Five Questions for Tim Wynne-Jones by Elissa Gershowitz and Sam Bloom from The Horn Book. Peek: “For years I had wanted to write a World War II book to honor my father, whose experience of the war in Europe scarred him.”
Someone Is Publishing Your Idea by Mary Kole from Kid Lit.
From The Children’s Book Guild of Washington, D.C.
The Nonfiction Award Committee announces the selection of noted and prolific author Tonya Bolden as the award’s next recipient. The Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award is presented annually to an author for a body of work that has “contributed significantly to the quality of nonfiction for children.”
Danica Davidson, welcome back to Cynsations and congratulations on the release of Attack on the Overworld
(Skyhorse, 2015)!
What inspired you to choose the particular point of view–first, second, third, omniscient (or some alternating combination) featured in your novel?
Usually I don’t decide what point-of-view I want to use,
Continue Reading New Voice: Danica Davidson on Attack on the Overworld »
By Carmen Oliver
for Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Cynsations
In 2012, I was working on a nonfiction picture book project about white and black spirit bears in Canada and the boy Simon Jackson who was trying to save them from extinction.
At the same time, my daughter was in fifth grade and was given the awesome task of being a reading buddy to an incoming kindergartner.
“The Power of Poetry,” an award-winning play!
Welcome back, Cynsations reporter Angela Cerrito, and congratulations on the release of The Safest Lie (Holiday House, 2015). Could you tell us a little about the novel and what inspired you to write it?
The Safest Lie follows the fictional Anna Bauman attempting to hide her Jewish identity and pass herself off as Anna Karwolska in Warsaw Poland during WWII.
Continue Reading Author Interview & Giveaway: Angela Cerrito on The Safest Lie »
Native American Voices by Crystal from Rich In Color. Peek: “For November and all year round, this list is filled with some excellent books by Native authors.” See also Recommended Native American Folk Songs by Debbie Reese from American Indians in Children’s Literature.
Emotional Wounds Entry: Being the Victim of a Vicious Rumor by Becca Puglisi from Writers Helping Writers.
By Kate Hosford & Cynthia Levinson
Earlier this week, we interviewed each other about our respective new circus-themed book releases.
Don’t miss the interview about Cynthia’s Watch Out for Flying Kids! How Two Circuses, Two Countries, and Nine Kids Confront Conflict and Build Community (Peachtree,
By Kate Hosford
Cynthia Levinson’s book Watch Out for Flying Kids! How Two Circuses, Two Countries, and Nine Kids Confront Conflict and Build Community (Peachtree, 2015) is an in-depth look at the world of social circus —a movement that brings kids from different cultures together to perform.
Cynthia follows the story lines of nine kids in two circuses: Circus Harmony in St.
Kate Hosford’s book, Feeding the Flying Fanellis and Other Poems from a Circus Chef, illustrated by Cosei Kawa (Carolrhoda, 2015), is a complete delight.
The concept of combining cooking with circus is genius. Both activities are popular with and appealing to kids,
Dana on Writing from the Marrow
Last spring I interviewed Dana Walrath about her debut YA novel Like Water on Stone (Delacorte, 2014), a story of the Armenian genocide told from the perspective of three child survivors and an eagle that observes all.
The comments that I received on my review of this novel revealed that this is still a contested history,
