FIRST PLACE $100! SECOND PLACE $50! FREE BOOKS FOR 5 THIRD PLACE WINNERS.
From March 6, 2005 to June 5, 2005, young writers (ages 8 to 12) are challenged to “Describe an alien pet in 200 words or less.”
This contest is sponsored by author Linda Joy Singleton in celebration of her new series,
Continue Reading Linda Joy Singleton Sponsors Writing Contest For Kids »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, Bree Bender, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Thank you to everyone who joined us over the 2020-2021 academic year!
We dearly appreciate the authors, illustrators, gatekeepers and industry pros who shared their insights and inspirations.
I’m excited to welcome my dear friend Erin Dealey to Cynsations. I met her at SCBWI and gained valuable writing insight from her when we belonged to the same critique group for a while. Combining her teaching and drama experiences, Erin delights young readers with creatively fun picture books,
I was sitting next to Patricia Newman in the airport when she got the call notifying her that her book, Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem (Millbrook Press, 2017), had been awarded a Sibert Honor. So exciting! And I’m excited and honored to introduce Cynsations readers to Patricia and her latest book,
How does being a college professor and the mother of a young child influence the topics you choose to write about?
I call myself JaNay Brown-Wood, Author & Educator. These titles go hand-in-hand because I feel that I use my books and writing abilities to educate while also using my education to pull inspiration for what I write.
Continue Reading Awesome Authors: JaNay Brown-Wood on Disguised Learning with Books »
Happy Holidays, Cynsational readers!
Effective immediately, this blog is on hiatus. We’ll return after the ALA Midwinter Conference with more inspiration, insights, and information on children’s-YA writing, illustration, literature and publishing. In the meantime, you’re welcome keep up on all those topics with me on Facebook,
As a talented author and poet, how does your love of poetry influence your picture books?
Poetry is where I got my start. I have loved words from the moment I meet them and found it was great fun to twist them around and make them sing! I wrote my first poem when I was eight years old and continued to and through adulthood.
Continue Reading Awesome Authors: Danna Smith on How Poetry Inspires Picture Books »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Thank you to everyone who joined us over the 2019-2020 academic year!
We dearly appreciate the authors, illustrators, gatekeepers and industry pros who shared their insights and inspirations. We’re so grateful to our readers,
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Q&A with Nikki Grimes: Bedtime for Sweet Creatures from We Need Diverse Books. Peek: “Aside from the pure love of storytelling, those of us who write books for young readers look to engage them from an early age.
My first Skype chat was with a classroom in Texas. I traveled the “long” distance from my bedroom to my office, and one-by-one, the kids came up to the screen to ask me questions. Since then, I’ve enjoyed many more video chats. At first, I sat at my computer with a tiny camera attached to the screen.
Continue Reading Guest Interview: Pro Tips for Online Author Visits »