School Library Journal has an intriguing article on the recent Newbery winners and their lack of popularity.  I have to agree.  I feel a certain numbness about all of them.  My biggest pleasure this last year was the win of Brian Selznick for Hugo Cabret. 

My greatest disappointment was that it didn’t win the Newbery.  Two of my other favorites of 2007 were Elijah of Buxton and Wednesday Wars. 

They both got Newbery Honors, but not the Medal.  Somehow there is a disconnect where the Honor Books in recent years seem to be more popular, accessible and of the same writing standard as the winners.

Of course, this is exactly the sort of thing that created the Cybils.  The Cybils take audience reaction into account alongside writing quality. 

Our conversations center on how children and teens will react to the books, but they also focus on writing style, theme, characters, scope, genre, and other pieces that make exceptional books. 

The Cybils are open right now for your input.  Nominate your favorite books of the year.  Participate by reading the blog.  Be a part of a new award process that hopefully addresses some of the issues with the Newbery and forges a new path.