During the time I’ve been a Cynsations Reporter for “Heart and Spirit,” my now-debut middle grade novel in verse, Reeni’s Turn (Regal House, 2020), popped up in numerous Cynsations columns as a work-in-progress.
It’s been quite a journey for Reeni and me, with plenty of obstacles,
Continue Reading Heart & Spirit: Carol Coven Grannick on Depth of Emotion in Writing Character »
My recent book, Law and Authors: A Legal Handbook for Writers (University of California Press, 2020), includes a chapter on advice for authors wanting to use photographs and other artwork created by others in their work: their books, blogs, and social media.
When I drafted the chapter,
Continue Reading Guest Post: Jacqueline D. Lipton on Images, Law & Writers »
I was born and raised in India and had always been a reader since I was a child. Most of my time while in school and outside school was spent in the library. We didn’t travel much. We couldn’t afford to travel much. But my parents filled my life with books.
Continue Reading Cynsations Intern: Suma Subramaniam on Her Love of Books »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Author Interviews: Aida Salazar from Bridget and the Books. Peek: “If you are a kid wanting to be a writer…listen to the world around you. Open your heart and pay attention to people’s stories….And live,
By Kim Rogers
Today, I’m excited to chat with Kim Sigafus. Kim is an award-winning Ojibwe author and speaker. Her young adult novel, Nowhere to Hide (7th Generation Books, 2019), is part of the Pathfinders series. From the promotional copy:
“Autumn Dawn is sick of being bullied at school.
Continue Reading Native Voice: Kim Sigafus on Writing About Bullying »
I came here to talk about science, advocacy, and truth—themes in my first three picture books, releasing this fall.
My picture books focus on empowering kids with foundations of:
Continue Reading Guest Post: Lindsay H. Metcalf on Anxiety, Creativity & the Pandemic »
Washington, DC — The We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) Mentorship committee is pleased to announce the program’s sixth consecutive year. Starting Oct. 1, upcoming writers and artists will get the chance to apply for one of 15 year-long mentorships in four different categories. The program has awarded mentorships to 48 diverse authors and illustrators since 2015.
In 2021,
Continue Reading We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) Mentorship Program Announces Sixth Year »
Representative John Lewis, Georgia congressman, icon of the civil rights movement, and award-winning author of the March trilogy (Top Shelf), died July 17. He was 80.
John Lewis, Towering Figure of Civil Rights Era, Dies at 80 by Katharine Q. Seelye from The New York Times.
Welcome back to Cynsations!
Since 2004, our philosophy has been to be upbeat and useful, offering information and inspiration to the children’s-YA literature community while raising up new voices, innovators, guiding lights, and those whose identities are underrepresented in the conversation of books.
Our emphasis is on thoughtful dialogue with substantive takeaways for readers,
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Thank you to everyone who joined us over the 2019-2020 academic year!
We dearly appreciate the authors, illustrators, gatekeepers and industry pros who shared their insights and inspirations. We’re so grateful to our readers,