Lamar Giles’ last Cynsations visit was in 2014 as a debut author.
Since then, he’s had two novels named Edgar Award finalists by the Mystery Writers of America and helped found We Need Diverse Books.
He serves as senior vice president of fundraising for the non-profit organization dedicated to putting more books featuring diverse characters into the hands of all children.
Laura Atkins and Stan Yogi are the co-authors of Fred Korematsu Speaks Up, illustrated by Yukata Houlette (Heyday, 2017). From the promotional copy:
Fred Korematsu liked listening to music on the radio, playing tennis, and hanging around with his friends—just like lots of other Americans.
By Traci Sorell
My love of music outweighs my love of the written word. So, I am delighted when I find children’s
book biographies written about any of my favorite musicians. I rush to devour them and learn more about the creative geniuses whose beautiful lyrics and magical melodies have lifted my spirit or given me comfort throughout my life.
David Wright is the debut YA author of Away Running (Orca Book Publishers, 2016) (discussion guide) (first chapter). From the promotional copy:
Matt, a white quarterback from Montreal, Quebec, flies to France (without his parents’
Zetta Elliott‘s last Cynsations interview was in 2009. Since then she’s published more than two dozen
books and nearly twice as many essays, like Decolonizing the Imagination for The Horn Book (March 2010).
I’ve been thinking a lot about the lasting effects of Imperialism and how it influences both society and literature.
Continue Reading Author Interview: Zetta Elliott on Ghosts, Magic & Imperialism »
David A. Robertson is the first-time children’s author of When We Were Alone, illustrated by Julie Flett (Portage & Main Press, Jan. 6, 2017)(available for pre-order). From the promotional copy:
When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother’s garden,
Continue Reading New Voice: David A. Robertson on When We Were Alone »
Illustrators bear witness.
Nothing could be more important.
One hundred years from now, when someone wants to know what it was like to be a seven-year-old girl in New York City on her birthday – or what it was like to be a Mexican-American child growing up in Texas – they won’t go to a reference book and look it up.
By A.R. Capetta
A.R. Capetta writing
While the goal of this blog series is to celebrate LGBTQ YA, there’s so much more room for growth.
It might seem like LGBTQ YA books are hitting new heights, when in reality they’re only beginning to find their audience.
In the words of Alex London,
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,
By A.R. Capetta
Rainbow Boxes is a charitable initiative to connect LGBTQIA fiction with readers across the United States.
When Cori McCarthy and I did our research for Rainbow Boxes (AKA the most fun research–it mainly consisted of reading every LGBTQ YA book we could find),
