Now We Are Six.
I’ve been with the Cybils since the beginning when I timidly raised my hand as a volunteer panelist. Since then, the Cybils have grown with all the force of a young child, springing all too rapidly into young adulthood. We’re still relatively young. Six years old isn’t so very big, but grown up enough to see the world outside in new and adventurous ways.
I’m taking a huge step this year becoming, not a panelist but an organizer (hushed tones) in the Non-fiction Middle Grade and YA category. That’ll teach me not to open my big mouth in front of Anne Levy, who like my sixth grade math teacher, called me up to the front of the class when I half-heartedly volunteered. We call it Defense of the Dark Arts category, because no one organizer has ever been back for a second year. It may even be the death of me…
So far though, I am loving it. Non-fiction is a love of mine, but children’s non-fiction is a mystery to me. I’m learning a lot. Just picking out my panel was a learning experience and thank the book Gods (and help from Fiona), I’ve managed to assemble a rock star group of panelists and judges who know far more than me. That’s good. One of my old business mentors at Disney always told me, “Gina, I always hire people smarter than myself so that I can learn from them.” She had it right. I’m learning from a panel far smarter than myself.
The panelists are burrowed in for the Fall, deep into books (76 in total at close of nominations); the organizers are discussing things learned this round of nominations, our panels, books that may or may not be moved from one category to another and working with our panelists to keep their spirits up, make sure they are finding the books they need and once in a while, we pop up for air. We all work double or triple duty. We’re organizers, we’re publisher liasions, we’re social media community management, we’re email readers, we’re morale lifters, etc. This is a LOT of work but so fun and so worth it.
I think I may defy the Non-Fiction curse and stay another year if they’ll have me.
