By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Suma Subramaniam, A.J. Eversole, Mitu Malhotra and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: Game of Freedom: Mestre Bimba and the Art of Capoeira by Duncan Tonatiuh (Harry N. Abrams, 2023).
As a young adult author and former high school teacher who loves reading lists full of unique voices and identities, I find recent news about banned books heartbreaking.
Back in 1986, I wrote a high school research paper about book censorship, and here we are again. I dived back into this problem as an MFA student at the Vermont College of Fine Arts,
Continue Reading Guest Post: Lyn Hawks on How YA Is Literary: The Search for an Abundant Canon »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Suma Subramaniam, A.J. Eversole and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: Brown Is Beautiful by Supriya Kelkar, illustrated by Noor Sofi (Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)), 2022).
Author/Illustrator Insights
By Carol McAfee
Spotlight image by Taha on Unsplash
Today I want to talk to you about poetry.
You may not consider yourself a poet. You may be scared of poetry in the way I am wary of numbers and higher math, so much so that I would join the witness protection program to avoid them.
Continue Reading The Power of Poetry: Carol McAfee Shares Five Cool Things about Poetry »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, Bree Bender and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: The Cot in the Living Room by Hilda Eunice Burgos, illustrated by Gaby D’Alessandro (Kokila,
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: The Water Lady: How Darlene Arviso Helps a Thirsty Navajo Nation by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by Shonto Begay (Schwartz &
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Robin Galbraith, Gayleen Rabukukk, and Stephani Eaton for Cynsations
Author/Illustrator Insights
Spotlight On Middle Grade Authors Part 10: Emma Otheguy by Cindy L. Rodriguez and Emma Otheguy. Peek:
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Robin Galbraith,
Gayleen Rabukukk & Kate Pentecost
Author/ Illustrator Insights
Interview: Uma Krishnaswami on Treadmills, Knitting, and P.G. Wodehouse from The Booking Biz. Peek:
“I don’t think that inspiration is necessarily a sparkling gold-tipped wand.
By A.R.Capetta
One of the standout differences in the LGBTQ offerings in 2016, as opposed to previous years, is a boost in genre fiction.
While I love reading LGBTQ books of all kinds, in my truest and nerdiest heart, I’m a lifelong reader and devoted writer of genre fiction.
Stories with marginalized main characters tend to take a particular route through the publishing world–starting with “issue” books,
Social Justice Books to Teach Kids About Global Issues from What Do We Do All Day? Peek: “Social justice, whether it be environmental, political, gender oriented, or economic is a crucial subject and we must discuss it with our children if we want them to grow up to be compassionate global citizens.”
