By Gayleen Rabakukk
Jane Yolen, author of more than 400 books for young readers, died on June 11 at the age of 87, according to the announcement on her website.
Cynthia Leitich Smith first had the pleasure of meeting Jane on a listserv for children’s authors. Cynthia said, “Along with Toni Buzzeo,
Today I’m excited to welcome Leslie Adame back to Cynsations. Last fall I chatted with Leslie and other MG Escapades Authors about their debut experience. In this interview, Leslie reflects on current events, imposter syndrome and tackling revision notes. Her new book, Chloe Vega and the Missing Unseen,
Continue Reading Author Interview: Leslie Adame on Writing MG Fantasy that Mirrors Reality »
By Suma Subramaniam
I first met Emily Young at Vermont College of Fine Arts back in 2015, and I’ve been a fan of her work ever since. It’s a joy to welcome her to the Cynsations blog to talk about her debut YA novel, A (Dead) Thing Like Me (Holiday House, 2026).
Welcome, Emily!
Your debut YA novel,
Continue Reading Author Interview: Emily Young Explores Humanity Through Paranormal Mischief »
Effective immediately, Cynsations is on summer hiatus. Read the posts from our most recent series here:
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Suma Subramaniam, A.J. Eversole, Mitu Malhotra, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: Stories Are the Heart of the World by Laurel Goodluck, illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt (Simon &
By AJ Eversole
Super excited to chat with debut author, Kauakanilehua Mahoe Adams today on Cynsations. Reading An Expanse of Blue (Heartdrum, 2026) was a transformative experience for me. From the opening to poem I was hooked and ready to follow main character Aouli along on her journey. So far the young adult novel-in-verse has received a stunning three stars and released on May 19th!
By Gayleen Rabakukk
Author Andrea M. Page
Author Andrea M. Page (Hunkpapa Lakota) died March 5, 2026 at the age of 61, after a difficult battle with breast cancer, stated Walker Brothers Funeral Home. Andrea taught 6th grade English Language Arts for more than 30 years. During that time, she started researching the Lakota Code Talkers,
By AJ Eversole
Today we have Christine Hartman Derr (Cherokee) to discuss her debut novel, Raven Rising (Heartdrum, 2026). Raven, Rising has received two starred reviews ahead of its July release. Today Christine speaks to the heart of the story and how being Cherokee has shaped her life.
Raven possesses magical powers in the kitchen.
Today we are excited to welcome to Cynsations, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, contributing editor of Onward (Charlesbridge Teen, 2026) a collection of sixteen short stories published on Feb. 24. While reading Nora’s latest anthology, I was reminded of Amitav Ghosh’s words: “The climate crisis asks us to imagine other forms of human existence—a task to which fiction is the best suited of all cultural forms.” Kirkus Reviews called this book “A powerful look at a shifting world,” and in a starred review,
Today we are super excited to welcome Ernesto Cisneros to Cynsations to talk about his new middle grade novel Queso, Just in Time (HarperCollins 2026), which was released in March. Ernesto Cisneros’s debut Efren Divided (HarperCollins, 2020) won the Pura Belpré Award in 2021.
Continue Reading Author Interview: Ernesto Cisneros on Dialogue, Mentors & Finding Time »