Today I’m interviewing two debut middle grade authors about what inspired them as well as how truth emerges through their fiction.
While Jessica Kim’s Stand Up, Yumi Chung! (Kokila, 2020) is a humorous read, and Risa Nyman’s Swallowed by a Secret (Immortal Works,
Continue Reading New Voices: Jessica Kim & Risa Nyman Talk Truth in Fiction »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gail Vannelli, Gayleen Rabukukk, and Stephani Eaton for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Ghostober S2 E4: Ellen Oh & Staring at Your Inbox by Claribel Ortega from Write or Die Podcast. Peek: “Being a writer can be so lonely….I didn’t know at the time there was a [writing] community.
When I first read Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan (HarperCollins, 2012), I remember being completely amazed.
A brown bear or a pigeon narrating a picture book are one thing, but a gorilla narrating a meaningful middle grade novel? This was something else entirely.
Betsy Byars, award-winning and prolific author, died Feb. 26 in Seneca, South Carolina after complications from a fall. She was 91.
Obituary: Betsy Byars by Shannon Maughan from Publishers Weekly. Peek:
“Byars’s books were often lauded for their blend of humor,
Welcome to middle grade authors Arianne Costner and Sarah Kapit who discuss both their publication journeys, starting from the inspiration for their debut novels, as well as their favorite craft books. And we want to wish Arianne a very happy book birthday as her debut, My Life as a Potato (Random House,
Continue Reading New Voices: Arianne Costner & Sarah Kapit and the Journey to Publication »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gail Vannelli, Gayleen Rabukukk, and Stephani Eaton for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros by Mr. Schu from Watch. Connect. Read. Peek: “[W]e all have stories to tell. Each of our experiences is unique and equally important.
How to place things to ‘look right’ in your story illustrations…
Illustrators, let’s talk about a fundamental issue of draftsmanship that you’ve probably run up against in your pictures.
It falls under “linear perspective.”
The issue is eye level (or you might have heard it called “horizon line.”) Viewers are typically unaware of it.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Mark Mitchell on Linear Perspective in Illustration »
Today I am pleased to introduce YA debut authors Adalyn Grace and Rabiah York Lumard to our Cynsations readers. Both of these authors talk about the importance that their main characters’ identities bring to their work, their transitions to writing as a career, as well as connection to community.
Continue Reading New Voices: Adalyn Grace & Rabiah York Lumbard on Character, Career & Connection »
Closed. Canceled. Rescheduled. These are words we are hearing over and over.
As COVID-19 spreads, life is changing each day. With so many closures and cancellations, many within the children’s-YA book community are finding ways to use technology to bring people together, sharing their love of books without sharing the germs.
Continue Reading Children’s-YA Book Community Strategies for Sharing While Social Distancing »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gail Vannelli, Gayleen Rabukukk, and Stephani Eaton for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Conversation with the Creators Behind “Layla’s Happiness” by Nadine Pinede from Enchanted Lion Books. Peek: Ashleigh Corrin: “Tap into your personal story and find value in your own insight and perspective on life and the art you’re making.