Guest Post: Sara Greenwood on Writing from Real Life & My Brother Is Away

By Sara Greenwood

I’ve written a few of books over the years, but My Brother Is Away [illustrated by Luisa Uribe (Random House Studio, 2022)] is my first attempt to write from my own life story. When I was in first grade, my brother was arrested. He was released from prison when I was in eighth.

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Author Interview: Carmen Oliver Shares Insights on Nonfiction, Balance & Building an Orchestra of Hope

By Gayleen Rabakukk

I recently chatted with Austin author Carmen Oliver about her latest release—Building an Orchestra of Hope: How Favio Chavez Taught Children to Make Music from Trash, illustrated by Luisa Uribe (Eerdmans, 2022)—and finding balance, given the many hats she wears. In the photo above,

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Awesome Authors: Erin Dealey on How Her Inner Teacher & Theater Director Inform Her Writing

By Linda Joy Singleton

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,

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Guest Post: Mary Quattlebaum on Nonfiction, Connections & Environmental Change

By Mary Quattlebaum

At a recent book event, a little boy was nonplussed to discover that humans are animals, too.

“You mean, me?” he asked incredulously. “I’m an animal?”

Yup, welcome to the family!

I loved doing the research for Brother, Sister, Me and You (National Geographic,

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