There's been lots of
Cybils news this past week because they're getting the
ball rolling for 2008. In my humble opinion, the most exciting Cybils news by far is the addition of a
new Easy Reader category. I have gone on at great length about how I think books for younger readers don't get the attention they deserve. A Cybil is just the thing to show respect for books for new readers.
I'm excited about this, too, Gail. In fact, I volunteered to be a judge in this category. I think it's great news.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I've been noticing already established kidlit writers beginning to write for this younger age group, just as adult writers began writing for YA a few years ago. That could be a sign of a shift in interest and respect.
ReplyDeleteIt's a terrible risk to just hope that kids finishing up with picture books will stick around as readers until they're ready for middle grade novels. We really need to show as much respect for those bridge books as we do for every other kind.
That's exactly why I made this category my first choice for this year, Gail. I think that one way that I can show respect for these books is to give them my extra attention during the Cybils process.
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope that there's a bit of a shift in this direction. That would be great!