Happy Holidays, Cynsational readers!
Effective immediately, this blog is on hiatus. We’ll return after the ALA Midwinter Conference with more inspiration, insights, and information on children’s-YA writing, illustration, literature and publishing. In the meantime, you’re welcome keep up on all those topics with me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.
That said,
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper, illustrated by Kenard Pak (Kokila, 2020).
Author/Illustrator Insights
Interview With Debut Author Saira Mir by Lindsay Ward from Critter Lit: Peek: “I tap into the things that bring me joy: science,
By Kim Rogers
Tashia Hart is an award-winning Anishinaabe author and illustrator. Her debut middle grade novel, Gidjie and the Wolves (Not Too Far Removed Press, 2020) is a 2020 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award Gold Medal Winner. Congrats, Tashia and welcome to Cynsations!
From the promotional copy: “Gidjie, an Anishinaabe girl who lives near the shore of Lake Superior.
Continue Reading Native Voices: Tashia Hart on Gidjie and the Wolves »
I’m excited to welcome author Kristin L. Gray to Cynsations today. Her latest middle-grade novel The Amelia Six (Paula Wiseman, 2020) has been hailed by Kirkus Reviews as “A cozy whodunit that cheerfully affirms girls’ and women’s contributions to aerospace.” In the above photo, Kristin is in Amelia Earhart’s childhood bedroom.
Congratulations on The Amelia Six!
Continue Reading Author Interview: Kristin L. Gray on the Uniqueness of Your Story »
Today I’m pleased to introduce Cynsations readers to Hollis Kurman, whose debut picture book, Counting Kindness: Ten Ways to Welcome Refugee Children, illustrated by Barroux (Charlesbridge, 2020), has been released in six countries so far this year, with two more countries planned for 2021.
Hollis and I talked about the international aspects of her book,
Continue Reading Author Interview: Hollis Kurman Highlights Human Rights in Her New Picture Book »
Image above: “Sunlight through storm clouds 2” by Holaday98 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Following the publication of my picture book When A Kid Like Me Fights Cancer, illustrated by Angel Chang (Albert Whitman & Co., 2019), a reviewer stated something that struck a chord.
Safya Benniche wrote in The Lancet Child &
Thank you for being a Cynsations reader!
Effective immediately, this blog is on hiatus for the week. We’ll return Nov. 30 with more inspiration, insights and information on children’s-YA writing, illustration, literature and publishing.
In the meantime, keep up on all those topics with Cynthia Leitich Smith on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
By Erik Talkin
I had been the talented “nearly” man for a while, with a middle-grade that was purchased by a mid-level publisher that promptly decided to get out of the MG market before the book was published.
This was followed by a novel that went to the final stages of acquisition with a major publisher, before the marketing department decided that series were out that week.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Erik Talkin on Finding the Book You Are Uniquely Qualified to Write »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: If Animals Gave Thanks by Ann Whitford Paul, illustrated by David Walker (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020).
Author/Illustrator Insights
Q & A With David Yoon by Sara Grochowski from Publishers Weekly.
Recently I chatted with Nasugraq Rainey Hopson, Tirzah Price, Rob Costello, and Monica Roe, four of Rural Voices’ (Candlewick, 2020) talented contributors. Here’s what they said about rural stories, stereotypes, and the representation of rural life in literature.
What do you hope readers take away from Rural Voices?
Continue Reading Guest Post: Nora Shalaway Carpenter & Challenging the Rural Stereotype »