Mvto for visiting my author site! I’m grateful for your enthusiasm and support. I’ve been publishing books, short stories, essays, and poetry for young readers since 2000, and it’s an honor to craft stories for such an important audience. As of 2024, you can find 20 of my books in bookstores and libraries, and I have six more in various stages of production. Below you’ll find bios for various audiences, including kids, teens, and grown-ups as well as fun facts and a list of my upcoming titles.
Cynthia Leitich Smith (Mvskoke Nation) is a 2025 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Candidate, a NSK Neustadt Laureate, Southern Miss Medallion winner, Texas Literary Hall of Fame inductee, and the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint at HarperCollins Children’s Books. She’s a New York Times bestselling author, and her latest title is ON A WING AND A TEAR.
Cynthia Leitich Smith is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and anthologist of more than 20 books for young readers. She was named a 2025 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Candidate, the NSK Neustadt Laureate, Texas Literary Hall of Fame inductee, and winner of the Southern Miss Medallion for Outstanding Contributions in Children’s Literature. She is the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint at HarperCollins Children’s Books, and served as the Katherine Paterson Inaugural Chair for the children’s-YA writing MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Texas.
Cynthia Leitich Smith is an acclaimed, NYTimes bestselling author of more than 20 books, a 2025 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Candidate, winner of the 2024 Southern Miss Medallion for Outstanding Contributions in Children’s Literature, 2024 Texas Literary Hall of Fame inductee, and the 2021 NSK Neustadt Laureate.
Reading Rockets named her to its list of 100 Children’s Authors and Illustrators Everyone Should Know. Her titles include HEARTS UNBROKEN, winner of an American Indian Youth Literature Award; the anthology ANCESTOR APPROVED: INTERTRIBAL STORIES FOR KIDS, which was an ALA Notable Book and winner of the Reading of the West Book Award; an Indigenous PETER PAN retelling titled SISTERS OF THE NEVERSEA, which received six starred reviews; and the YA ghost mystery HARVEST HOUSE, which is one of five Bram Stoker Award® Nominees for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel.
Her 2024 middle grade releases are MISSION ONE: THE VICE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM (BLUE STARS #1), a Junior Library Guild selection, also by Kekla Magoon and Molly Murakami and a road-trip novel titled ON A WING AND A TEAR.
Cynthia is also the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint of HarperCollins and was the inaugural Katherine Paterson Chair at the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Texas.
Cynthia Leitich Smith grew up in the Kansas City area. She has been a poet and a news reporter since elementary school. As a teenager, she was the editor of her school newspaper. At The University of Kansas, she became the first person in her family to earn a four-year college degree. Then she completed a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. Today, Cynthia is a writing teacher, an author of books for kids, and she helps other authors publish their books, too. She’s also a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, an Indigenous Nation located within the borders of Oklahoma. Cynthia currently makes her home in Austin, Texas, with Chihuahuas named Gnocchi and Orzo.
Cynthia Leitich Smith grew up in the Kansas City area. As a teen, she was the editor of her middle school and high school newspapers. She is a first-generation college graduate with a degree in journalism from the University of Kansas. She also holds a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. Today, Cynthia is an award-winning, bestselling author of books for young readers and the author-curator of the Native-focused Heartdrum imprint at HarperCollins. She’s also a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, an Indigenous Nation located within the borders of Oklahoma. Cynthia currently makes her home in Austin, Texas, with Chihuahuas named Gnocchi and Orzo.
Cynthia Leitich Smith is an acclaimed, NYTimes bestselling author of more than 20 books, a 2025 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Candidate, a 2024 Texas Literary Hall of Fame inductee, winner of the 2024 Southern Miss Medallion for Outstanding Contributions in Children’s Literature, and the 2021 NSK Neustadt Laureate. Reading Rockets named her to its list of 100 Children’s Authors and Illustrators Everyone Should Know.
Her debut picture book, JINGLE DANCER, is widely considered a modern classic, and her chapter book INDIAN SHOES was among the first children’s titles to represent urban Native life. Her debut tween novel RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME was named one of the 30 Most Influential Children’s Books of All Time by Book Riot, which also listed her among 10 Must-Read Native American Authors.
More recent titles include HEARTS UNBROKEN, winner of an American Indian Youth Literature Award; the anthology ANCESTOR APPROVED: INTERTRIBAL STORIES FOR KIDS, which was an ALA Notable Book and winner of the Reading of the West Book Award; an Indigenous PETER PAN retelling titled SISTERS OF THE NEVERSEA, which received six starred reviews; and the YA ghost mystery HARVEST HOUSE, which is one of five Bram Stoker Award® Nominees for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel.
Her 2024 middle grade releases are MISSION ONE: THE VICE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM (BLUE STARS #1), a Junior Library Guild selection, also by Kekla Magoon and Molly Murakami and a road-trip novel titled ON A WING AND A TEAR. She joined Authors Against Book Bans when it was established in 2024. Cynthia is also the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint of HarperCollins and was the inaugural Katherine Paterson Chair at the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Texas.
Cynthia Leitich Smith is an acclaimed, NYTimes bestselling author of more than 20 books, a 2025 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Candidate, a 2024 Texas Literary Hall of Fame inductee, winner of the 2024 Southern Miss Medallion for Outstanding Contributions in Children’s Literature, and the 2021 NSK Neustadt Laureate. Reading Rockets named her to its list of 100 Children’s Authors and Illustrators Everyone Should Know.
Her debut picture book, JINGLE DANCER, is widely considered a modern classic, and her chapter book INDIAN SHOES was among the first children’s titles to represent urban Native life. Her debut tween novel RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME was named one of the 30 Most Influential Children’s Books of All Time by Book Riot, which also listed her among 10 Must-Read Native American Authors. In addition, Cynthia was named Writer of the Year by Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers in recognition of RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME.
More titles recent include HEARTS UNBROKEN, winner of both an American Indian Youth Literature Award and a Foreword Reviews Book Award Silver Medal; the anthology ANCESTOR APPROVED: INTERTRIBAL STORIES FOR KIDS, which was an ALA Notable Book and winner of the Reading of the West Book Award; an Indigenous PETER PAN retelling titled SISTERS OF THE NEVERSEA, which received six starred reviews; and the YA ghost mystery HARVEST HOUSE, which is one of five Bram Stoker Award® Nominees for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel.
In addition, she is the New York Times and Publishers Weekly best-selling YA author of the Gothic fantasy FERAL trilogy and TANTALIZE series. These novels were released by Candlewick Press in the U.S., Walker Books in the U.K. and Australia/New Zealand, and additional publishers around the globe.
Cynthia has been twice featured at the National Book Festival. Her titles have been honored among New York Public Library Best Books, Chicago Public Library Best Books, Kirkus Reviews Best Books, Publishers Weekly Best Books, Shelf Awareness Best Books, American Indians in Children’s Literature Best Books, Parents Magazine Best Books, Notable Children’s Trade Books in Social Studies, Indie Next List picks, Politics & Prose Best Books, Oklahoma Book Award finalists, NEA Choices, CCBC Choices, Bank Street Choices, Children’s Crown List selections, YALSA Popular Paperbacks, the Amelia Bloomer List, Writers’ League of Texas award winners, TLA Spirit of Texas (YA) choices, and more. In addition to fiction books, she’s published in children’s poetry, short stories, and narrative nonfiction essays.
Cynthia was named the first Spirit of Texas Young Adult author by the Young Adult Round Table of the Texas Library Association and the first young adult author to be honored with the Illumine Award by the Austin Public Library Friends Foundation. The Austin chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators instituted the Cynthia Leitich Smith Mentor Award in her honor. She is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters.
For nearly twenty years, she served on the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults, where she held the inaugural Katherine Paterson Endowed Chair.
Cynthia graduated with degrees (in news/editorial and public relations) from the White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas, Lawrence in 1990 and from the University of Michigan Law School in 1994. At Michigan Law School, she was a co-founder and senior editor of The Michigan Journal of Gender & Law and president of the Native American Law Students Association. Cynthia also studied abroad in Paris, France during the summer of 1991 at Paris-Sorbonne University in conjunction with Tulane University Law School.
Cynthia has previously served on the advisory board of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Plus, she has served on both the advisory board and honorary advisory board of We Need Diverse Books and currently coordinates the organization’s annual Native writing intensive.
Cynthia’s website at cynthialeitichsmith.com was named one of the top 10 Writer Sites on the Internet by Writer’s Digest and an ALA Great Website for Kids. Her Cynsations digital magazine at cynthialeitichsmith.com/cynsations/ was listed as among the top two read by the children’s/YA publishing community in the SCBWI “To Market” column. School Library Journal said of Cynsations, “If you read only one blog, this is it!”
Her 2024 middle grade releases are MISSION ONE: THE VICE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM (BLUE STARS #1), a Junior Library Guild selection, also by Kekla Magoon and Molly Murakami and a middle-grade road-trip novel titled ON A WING AND A TEAR.
She joined Authors Against Book Bans when it was established in 2024. Cynthia is also the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint of HarperCollins. She is published by Heartdrum and by Candlewick Press.
Cynthia was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Her states of residence have included: Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Texas. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Texas.
FIREFLY SEASON, illustrated by Kate Gardiner (Heartdrum, May 13, 2025): contemporary picture book.
LEGENDARY FRY BREAD DRIVE-IN: INTERTRIBAL STORIES, cover by Paula TopSky Houtz (Heartdrum, Aug. 26, 2025): utopian YA anthology.
Contributor, YOU WERE MADE FOR THIS WORLD: CELEBRATED INDIGENOUS VOICES SPEAK TO YOUNG PEOPLE, edited by Sara and Stephanie Sinclair (Penguin Random House Canada, summer 2025). Companion art: “Going for a Run” by Michael Nichll Yahgulanaas (Haida).
HERE COME THE AUNTIES, illustrated by Aphelandra Messner (Heartdrum, winter 2026): contemporary picture book.
BLUE STARS series: MISSION TWO: THE COMMUNITY CRISIS, co-authored by Kekla Magoon, illustrated by Molly Murakami (Candlewick, spring 2026): superhero graphic novel.
HERE COME THE GRANDMAS, illustrated by Aphelandra Messner (Heartdrum, winter 2027): contemporary picture book.
BLUE STARS series: MISSION THREE: THE DEMOCRACY DILEMMA, co-authored by Kekla Magoon, illustrated by Molly Murakami (Candlewick, TBA): superhero graphic novel.
UNTITLED (Heartdrum, spring 2029): speculative YA novel.
RED CLAY LOVE (Heartdrum, spring 2029): contemporary YA novel.
Cynthia learned how to read on superhero comic books. Her favorite comic characters (in no particular order) are Spider-Man (both Miles Morales and Peter Parker), Wonder Woman, Lois Lane, Batman’s butler Alfred, Bat Girl (Barbara Gordon), Robin (Tim Drake), Loki, Peggy Carter, Groot, Rocket, Valkyrie, Kate Bishop, and Ms. Marvel.
Cynthia has seen “Star Wars” (1977) in the movie theater over 180 times. Her favorite character is R2D2.
Cynthia’s favorite book from childhood was THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND by Elizabeth George Speare (1958), and Cynthia’s love of the novel is mentioned in the foreword by Karen Cushman that appears in the paperback edition (Clarion, 2011).
Cynthia bought her first car (a 1968 Mustang Coupe) at age 16 for $2,000 with money she made babysitting between age 12 and age 15 at a dollar an hour.
Cynthia studied law abroad in Paris, France.
Cynthia had a lot of jobs before becoming an author. In her teens and twenties, she worked as a cashier at a gas station, in concessions at a movie-theater, as food server at a chain Tex-Mex restaurant, as a food server at an athletic club, as a receptionist at a law firm, as a telephone operator at a bank, as a news-reporting intern (at small town, mid-size, and big-city newspapers), as a public relations intern (at an oil company, a greeting-card company, and a non-profit organization), as an editorial assistant at a major university, as an English Composition tutor at a college, and as a law clerk (for legal aid in Hawaii, for a small, gender-rights law firm, and both the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration).
Cynthia’s writing mentor is Newbery Honor Author and National Book Award Finalist Kathi Appelt. Kathi’s book THE UNDERNEATH is dedicated to Cynthia, and Cynthia’s book, ETERNAL: ZACHARY’S STORY is dedicated to Kathi. Other books dedicated to Cynthia include THE HIGHEST TRIBUTE: THURGOOD MARSHALL’S LIFE, LEADERSHIP, AND LEGACY by Kekla Magoon and Laura Freeman, PROM BABIES by Kekla Magoon, FIRE TRUCK VS. DRAGON by Chris Barton and Shanda McCloskey, FAR OUT! by Anne Bustard, DIDI DODO, FUTURE SPY: ROBO-DODO RUMBLE (DIDI DODO, FUTURE SPY #2)(THE FLYTRAP FILES) by Tom Angleberger, PEPPERMINT COCOA CRUSHES by Laney Nielson, NINJAS, PIRANHAS AND GALILEO by Greg Leitich Smith, and a book in THE GODDESS GIRLS series by Suzanne Williams and Joan Holub.
Cynthia’s favorite food is tacos.
When Cynthia has writer’s block, she dances around her home to the soundtrack of the “Xanadu” movie.
