Ismée Williams is the debut author of Water In May (Amulet Books, 2017). From the promotional copy:
Fifteen-year-old Mari Pujols believes that the baby she’s carrying will finally mean she’ll have a family member who will love her deeply and won’t ever leave her—not like her mama,
Continue Reading New Voice: Ismée Williams on Water In May »
People always ask writers how they get their ideas. Ideas are everywhere—people should ask how does a book come about?
Over my 36-year career as a writer of children’s books, I’ve written a dozen picture books.
Normally, an idea comes to me and over a period of months,
Continue Reading Guest Post: Candice Ransom on Working Backwards & Amanda Panda Quits Kindergarten »
Today we welcome author Clete Barrett Smith, discussing his new novel, Mr. 60% (Penguin Random House, 2017).
I heard Clete read the opening chapter several years ago for his graduate reading at Vermont College of Fine Arts. It gave me chills,
Continue Reading Author Interview: Clete Barrett Smith on Writing Challenging Stories & Mr. 60% »
Author and storyteller Jan Andrews died Sept. 2, while Cynsations was on summer hiatus.
Obituary Note: Jan Andrews from Shelf Awareness. Peek: “British-born storyteller and children’s author Jan Andrews, who immigrated to Canada in her 20s and ‘wrote books for children of all ages, often inspired by the people and landscape of her adopted home,’
Teacher and picture book expert Robin Smith died in June while Cynsations was on summer hiatus.
Robin Smith (1959-2017) from The Horn Book. Peek: “A second-grade teacher at Ensworth School in Nashville for the last twenty-four years, she was a longtime Horn Book contributor and reviewer and a founding co-author of the Calling Caldecott blog.
By Cynthia Leitich Smith & Gayleen Rabakukk
Author Interviews
Q&A with Tracey Baptiste by Sara Grochowski from Publishers Weekly. Peek: “I decided to make the setting a generalized Caribbean island because I wanted to have a lot of Trinidadian influences and wanted to embrace the islands as a whole.
Although Ruth Freeman has authored several picture books, she made her debut as a novelist earlier this year with One Good Thing About America (Holiday House, 2017). From the promotional copy:
Is it ever easy being new?
Anaïs was the best English student in her class in Africa.
Continue Reading New Voice: Ruth Freeman on One Good Thing About America »
LaTisha Redding is the debut author of Calling the Water Drum, illustrated by Aaron Boyd (Lee & Low, 2016) From the promotional copy:
Henri and his parents leave their homeland, Haiti, after they receive an invitation from an uncle to come to New York City.
Continue Reading New Voice: LaTisha Redding on Calling the Water Drum »
Check out this author-illustrator interview video with Daniel W. Vandever on Fall In Line, Holden! by Tyler Mitchell from Salina Bookshelf. From the promotional copy:
Fall in Line, Holden! follows Holden, a young Navajo boy, through his day at boarding school.
Continue Reading Author-Illustrator Video: Daniel W. Vandever on Fall In Line, Holden! »
Bonnie Pipkin is the debut author of Aftercare Instructions (Flatiron Books, 2017). From the promotional copy:
“Troubled.” That’s seventeen-year-old Genesis according to her small New Jersey town. She finds refuge and stability in her relationship with her boyfriend, Peter—until he abandons her at a Planned Parenthood clinic during their appointment to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.
Continue Reading New Voice: Bonnie Pipkin on Aftercare Instructions »
