I’ve posted a lot these past couple of days, but none of it has shown up here — it’s all been in the discussion group for the Cybils Nonfiction Picture Book nominations committee. We’ve narrowed the field from 40-plus to 14 titles, and over the next week, we’ll be coming up with our shortlist of five titles, to be revealed to the world on New Year’s Day.

I hadn’t considered how much thinking would be involved in this process. Critical thinking, even. Thinking hard. Hard thinking. But I’m enjoying the discussion and debate, and the insight I’m getting into what makes a good book a great one, and into what makes a book appeal to some readers but not others, should come in handy in my own work.

Ah, my own work. I remember it well…