Included among the winners are several previously recognized titles, such as R.J. Palacio’s much-talked about bestseller Wonder, an SLJ Best Book; Steve Sheinkin’s Bomb, which was named for a Sibert Award, a Newbery  Honor, and the YALSA nonfiction award; and Rachel Hartman’s Seraphina, which won the William Morris Award this year.

Here is the complete list of Cybil winners.

ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE GRADE
Book Apps
Dragon Brush. Small Planet Digital.
This retelling of an ancient Chinese folktale involves a young rabbit discovering the power of artwork, a magic paintbrush, and an evil, jealous lord attempting to destroy his talent. In addition to a masterful story, this app also incorporates an interactive element that lets readers make use of different colors and textures to create their own paintings.
Nominated by: Aurora Celeste

Fiction Picture Books
A Home for Bird. Philip C. Stead. Roaring Brook.
In this touching tale of friendship, Vernon, a toad, presents Bird with a multitude of options as he attempts to find his shy friend find a place where he belongs.
Nominated by: Amy @ Hope Is the Word

Nonfiction Picture Books
Mrs. Harkness and the Panda. Alicia Potter. Illus. by Melissa Sweet. Knopf.
This rich and vibrantly illustrated story sheds light on how the first panda was brought to the United States from China in 1934.
Nominated by: Cathy Potter

Easy Readers
A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse. Frank Viva. Toon Books.
This strikingly illustrated graphic novel style picture book relies upon comic strip panels, speech bubbles, and the language of sequential art to tell the tale of an ocean journey to Antarctica.
Nominated by: Lizjonesbooks

Early Chapter Books
Sadie and Ratz. Sonya Hartnett. Illus. by Ann James. Candlewick.
Illustrated in charcoal, this edgy, subversive chapter book tells the story of a young girl coping with the supremely difficult task of controlling herself in the face of her four-year-old brother’s annoying antics.
Nominated by: Katherine Sokolowski

Poetry
BookSpeak!: Poems About Books. Laura Purdie Salas. Illus. by Josee Bisaillon. Clarion.
This beautifully designed book of poetry tackles a familiar subject in an innovative and original way.
Nominated by: Katie Fitzgerald

Graphic Novels
Giants Beware! Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado. First Second.
This fun, fresh novel melds the medieval and modern world to recount a girl’s quest to vanquish a giant threatening her town.
Nominated by: Charlotte

Fantasy and Science Fiction
The False Prince: Book 1 of the Ascendance Trilogy. Jennifer A. Nielsen. Scholastic
This intricate, engaging tale centers around an orphan given the daunting task of saving his entire kingdom from war—or else.
Nominated by: Natalie Aguirre

Middle Grade Fiction
Wonder. R. J. Palacio. Knopf.
Told from multiple perspectives, this poignant, honest realistic read, a boy with physical disfigurements learns to navigate his way among his peers for the first time.
Nominated by: Flowering Minds

Graphic Novels
Friends with Boys. Faith Erin Hicks. First Second.
Nominated by: Adam Shaffer (@MrShafferTMCE)

YOUNG ADULT
Nonfiction
Bomb: The Race to Build–and Steal–the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon. Steve Sheinkin. Roaring Brook/Flash Point.
Steve Sheinkin adds yet another award to his ever-growing list of accolades for Bomb, a thrilling and fast-paced but informative book that details the origins of the atomic bomb.
Nominated by: Monica Edinger

Fantasy & Science Fiction
Seraphina. Rachel Hartman. Random.
Set in a world in which dragons and humans uneasily attempt to co-exist, this tightly plotted fantasy involves a murder mystery and protagonist hiding a deadly secret.
Nominated by: Ana @ things mean a lot

Fiction
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Jesse Andrews. Abrams/Amulet.
In this raw, achingly honest title, a boy struggles with the experience of watching his ex-girlfriend succumb to terminal illness.
Nominated by: Leila Roy

Nominations for the CYBILS are open to the general public, and judges from the book blogging community determine the winners.

HARTMAN, Rachel. Seraphina. Random, 2012. ISBN 9780375966569. JLG Level: FH: Fantasy/Science Fiction. High (Grades 9-12).

Newcomer Rachel Hartman brings an exciting dragon adventure to the list of possible contenders. Already a winner on numerous best lists, Seraphina is a fantasy novel about a half-dragon heroine who lives in a land where a treaty was made with the dragons 40 years ago. When the prince is found beheaded, villagers are quick to blame the powerful creatures. Seraphina must risk revealing her own identity in order to save the kingdom from those who wish the peaceable agreement to end. Romance, political thriller, mystery, and coming-of-age genres combine in this high fantasy.

Leaving the ending open for a sequel, readers of all kinds will devour this new addition to the star-studded year.

KELLY, Jacqueline. Return to the Willows. illus. by Clint G. Young. Holt. 2012. ISBN 9780805094138. JLG Level: A+ : Intermediate Readers (Grades 3-5).

Over a hundred years after its original publication, Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows (Methuen, 1908) gets a sequel. Written in an amazingly-similar style, Kelly brings back some of our favorite characters in one hilarious adventure after the other. Supplemented by footnotes to translate the English language into American, readers will cheer when Toad is saved once again, and worry as his friends encounter trouble after trouble. New characters enter the Willows (Toad’s nephew) and a once-enemy (Sammy the weasel). The whole story leads to a rousing and satisfying conclusion. Young’s gorgeous illustrations complement the tale.

Kelly begins with an admonishment to read the original before you start. Check your shelves to be sure you have it for your students who will certainly want to read it after they read Kelly’s homage―if not before.

LIN, Grace. Starry River of the Sky. Little, Brown. 2012. ISBN 9780316125956. JLG Level: A+ : Intermediate Readers (Grades 3-5).

A companion to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Little, Brown, 2009), Starry River of the Sky begins with a runaway boy who finds work in a village inn. Rendi is harboring secret troubles, but he seems to be the only one who notices that the moon is missing from the village’s sky. He begins to piece things together―missing moon, and also missing sons. When a mysterious guest visits, Rendi joins in her nightly storytelling, and he finds a way to make peace and restore the things that are lost.

Beautiful illustrations, stories-within-stories, and a flowing narrative make Starry River a standout. Though fans of the first work may jump at the chance to read Lin’s latest, newcomers will want to read this one too. Perfect for reading aloud.

MACLACHLAN, Patricia. Kindred Souls. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Bks. 2012. ISBN 9780060522988. JLG Level: A : Intermediate Readers (Grades 3-5).

Long known for her heart-wrenching stories, MacLachlan doesn’t disappoint with her newest prairie story. Eighty-eight-year-old Billy has a special bond with his ten-year-old grandson, Jake. Every day they walk the farm where Billy grew up. “Kindred souls, we are,” he says. One day a stray dog makes himself at home with Billy―just about the time that he gets sick. Before he goes to the hospital, Jake promises to rebuild his grandfather’s sod house. The whole family joins in the project, binding them together and granting Billy’s request.

Though the sad ending is inevitable, the magic of the dog’s appearance and the joy found in rebuilding the sod house keep the story from being too painful for young readers. MacLachlan gives the reader hope.

For ideas about how to use these books and links to supportive sites, check out the Junior Library Guild blog, Shelf Life.

Junior Library Guild is a collection development service that helps school and public libraries acquire the best new children’s and young adult books. Season after season, year after year, Junior Library Guild book selections go on to win awards, collect starred or favorable reviews, and earn industry honors. Visit us at www.JuniorLibraryGuild.com.

Sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the award recognizes a book written for young adults by a debut author.

The 2013 finalists are:

Wonder Show (Houghton Harcourt) by Hannah Barnaby, a dark tale of historical fiction about a teenager who joins a traveling sideshow as she searches for her father.

Love and Other Perishable Items (Knopf) by Laura Buzo, an unflinchingly honest story following a fifteen-year-old and her intense, but one-sided, crush on an older co-worker.

After the Snow (Feiwel & Friends) by S.D. Crockett, in which a teen boy searches for his family in a bleak, dystopian world of freezing temperatures, crowded cities, and a fascist government.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post (HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray) by emily m. danforth, a complex and poignant coming-of-age story of an adolescent girl, wrestling with the death of her parents and her own sexuality, who is sent to a conversion camp for gay teenagers.

Seraphina (Random) by Rachel Hartman, a fantasy about a girl who inhabits a world where dragons and humans uneasily coexist—and who is hiding a potentially devastating secret.

The finalists “may be first-time published authors, but they are writing with great polish and sophistication, and their books have themes or topics that are really relevant to teens’ lives,” Joy Kim, chair of YALSA’s Morris Award committee, told SLJ. Representing a wide range of topics and genres, the finalist list “reflects that teens have diverse reading interests,” she said.

The finalists and the winner will be honored at a reception hosted by YALSA, as well as YALSA’s Nonfiction Award finalists and winner, from 10:30 a.m. to noon on January 28 in room 606 of the Washington State Convention center in Seattle.

The award is named for William C. Morris, an influential pioneer in the world of publishing who advocated marketing books for children and young adults.

Members of the 2013 William C. Morris Award Committee are: Chair Joy Kim, Pierce County Library System, Tacoma, WA; Lee Catalano, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR; Diane Colson, Palm Harbor (FLA) Library; Michael Fleming, Pacific Cascade Middle School Library, Issaquah, WA; Sarah Holtkamp, Chicago Public Library; Shelly McNerney, Blue Valley West High School, Overland Park, KAN; Anne Rouyer, New York Public Library; Judy Sasges, Sno-Isle Libraries, Marysville, WA; Vicky Smith, Kirkus Reviews, South Portland, ME; Sandy Sumner, administrative assistant, Morehead (KY) State University Camden–Carroll Library; and Ilene Cooper, Booklist consultant, Chicago.