Congratulations to Gene Luen Yang, winner of the 2023 NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature. He is the first graphic novelist to win the prestigious prize!
Take a look back at Gene’s 2018 Cynsations interview with fellow NSK Neustadt Prize winner, Cynthia Leitich Smith.
Author-Teacher Interview: Gene Luen Yang on Writing,
Continue Reading Throwback Thursday: Gene Luen Yang on Writing & Teaching »
When Tim Kleyn reached out to Cynsations with some proofs of his newest picture book, Set Sail for Pancakes (Viking Books for Young Readers 2022), we eagerly wanted to whip up a fantastic interview! Tim is a graphic designer from West Michigan with a penchant for silly sounds,
Continue Reading Author-Illustrator Interview: Tim Kleyn Shares His Inspiration & Creative Process »
By: AJ Eversole
Today we welcome Nasugraq Rainey Hopson to the blog. I was lucky enough to meet her at the We Need Diverse Books Native Writing Intensive back in 2020, and it brings me so much joy to see her career moving forward. She is the author of two short stories,
Continue Reading Native Voice: Nasugraq Rainey Hopson on Overcoming Doubt »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Suma Subramaniam, A.J. Eversole and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: The Secret of the Plátano by Luz Maria Mack, illustrated by Stephany Mesa (Soaring Kite Books, 2022).
Author/Illustrator Insights
Congratulations to Kristen Tracy on the publication of her newest book, I Am Picky: Confessions of a Fussy Eater, illustrated by Erin Kraan (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, BYR, 2022).
From the promotional copy:
Don’t look at this raccoon and think she’ll eat just anything. Oh, no.
Continue Reading Throwback Thursday: Kristen Tracy on Where Does Humor Come From? »
We were able to ask several debut young adult authors about their highlights and insights from this past year. Featured in this article are Isaac Blum, Becky Dean, R. D. Stevens, Vanessa Torres, Leslie Vedder, and Rebecca Lowry Warchut.
Continue Reading Perspectives from 2022 Debuts, Young Adult Edition »
As a debut author myself, it’s an honor to showcase insights from debut middle grade authors Catherine Arguelles, Emi Wantanabe Cohen, Sally Engelfried, Jacquetta Nammar Feldman, Evan Griffith, Lee Y. Miao, Stacy Nockowitz,
Continue Reading Perspectives from 2022 Debuts, Middle Grade Edition »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Suma Subramaniam, A.J. Eversole and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: Brown Is Beautiful by Supriya Kelkar, illustrated by Noor Sofi (Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)), 2022).
Author/Illustrator Insights
Congratulations to Liz Garton Scanlon on the publication of Lolo’s Light (Chronicle, 2022)!
From the promotional copy:
This is a truth about growing up: Once in your life, sometime after your first memory but before you can drive a car, something is going to happen to you that doesn’t happen to anyone else you know.
Heroes and villains are typically archetypes that let us see the best––and worst––of the human race. In the Superhero genre, these characters are usually obvious: Superman and Lex Luther or Batman and the Joker. In real life, they can be obvious, too––we see that playing out on the world stage in the fight between Russia and Ukraine.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Jessica Vitalis on Heroes, Villains, & the Gray Space in Between »