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 »
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.
I am thrilled to facilitate this conversation between Parker Peevyhouse, Will Walton, and Len Vlahos. These three published authors are also booksellers. They have the unique position of listening to and guiding young readers as they write for them.
Let’s start with some basic introductions.
Laura Pegram, Kweli Journal Executive Director
By Traci Sorell
I am honored to showcase Kweli Journal and its Executive Director, Laura Pegram, on Cynsations.
Kweli’s The Color of Children’s Literature Conference for Native/POC emerging writers and illustrators will take place in New York City on April 6 and April 7.
Continue Reading Organizer Interview: Laura Pegram on Kweli Conference »
Nic Stone is the debut author of Dear Martin (Crown Books for Young Readers, 2017). From the promotional copy:
Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut.
Liara Tamani is the debut author of Calling My Name (Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2017). From the promotional copy:
This unforgettable novel tells a universal coming-of-age story about Taja Brown, a young African American girl growing up in Houston, Texas, and it deftly and beautifully explores the universal struggles of growing up, Continue Reading New Voice: Liara Tamani on Calling My Name »
