Here's the Middle Grade Mafioso family, taken during our August vacation in Florida. We wish you all a Happy New Year.
Yes, that's right--another year has gone by already. It seems we were just getting started on 2015, and now I'm already racing to the store to snag me a copy of a 2016 calendar (20% off!)
Blogging-wise, 2015 was a pretty sparse year. Many blogs have fallen by the wayside since I started Middle Grade Mafioso in 2011, and bog readership is down across the board, as we gravitate to platforms that require shorter and shorter attention spans (I'm looking at you, Twitter and Facebook.) However, I intend to stay put--and am looking forward to the New Year, when I will be introducing you to my favorite reads from the Cybils (and there were a whole bunch of them.)
Speaking of the Cybils, I had a blast with my first-round panelists. Let me introduce them--and, if you're on the look-out for great new blogs to read, give them a visit:
![[Photo+on+4-20-14+at+2.02+PM.jpg]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkkgAKgfMAs6D0JXWDfH-9rnnX-3u-Jqi380oEzHEjI7R0AL-S0NL4etf-qKCh4EHEenVabAbX_lCS6p-tdlJcRTDCiT1gL2OaU9k8GiU4MkZzM093Cpni8HIptHnWDfa3XPLUwkubEk/s1600/Photo+on+4-20-14+at+2.02+PM.jpg)
Brandy Painter: After teaching fifth grade for four years before her first child was born, Brandy now teaches the 4th-6th grade literature and all the High School English classes in the homeschool co-op her children attend.
Sarah Sammis is a librarian from Hayward, California. She posts a book review a day at her blog, Puss Reboots (hence her avatar!)
Debbie Tanner: Debbie is a former classroom teacher, now a school librarian. She works in a public Montessori Elementary School in Southern Florida. She has a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a Master's degree in Technology.
Julie Williams is a teacher-librarian at a grade 1-5 school in Maine.
Libertad Thomas: Libertad blogs with twin sister Guinevere Thomas, fighting to bring multiculturalism to YA, Fantasy, and Science Fiction novels.
Great people, all. Look for the first round choices of the Cybils middle grade panel to be revealed on January 1st. I'll see you all in 2016!
Ahhh... Thanks for this post! It was like getting holiday cards from all of my favorite people! Have a great holiday!
ReplyDeleteHey thanks for the shout out! I hope if you come back to Florida this summer we could connect! We live just south of West Palm Beach, if your vacation comes this way, let me know!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great team! I'm looking forward to the short list! Hope you have a wonderful holiday! I'm taking a break this week but still sticking with my blog in the New Year.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you have a great group to work with. Have a nice holiday season. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteHappy 2016! I'm just coming back from a blogging break, so I'm catching up. Glad you had fun judging the Cybils. And glad to hear you intend to stick with blogging. So far, I do too, but you're right that blogging really has changed (I started in 2009).
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