Check out the cover for Nutcracker Comes to America: How Three Ballet-Loving Brothers Created a Holiday Tradition by Chris Barton, illustrated by Cathy Gendron (Millbrook, 2015).
The Universality of Being an Outsider by Jacqueline Jules from Latin@s in Kidlit. Peek: “I had been taught from a young age that I represented my religion. If I was impolite, all Jews would be considered rude. I had to be on my best behavior at all times so that others would not have a reason to dislike Jewish people.”
So Many (Too Many?) Issues: Perceptions of Diversity in Book Reviews by Malinda Lo from Diversity in YA. Peek: “In the real world, plenty of individuals deal with more than one minority identity at the same time, every day. Obviously a novel is not reality — often, reality is too unbelievable for fiction — but YA fiction that seeks to deal with real-world experiences must be able to address the lives of teens who check more than one minority box.”
How to Write Vivid Character Descriptions: Be Invisible by Nola Sarina from Writers Helping Writers. Peek: “When I am faced with an apprehensive encounter, I don’t often think about the fact that my hair is faded, or red, or long. I just toss my hair.”
The Unlikeable Female Character: Thoughts on Middle Grade Literature by Betsy Bird from A Fuse #8 Production at School Library Journal. Peek: “…I was struck time and again by the sentence, ‘I just didn’t like the main character.’ Normally this would be enough to condemn the book right there and then, but that was before I noticed that from time to time, and it is rare, we aren’t really supposed to like the main characters in our books all the time.” See also Betsy’s The African-American Experience Children’s Literature Reference Guide (2010-2015).
The 2014 Cybils Awards from The Cybils: Children’s and Young Adult Book Bloggers Literary Awards. Shout outs to Melissa Stewart, J. Patrick Lewis, and Candace Fleming!
Learning to Love Your Fanatic Antagonist by Dave King from Writer Unboxed. Peek: “Fanatics…are generally working for what they see as the greater good. And the ends they’re fighting for aren’t necessarily bad things.”
USBBY’s Outstanding International Books List from School Library Journal.
Interview with Author Kekla Magoon by E.M. Kokie from The Pirate Tree. Peek: “Yes. It is first person present tense narrative, which means sitting at the computer and thinking ‘I’ and meaning ‘Malcolm X.’ Mind-boggling.”
Multicultural Literature 2014: Statistics Gathered by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison. See 2014 American Indian Log.
Writer Productivity: Have Measurable Goals by Jane Lebak from QueryTracker Blog. Peek: “The incremental effort link talks about taking 34,000 stitches to knit a pair of socks, but one of the ways you stay on track with socks is having a pattern, and having an idea of how much time you can commit to knitting.”
Cynsational Giveaways
The winner of Dinosaur Boy by Cory Putnam Oakes and a plush dino toy is Bethany in Wisconsin.
This Week at Cynsations
- Henry L. Herz on Fantastical Dinner Guests
- 2015 SCBWI Europolitan Con: Author-Editor Jill Santopolo
- 2015 SCBWI Europolitan Con: Author-Writing Coach Esther Hershenhorn
- Video: Making Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales
More Personally
 |
| My author assistant, Leo (short for Galileo) |
The Austin American-Statesman says of Feral Pride (Candlewick, 2015): “…the chance for alternative interpretations of who the shifter community could represent — any group reviled by those who consider themselves mainstream — make this series as meaty as it is entertaining.”
Congratulations to Greg Leitich Smith for sending in the final copy edits for Chronal Engine: Borrowed Time (Clarion). Learn more about Chronal Engine.
Thank you to everyone who turned out last Saturday for my standing-room-only talk on “Crafting Diverse Books for Young Readers” at the SCBWI Austin monthly meeting at BookPeople!
My Link of the Week is The Diversity of Diversity from Shelli Cornelison. Peek: “My mom was widowed, not (gasp!) divorced, but she was still ‘other,’ and as such, so was I and I felt it often. I knew the fact that there wasn’t a dad in my house made me different. It was a loving, safe household, but I frequently interpreted signals in some disappointing and sometimes even saddening ways.”
Personal Links
- My Writing & Reading Life: Cory Putnam Oakes
- What’s Your Writing Superpower?
- Brian Yansky’s Utopia, Iowa at the Page 69 Test
- CCBlogC Book of the Week: The House of Purple Cedar by Tim Tingle
Cynsational Events
The SCBWI Austin 2015 Writers and Illustrators Working Conference will take place March 7 and March 8 at Marriott Austin South. Note: Cynthia will be moderating a panel and offering both critiques and consultations.
 |
| Releases Feb. 24, 2015 |
Cynthia will appear from April 14 to April 17 at the 2015 Annual Conference of the Texas Library Association in Austin.
Join Cynthia from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Saratoga Springs Public Library for a celebration in conjunction with Saratoga Reads! at Saratoga Springs, New York. Note: Cynthia will be presenting Jingle Dancer (2000), Rain Is Not My Indian Name (2001) and Indian Shoes (2002)(all published by HarperColllins).
Cynthia will serve as the master class faculty member from June 19 to June 21 May 2 at the VCFA Alumni Mini-Residency in Montpelier, Vermont.
Cynthia will speak from June 25 to June 30 on a We Need Diverse Books panel at the 2015 Annual Conference of the American Library Association in San Francisco.
 |
| Follow The Third Twin blog tour! |
 |
| Visit the Texas Sweethearts & Scoundrels! |