while the \u201cfeels\u201d you succumb to will make and break
\n your heart. It\u2019s not always pretty, but it\u2019s real and fair, making it a
\n story that Young Adult readers can connect with on many levels.<\/p>\n

\nGraphic Novels<\/h3>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nNimona
<\/b><\/a>by Noelle Stevenson
\nHarperTeen
\nNominated by: Liviania<\/a><\/div>\n
\nNimona is the snarky, shape-shifting sidekick to a
\nsupervillain. Her unwilling employer, Lord Ballister Blackheart, plays
\nhis part promoting evil and clashing against the hero Sir Ambrosius
\nGoldenloin. Pulling Blackheart along with her overenthusiasm for
\nwrongdoing, Nimona forces everyone to look deeply into questions of good
\n and evil. She reopens old wounds between villain and hero, and tears
\ninto her own enemies with a vengeance, regardless of the consequences.
\nBut she also foils a nefarious government plot and is a fierce
\nprotector. Who is good? Who is evil? And who decides, anyway? In NIMONA,
\n the answers keep shifting, and the results are awesome. We loved the
\nway Noelle Stevenson created complex, sympathetic characters who subvert
\n traditional understandings of beauty, power, and morality. And NIMONA
\nis riotously funny to boot!<\/div>\n

\nNon-Fiction<\/h3>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nMost Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War
<\/b><\/a>by Steve Sheinkin
\nRoaring Brook Press
\nNominated by: Benji Martin<\/a><\/div>\n
\nUsing historical data and interviews, Sheinkin sets a
\nvivid, you-are-there scene, allowing readers to see Daniel Ellsberg move
\n from enthusiastic Department of Defense political analyst to anti-war
\nactivist as he realizes that the President would continue sending
\nAmerican soldiers into this unwinnable war. Although Ellsberg is the
\ntitle character, Most Dangerous is much more than a biography. It covers
\n nearly three decades of US defense and political history, giving
\nreaders a front-row seat into the complexity of national security and
\ndecision making.  <\/div>\n
\nCompelling, thought-provoking and timeless, Most Dangerous
\ndelivers readers not only an historical account of a time period in our
\nhistory often confusing, but offers readers a critical eye towards the
\nfuture as well.<\/div>\n

\nSpeculative Fiction<\/h3>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Walls Around Us
<\/b><\/a>by Nova Ren Suma
\nAlgonquin Young Readers
\nNominated by: Esther Braithwaite<\/a><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nMaybe, long ago, we used to be good. Maybe all little girls are good in the beginning.\u201d<\/div>\n
\n \u2013 THE WALLS AROUND US, Nova Ren Suma<\/div>\n

\nThe concept of good <\/i>came up frequently among the judges in the Cybils
\n Speculative Fiction list, as the Round One crew offered up seven novels
\n which were very good indeed, and left to the Finalist judges the
\nstruggle to elevate one above the shining host. Intriguingly, the
\nconcept of \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cgood enough,\u201d  repeated within the narratives as
\nwell. Whether any of the protagonists in SLASHER GIRLS & MONSTER
\nBOYS, edited by April Genevieve Tucholke, can be considered \u201cgood\u201d is
\ndebatable unless you\u2019re a fan of horror, as many of our judges are.
\nUltimate good is at issue in THE SIX by Mark Alpert, as characters
\nsacrificed their bodies to become mechanized weapons.<\/p>\n

And then, there was \u201cgood enough;\u201d Hallie struggled to be good enough
\n to be loved by her sister in AN INHERITANCE OF ASHES by Leah Bobet; In
\nMORTAL HEART by Robin LaFevers, Annith longed to be good enough to leave
\n the convent of St. Mortain to do real work. Sierra Santiago must fight
\nmonsters AND patriarchy to prove she\u2019s good enough to own her own
\nmagical heritage in SHADOWSHAPER, by Daniel Jos\u00e9 Older. In the novel by
\nLaura Ruby, Finn O\u2019Sullivan has to fight the belief of the town of BONE
\nGAP that he and his brother aren\u2019t good enough for the people they love
\nnot to just leave. There were a lot of \u201cgood\u201d reasons to choose any one
\nof these books, because they all have skillful writing and teen appeal.
\nBut, eventually, we realized that few books could be more appealing than
\n what some of us referred to as \u201cthe killer ballerina book.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ballerinas, normally the artistic apex of beauty and grace, were
\nshown as something violent and unfamiliar, underscoring themes of
\ninnocence and its loss.  Nova Ren Suma\u2019s THE WALLS AROUND US provides an
\n unhinged look into the competitive, obsessive world through the eyes of
\n Amber and Violet, two girls with vastly different futures: one in a
\nJuvenile Detention Center; the other on her way to a promising career at
\n Julliard. A challenging narrative with definite speculative, creepy
\nsupernatural elements, the novel\u2019s shadowy, edgy setting with its
\ndistinctive voices, together with the atmospheric beauty of the writing
\nconvinced even the dubious to embrace this psychological thriller. We
\ncordially invite you to weigh the good in these selected books, and do the
\nsame.<\/p>\n

\nCONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS!<\/div>\n
\nEVEN MORE CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE READERS!<\/div>\n
\nMay you have a lovely, lazy Sunday with the beau of your choice: a book, or a friend. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 Visit the Cybils website<\/a> to read about the winners in Poetry, Picture Books, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And now for THE WINNERS of the 2015 Cybils Awards! We listed Speculative Fiction books from both age categories, since they are of particular…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[81,31,61,44,67],"class_list":["post-301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-a-cybilsm","tag-cybils","tag-cybils-news","tag-humor","tag-tsd"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingya.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingya.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingya.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingya.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingya.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=301"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/writingya.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8814,"href":"https:\/\/writingya.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301\/revisions\/8814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingya.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingya.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingya.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}