Rhonda DeChambeau is a Massachusetts children’s author and poet, and also an experienced speaker and presenter. Her debut YA novel in verse, Top Heavy (Holiday House, 2025), is a beautifully written book about Esme, a fifteen-year-old talented dancer who is thrilled to make the Elite dance team.
Continue Reading New Voice: Rhonda DeChambeau on Writing a YA Verse Novel About Body Issues »
I’m thrilled to welcome Vermont College of Fine Arts faculty member and author Sara Ryan to Cynsations today. Their new book, Mountain Upside Down (Dutton, 2025) perfectly mixes the excitement of discovering one’s own identity, with the challenges of shifting family dynamics and outside forces beyond our control.
Continue Reading Author Interview: Sara Ryan Shares Library Love, Plus Craft, Career & Life Advice »
By AJ Eversole
I’m so excited to chat with David about his new imprint, Swift Water! David A. Robertson is one of the most celebrated voices in Canadian literature today. He’s a two-time Governor General’s Literary Award winner, a national bestseller, and the author behind beloved books like The Barren Grounds (PRH Canada,
Continue Reading Editorial Director/Author Interview: David A. Robertson Talks Swift Water Books »
Cynsations is excited to welcome Dr. Linda Weste to share the process behind her recent book, DiVERSE: Conversations with YA and Children’s Verse Novelists (Bloomsbury, 2025). Dr. Weste’s book featuring authors from the U.K., Australia and the United States is a wonderful reference text that expands our understanding of the verse-novel genre.
Congratulations to Margarita Engle on Island Creatures (Atheneum, July 8, 2025), a young adult novel in verse about childhood friends, once lost and now reconnected, and their fight to protect endangered animals. From the publisher’s description:
Every day, Vida reads to the creatures at the wildlife rescue center and dreams of her childhood in Cuba,
Continue Reading Throwback Thursday: Margarita Engle Uses Verse to Convey Emotional Essence »
Anita Fitch Pazner and I studied at the Vermont College Of Fine Arts together. I saw earlier drafts of this brand new book, and I’m thrilled for its release. Words Matter is coming to us from Groundwood Books in September 2025. It’s an honor to welcome Anita to the Cynsations blog.
We welcome Marcella Pixley to Cynsations. In this interview, Marcella talks about her writing process, including her habit of art journaling while drafting novels. She generously shares her behind-the-scenes work that goes into bringing a book to life. Her middle grade verse novel Neshama deals with family trauma and healing,
Congratulations to Nikki Grimes on the upcoming publication of A Cup of Quiet, illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson (Bloomsbury, April 15, 2025). From the publisher:
When the squeal of tires and thrum of Grandpa’s hammer fill the air, Grandma gets thirsty for a cup of quiet.
“That’s silly,
Continue Reading Wayback Wednesday: Author Nikki Grimes on The Power of Words & Advice for Writers »
Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm for Cynsations!
Effective immediately, the Cynsations digital magazine is on hiatus. Find links to posts from our latest issue below:
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Suma Subramaniam, A.J. Eversole, Mitu Malhotra, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: Dream a Dress, Dream a Poem: Dressmaker and Poet, Myra Viola Wilds by Nancy Johnson James,