I’ve attended the SCBWI Annual Summer Conference in Los Angeles every summer since 1991—and for good reason! It’s a wonderful conference with something for every writer and illustrator.
The 2019 conference will always be extra special to me because of the amazing moment that happened just hours after I arrived at the Marriott Hotel.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Linda Joy Singleton on Attending SCBWI Annual Conferences »
Today I’m excited to interview two fellow Vermont College of Fine Arts graduates, Tami Lewis Brown and Debbie Loren Dunn about their new nonfiction picture book, Instructions Not Included, illustrated by Chelsea Beck (Disney-Hyperion, 2019).
Congratulations on Instructions Not Included! It’s a fun and inspiring book.
Continue Reading Co-Authors Interview: Tami Lewis Brown & Debbie Loren Dunn »
April Pulley Sayre is a successful children’s author-illustrator with a long, distinguished career.
In children’s writing, maintaining an active publishing career is arguably an even bigger challenge than breaking into the field.
Reflecting on your personal journey (creatively, career-wise, and your writer’s heart), what bumps did you encounter and how have you managed to defy the odds to achieve continued success?
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Q&A with Oge Mora: Saturday from We Need Diverse Books. Peek: “As a picture book maker, I am all about finding the magic present in everyday life.
By Kim Rogers
Today, I’m delighted to welcome Weshoyot Alvitre to Cynsations.
At the Mountain’s Base (Kokila, 2019) is illustrated by Weshoyot and written by Cherokee author Traci Sorell.
Weshoyot is Tongva (Los Angeles Basin) and is well established within the Indigenous art community.
Continue Reading Native Vision: Weshoyot Alvitre on Illustrating At The Mountain’s Base »
Both Nikki Barhtelmess, author of The Quiet You Carry (Flux, 2019) and Laura Sibson, author of The Art of Breaking Things (Viking, 2019), revisited personal memories to write authentic stories of teens.
Nikki Barthelmess
What first inspired you to write for young readers?
I’ve always been a writer.
The first thing I wrote, and produced, was a play. There were two members of the cast (myself and my younger sister), and one member in the audience. My grandmother, Nana.
I don’t think I was much more than seven years old.
Still,
Continue Reading Guest Post: Carol Lynch Williams on Writing Craft, Perseverance & Writing Life »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Writing Through Fear: A Chat with Ashley Woodfolk About Her Heartbreaking YA Novel by Wesley Salazar from Brightly. Peek: “I think loss is one of those universal experiences that no one really knows how to talk about.
By Traci Sorell
Rarely do we see biographies of Native people post-1900, so the biography of Elizabeth Peratrovich, Fighter in Velvet Gloves (University of Alaska Press, 2019), by Annie Boochever with Roy Peratrovich, Jr. (Tlingit) is a welcome addition in children’s literature.
I’m excited to introduce you to debut middle grade authors whose books highlight father-daughter relationships in their novels. Nicole Melleby, author of Hurricane Season (Algonquin, 2019), and Rajani LaRocca, author of Midsummer’s Mayhem (Yellow Jacket/Little Bee, 2019), share their inspirations and perspectives on the writing journey.