By Traci Sorell & Gayleen Rabakukk
Wait! Did you think we could take a break without highlighting a few more books?
Before signing off, we asked a few children’s-YA authors what makes their book a terrific summer read. These are soon-to-be released titles, so we haven’t read them ourselves and look forward to taking a peek right along with you.
Continue Reading P.S. Shout-outs for Your Summer Reading List »
Photo by Fiona Rabakukk-Langthorn
Cynsations is now officially on summer hiatus.
We will return in the fall 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,
Author-Mentor Jennifer Ziegler
By Cynthia Leitich Smith,
Robin Galbraith, Gayleen Rabukukk
& Kate Pentecost
2018 Cynthia Leitich Smith Mentor Awards Chosen from Austin SCBWI. Peek:
“Congratulations to Aimee Thomas, who has won Austin SCBWI’s 2018 Cynthia Leitich Smith Writing Mentor Award!
By Barbara Dee
for Cynthia Leitich Smith‘s Cynsations
About a year ago, on a NerdCamp panel called “Tough Topics in Middle Grade Fiction,” we were talking about how middle grade was evolving, growing up, tackling subjects that used to be considered taboo—for example,
By Robin Galbraith
for Cynthia Leitich Smith‘s Cynsations
Adrienne Kisner is a Vermont College of Fine Arts alum and a hilarious fellow classmate, so I jumped at the chance to interview her about her funny and heart-wrenching debut YA novel, Dear Rachel Maddow (Feiwel &
Continue Reading New Voice: Adrienne Kisner on Dear Rachel Maddow »
Last spring, I interviewed Gauri Manglik about KitaabWorld, an online bookseller focusing on South Asian and diverse children’s titles.
Now Gauri and her co-founder, Sadaf Siddique have expanded the business by becoming an independent publisher.
Their first titles released earlier this year:
I am leaving my day job at an extraordinary early childhood center on June 30.
Plenty of people think I am “retiring.”
But if you’re reading this, you probably could guess that I’m not retiring at all. I’m beginning my full-time career as a writer.
At last.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Carol Coven Grannick on Transitions: Lunging Forward, Leaning Back »
Author Richard Peck died on May 23 in New York City. He was 84.
SCBWI Remembers Richard Peck. Peek:
“Mr. Peck was one of the giants of contemporary children’s literature. Among his many awards was the Newbery Medal in 2001 for A Year Down Yonder (Dial,
Ann Durell (McCrory) “was a distinguished editor and publisher of children’s books and a Vice President of E.P. Dutton until her retirement in 1987.”
She died in her Manhattan home on May 6 at age 87.
From The New York Times, “Ann worked with many noted authors including Maurice Sendak,
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Robin Galbraith,
Gayleen Rabukukk & Kate Pentecost
Author/Illustrator Insights
Interview with Nisha Sharma, Author of My So Called Bollywood Life by Priya Sridhar from Book Riot. Peek:
“I wrote My So-Called Bollywood Life (Crown,
