Andrew Clements, beloved and prolific author, died Nov. 28 in West Baldwin, Maine. He was 70.
Obituary: Andrew Clements by Shannon Maughan from Publishers Weekly. Peek: “Clements shared…that he credited his parents, both avid readers, with instilling a love of books and reading in him and his siblings,
Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
You Should Be Getting Your Biographies in Children’s Picture Book Form by J.M. Farkas from Electric Lit. Peek: “Reading PBBs [Picture Book Biographies] is an amazing hack for readers who want to know the general beats of notable lives.
After twelve years of writing and hundreds of rejections as I learned to write, I can’t quite believe my first novel is coming out in just eight weeks.
My biggest struggle had always been my characters. I read dozens of character craft books and asked for advice from character gurus like Coe Booth and Sandra Nickel.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Abigail Hing Wen on Character Development the Brutally Hard Way »
Today we welcome debut YA authors Kat Cho, author of Wicked Fox (Penguin Teen, 2019) and Olivia Hinebaugh, author of The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me (SwoonReads, 2019).
They discuss their paths to publication and emphasize the importance of reading to their writing apprenticeship.
Continue Reading New Voices: YA Authors Kat Cho and Olivia Hinebaugh »
By Traci Sorell
I love books that celebrate multigenerational family gatherings and connections between family members of all ages. Going Down Home With Daddy (Peachtree, 2019) combines rich language by Kelly Starling Lyons and spectacular illustrations by Daniel Minter.
When you sit with the book,
My First Critique Group
When I was a new young writer, a friend invited me to her critique group. I was told to bring a chapter of my work-in-progress to share. It was a casual group open to many writers. I had no idea what to expect and was so shy that reading in front of a dozen-plus writers terrified me.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Linda Joy Singleton on Critiquing Critique Groups »
Thank you for being a Cynsations reader!
Effective immediately, this blog is on hiatus for the week. We’ll return Dec. 2 with more inspiration, insights and information on children’s-YA writing, illustration, literature and publishing.
In the meantime, keep up on all those topics with Cynthia Leitich Smith on Facebook,
From SCBWI:
The members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators joined forces once again as part of the organization’s annual SCBWI Books For Readers literacy initiative to collect, curate, and donate new books created by its members to one of its two 2019 recipients: REACH in Norfolk,
Continue Reading SCBWI’s Third Annual Literacy Initiative Gives Books to Readers in Need »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Katherena Vermette Interview by James Feder from Kirkus Reviews. Peek: “‘Indigenous teachings,’ she explains, ‘have a very different take on the wolf and what it does.’ Rather than something threatening and dangerous,
By Kim Rogers
Today, I’m excited to welcome Kevin Noble Maillard to Cynsations. Kevin is a professor of law at Syracuse University, a journalist, and a member of the Seminole Nation. His debut picture book Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story is illustrated by Pura Belpré-award winner and Caldecott Honor-recipient Juana Martinez-Neal (Roaring Brook/Macmillan,
Continue Reading Native Voices: Kevin Noble Maillard on Writing Fry Bread »