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, Strange Encounters, where 6th grader Cassie Strange encounters a fuzzy, dancing alien pet named Jennifer while solving magical mysteries on family trips.
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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, signal boosters, and of course our wonderful reporters—Angela Cerrito,
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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. We’re trying to create life-long readers,
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By Linda Joy Singleton
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. Now I prefer to Skype on my iPad so I can give the kids a tour of my office,
Continue Reading Guest Interview: Pro Tips for Online Author Visits »
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.
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By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Julie C. Dao on Fairy Tales, Romance & Her Latest YA Novel by Karis Rogerson from We Need Diverse Books. Peek: “‘Looking back, I see now how every rejection and roadblock happened for a good reason,’ she said, saying she would tell a younger,
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By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Nikki Grimes Explains Why Mental Illness Is Not A Weakness by Vanessa Willoughby from School Library Journal. Peek: “[W]eakness is precisely the way we view mental illness. It becomes something to hide, rather than something to talk about, or even acknowledge. However,
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By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabukukk, Stephani Eaton and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Illustrator Spotlight: Marlena Myles from KidLit 411. Peek: “Saturated colors is one of the trademarks of my work; I wasn’t intentionally trying to illustrate for children, but…became aware of how attracted kids were to my art organically on their own. That made me want to combine a couple of my passions (teaching and art)…”
Real-World Anchors in a Time Traveler’s Theory of Relativity from The Lerner Blog.
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Cynsational reporters offer news, interviews, and articles from around the world and on various topics in children’s-YA literature, writing, and publishing.
Inspiration & The Writer’s Heart
Carol Coven Grannick is an author, poet, and chronicler of the ups and downs of the writer’s life. Her award-winning novel in verse, Reeni’s Turn, will debut from Regal House/Fitzroy Books in September, 2020. Her poetry and fiction for the very young has appeared or is forthcoming in Cricket,
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By Cynthia Leitich Smith & Gayleen Rabakukk
Spotlight on Latina Illustrators by Cecilia Cackley from Latinx in Kidlit. Peek from Alyssa Bermudez: “Picture books are important because it allows children to visualize and understand their own stories as they grow up. They can see their lives reflected in this way. The world is an exciting and colorful place full of adventure,
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