By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Q&A with Amy Spalding: We Used to be Friends from We Need Diverse Books. Peek: “I love the feeling of storytelling that drops you into someone’s present and dares you to imagine things differently.
Back in 2011, Cynsations shared Ellen Beier‘s research and illustration process working on a historical picture book manuscript. Since then, the book’s journey has taken a few interesting twists and turns.
Readers fascinated by Lindsey Lane‘s Cynsations series on Books Going Out of Print may be especially intrigued by this new stage of the book’s journey.
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Artist Kadir Nelson’s Evocative Response to the Crisis by Gabriel Falcon from CBS News. Peek: “I would challenge everyone…to fill their days with creating something that’s going to help themselves get to the next moment,
By Jacqui Lipton and the RQLA Team
The pandemic has hit us all in different ways, but one comment that’s been made a lot lately is how nothing much should change for authors because so much of what we do is solitary.
Sure, there are questions about how the pandemic will affect the publishing industry generally,
Continue Reading Guest Post: Crisis Playbook from the Team at Raven Quill Literary Agency »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Q&A with Nikki Grimes: Bedtime for Sweet Creatures from We Need Diverse Books. Peek: “Aside from the pure love of storytelling, those of us who write books for young readers look to engage them from an early age.
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Interview with Yamile Saied Méndez by Adriana M. Martínez Figueroa from Boricua Reads. Peek: “I write for my young readers who are seeing themselves in an adventure in which they’re the heroes for the first time.
Compiled by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Check out this list of Native children’s and young adult (teen) books along with supplemental educational and/or entertaining resources. It reflects only a few highlights from the quickly growing, engaging body of literature for young readers, created by Native authors and illustrators. The books were selected in part due to their curriculum tie-in potential and in part due to the tie-in activities,
Continue Reading Home & Classroom Teaching: Native American Children’s-Teens’ Books & Resources »
By Kim Rogers
Today, I’m happy to welcome David Heska Wanbli Weiden to Cynsations.
David is the author of Spotted Tail, illustrated by Jim Yellowhawk and Pat Kinsella (Reycraft Books, 2019), a middle grade biography which traces the life of his tribe’s famous Lakota leader.
Continue Reading Native Voice: David Heska Wanbli Weiden on Writing Inclusive Books For Kids »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Fraser-Pryce Shares Her Story in Poignant Children’s Book by Lois Elfman from Amsterdam News. Peek: “I’m a young girl from an inner city…and there are many girls and boys like me who are trying to get to where I am.
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gail Vannelli, Gayleen Rabukukk, and Stephani Eaton for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Ghostober S2 E4: Ellen Oh & Staring at Your Inbox by Claribel Ortega from Write or Die Podcast. Peek: “Being a writer can be so lonely….I didn’t know at the time there was a [writing] community.