Today I am thrilled to welcome Christopher Paul Curtis to Cynsations. Christopher is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his debut novel The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963! (Delacorte, 1995), which was named both a Newbery Honor and a Coretta Scott King Honor book in 1996.
One thing writers struggle with is getting their work to measure up to publishing standards. I am pleased to introduce our Cynsations readers the debut authors Stacy Hackney, author of Forever Glimmer Creek (Simon & Schuster, 2020), and Lily LaMotte,
Today I am excited to introduce our readers to Carrie Firestone. Carrie is the author of two YA novels, The Loose Ends List (Little, Brown, 2016) and The Unlikelies (Little, Brown, 2017). Recently, her middle-grade novel Dress Coded (G.P. Putnam’s Sons,
Continue Reading Carrie Firestone on Youth Activism & Dress Coded, Her Debut Middle Grade Novel »
By Kim Rogers
Tashia Hart is an award-winning Anishinaabe author and illustrator. Her debut middle grade novel, Gidjie and the Wolves (Not Too Far Removed Press, 2020) is a 2020 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award Gold Medal Winner. Congrats, Tashia and welcome to Cynsations!
From the promotional copy: “Gidjie,
Continue Reading Native Voices: Tashia Hart on Gidjie and the Wolves »
I’m excited to welcome author Kristin L. Gray to Cynsations today. Her latest middle-grade novel The Amelia Six (Paula Wiseman, 2020) has been hailed by Kirkus Reviews as “A cozy whodunit that cheerfully affirms girls’ and women’s contributions to aerospace.” In the above photo,
Continue Reading Author Interview: Kristin L. Gray on the Uniqueness of Your Story »
I’m excited to welcome author Supriya Kelkar to Cynsations.
Her debut middle grade historical novel, Ahimsa (Tu Books, 2017) received starred reviews and made the Amelia Bloomer Top Ten list from the American Library Association.
Her picture book, The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh,
Continue Reading Author Interview: Supriya Kelkar on Writing Personal Stories »
Gail Shepherd, award-winning journalist, poet, and author of middle grade novel The True History of Lyndie B. Hawkins (Kathy Dawson, 2019) died of complications from a brain tumor on Feb. 24 in Lake Worth, Florida. She was 62.
Obituary: Gail Shepherd from Publishers Weekly.
Today we welcome middle grade debut authors Joseph Elliott and Kate O’Shaughnessy as they talk about their inspirations as well as writing the book they needed and wanted to read.
Joseph Elliott
What first inspired you to write for young readers?
By Kim Rogers
Today, I’m happy to welcome David Heska Wanbli Weiden to Cynsations.
David is the author of Spotted Tail, illustrated by Jim Yellowhawk and Pat Kinsella (Reycraft Books, 2019), a middle grade biography which traces the life of his tribe’s famous Lakota leader.
Continue Reading Native Voice: David Heska Wanbli Weiden on Writing Inclusive Books For Kids »
Today is the last day of my Cynsations Spooky Middle Grade Takeover! I thought I’d go out with a bang and give you a double-librarian interview.
Since a lot of spooky middle grade books tread that fine line between upper elementary and lower middle school age,