Book Trailer: Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos by Monica Brown, iIllustrated by John Parra

Book Trailer: Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos by Monica Brown, iIllustrated by John Parra

By Cynthia Leitich Smith

Check out the book trailer for Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos by Monica Brown, illustrated by John Parra (NorthSouth, 2017). From the promotional copy:

The fascinating Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is remembered for her self-portraits, her dramatic works featuring bold and vibrant colors. 

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New Cynsations Reporter Traci Sorell

New Cynsations Reporter Traci Sorell

By Cynthia Leitich Smith

Traci Sorell joins the Cynsations team as a reporter covering children’s-YA writing, illustration, publishing and other book news from Indigenous authors and illustrators.

Traci writes fiction and nonfiction for children featuring contemporary characters and compelling biographies for the trade and educational markets. She has been an active member of SCBWI since August 2013.

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Career Achievers: Joy Preble on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing Children’s-YA Author

Career Achievers: Joy Preble on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing Children’s-YA Author

Joy Preble, Heather Demetrios & Renee Watson at Texas Book Festival.

By Cynthia Leitich Smith

In children’s-YA writing, maintaining an active publishing career is arguably an even bigger challenge than breaking into the field.

Reflecting on your personal journey, what bumps did you encounter and how have you managed to defy the odds to achieve continued success?

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Guest Post: Beth Bacon & Marianne Murphy on Conveying Meaning With Meta Fiction & Concrete Poetry

Guest Post: Beth Bacon & Marianne Murphy on Conveying Meaning With Meta Fiction & Concrete Poetry

By Beth Bacon

This is the third post in a series honoring reluctant readers.

Writing conveys a full spectrum of experiences and emotions—but are there limits to what words alone can do? When digging deeper into the building blocks of literacy, you realize that letters and words are more than the ideas the represent.

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Guest Post: Beth Bacon & Editor Tracey Keevan on Encouraging Reluctant Readers

Guest Post: Beth Bacon & Editor Tracey Keevan on Encouraging Reluctant Readers

by Beth Bacon


Editor Tracey Keevan

This is the second post in a series honoring reluctant readers.

Two out of three fourth graders in the United States failed to read with proficiency, according to a 2015 Kids Count survey.

The fundamental skill of reading is not an easy one to master.

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Guest Post: Beth Bacon on Honoring Reluctant Readers with Author & Illustrator Charles Johnson

Guest Post: Beth Bacon on Honoring Reluctant Readers with Author & Illustrator Charles Johnson

By Beth Bacon

This post is the first in a series honoring reluctant readers.

Reading is the closest thing we have to magic in the real world.

Is there any other explanation for the way those small, squiggly symbols on the page transform into meaning in our minds?

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