By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, Bree Bender and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: What Will My Story Be? by Nidhi Chanani (Viking Books for Young Readers, 2021).
Author/Illustrator Insights
Agent Interview: Ana Crespo, Author, Agent, Booklover
Ana Crespo is an assistant agent for the East West Literary Agency. She is also the author of many amazing picture books. I had the pleasure of meeting her at a library conference when we were both signing books for Albert Whitman.
Continue Reading Agent Interview: Ana Crespo, Author, Agent, Booklover »
Guest Post: Rajani LaRocca Writes About Her Process For Evoking a Story Set in 1980s
My novel in verse Red, White, and Whole (Quill Tree Books, 2021) is set in 1983. It’s about thirteen-year-old Reha, the child of Indian immigrants, who is torn between the worlds of her parents and her friends at school. Like many teens her age, she wants to wear cool clothes, and go to a middle school dance.
In Memory: Jerry Pinkney
Photo credit: Alvin Trusty
Celebrated and legendary illustrator Jerry Pinkney died of a heart attack Oct. 20 at Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, New York. He was 81.
Obituary: Jerry Pinkney by Shannon Maughan from Publishers Weekly. Peek: “Renowned children’s book illustrator Jerry Pinkney,
Native Voice: Joelle Bearstail on Bear’s Braid & Bullying
Joelle, congratulations on the release of your picture book Bear’s Braid, illustrated by Denise Tadlock (Mascot Books, 2021)! Could you tell us about your journey to becoming a children’s author and your initial inspiration for writing this story?
Thank you! It has been new and exciting so far.
Continue Reading Native Voice: Joelle Bearstail on Bear’s Braid & Bullying »
Cynsational News
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, Bree Bender and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: Room for Everyone by Naaz Khan, illustrated by Mercè López (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 2021).
In Memory: Gary Paulsen
By Bree Rae
Newbery award-winning author and children’s literature icon, Gary Paulsen has passed away. He was 82 years old.
Beloved Author Gary Paulsen has Died Aged 82 via MacMillan. Peek: “It was Paulsen’s overwhelming belief in young people that drove him to write. His desire to tap deeply into the human spirit and encourage readers to observe and care about the world around them brought him both enormous popularity with young people and critical acclaim from the children’s book community.”
Obituary: Gary Paulsen by Shannon Maughan from Publishers Weekly.
New Voices: Casie Bazay & Ginny Myers Sain on Persistence
By AJ Eversole & Gayleen Rabakukk
We’re happy to welcome two debut Oklahoma YA authors to Cynsations today! Casie Bazay’s novel, Not Our Summer (Running Press Kids) released on May 11, 2021 and is a #1 Oklahoma Bestseller. Ginny Myers Sain‘s novel, Dark and Shallow Lies was published by Razorbill/Penguin on September 7,
Continue Reading New Voices: Casie Bazay & Ginny Myers Sain on Persistence »
Kristy Everington and AG Ford Talk About Writing, Art, and Isobel Adds It Up
We’re pleased to welcome the author-illustrator team of Isobel Adds It Up (Penguin Random House, 2021), Kristy Everington, and AG Ford to Cynsations.
In this lovely picture book, Isobel is a problem solver . . . addition, subtraction, multiplication, division! But trying to figure out who is causing all the noise next door is one problem she can’t quite work out.
Continue Reading Kristy Everington and AG Ford Talk About Writing, Art, and Isobel Adds It Up »
Cynsational News
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, Bree Bender and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: Where Three Oceans Meet by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan (Harry N. Abrams,