Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog, page 115

Guest Post & Giveaway: Jean Reagan on Writing from the Hole in Your Heart

Jean's children, John and JaneBy Jean Reagan
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Many years ago in a writing class, Kathi Appelt said, “Write from the hole in your heart.”

At the time, I had just received sketches for my first picture book, Always My Brother, illustrated by Phyllis Pollema-Cahill (Tilbury House 2009).

This story about sibling loss is told from the perspective of the surviving sister, and it mirrors our own family tragedy.

Of course, I connected with Kathi’s wise words immediate...

Guest Post: Author-Librarian Amy Bearce on Knowing Your Young Readers

By Amy Bearce
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

One thing I learned while earning my Masters of Library Science and my school librarian certificate is that if you try to censor a book, librarians will Take. You. Down.

“Don’t make me get my gloves out.” (Boxing Glove by Janusz Gawron via freeimages.com.)
Censorship and First Amendment rights are hot-button issues for librarians. Prior to my degree, I had no idea, but I loved it: librarians as righteous warriors for freedom of speech! Yes!

Howe...

Cynsational News & Giveaways

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Congratulations to Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong on the release of The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations (Pomelo, 2015) from Janet Lee Cary at Library Lions Roar! Peek:

JW: There are two huge differences between this book and our other books. First, the subject matter: 156 holidays. Second: it’s bilingual! The 156 English poems all appear with Spanish versions alongside them.

SV: There’s another big difference. The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebra...

New Voice: Stacey Lee on Under a Painted Sky

Stacey LeeBy Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Stacey Lee is the first-time author of Under a Painted Sky (Putnam, 2015)(author blog). From the promotional copy:

An unforgettable story of friendship and sacrifice.

Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl, and harder still if you’re Chinese. But a tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her dream, and instead, leaves her fearing for her life.

With the help...

Giveaway & New Voice: Melody Maysonet on A Work of Art

ExcerptBy Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Melody Maysonetis the first time author of A Work of Art (Merit, 2015)(author blog). From the promotional copy:

Tera is seventeen, shy, and artistically gifted. Her hero and mentor is her father, a famous graphic artist who also protects her from her depressed, overly critical mother. 

But Tera’s universe is turned upside down the day the police arrest her father for an unspeakable crime. 

Tera desperately wants to believe his arrest is a mi...

2015 SCBWI Europolitan Con: Translator Laura Watkinson

By Mina Witteman
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Translator Laura Watkinson founded the Dutch chapter of the SCBWI. She also translates books into English, from Dutch, Italian and German. Her literary interests vary and her projects range from children’s picture books to adult novels and comics.

Her translation of Bibi Dumon Tak’s Mikis and the Donkey, illustrated by Philip Hopman (Eerdman's), won the American Library Association’s Batchelder Award 2015 for a translated children’s book.

In...

Interview: Will Weaver & Don Gallo on LitWeaver

Don Gallo & Will WeaverBy Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

What is LitWeaver and how did it come to be?

Will Weaver: LitWeaver is young adult literature outreach to schools by the authors themselves. We believe YA lit should be more accessible, more varied, and more affordable—and now it is!

Our cohort of more than sixty top authors came together to make contemporary short stories, essays, poems, and plays available to schools for e-reading or print on demand.

LitWeaver has free reading fo...

Guest Post: Michelle Ray on Falling for Hamlet Adapted as E! TV's "The Royals"

Little Brown, 2011; learn more!By Michelle Ray
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

“Falling for Hamlet is going to be a TV show! They’re calling it 'The Royals,' and it’ll be on E!” my agent emailed me.

It seemed absolutely impossible. Growing up in Los Angeles, I have many friends in “The Business,” and screenplays and novels are optioned all the time. Usually that’s as far as it goes.

But for me, it was really happening.

My mind soon went to the contract. What had I asked for? I recalled a c...

Cynsational News & Giveaways

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

The Children’s Book Guild of Washington, DC, announces its 38th Annual Nonfiction Award presentation to Steve Sheinkin at noon April 25 at Clyde’s Gallery Place Restaurant in Washington DC. The Guild’s Nonfiction Award celebrates a body of work that has “contributed significantly to the quality of nonfiction for children.”

The Award committee cited Sheinkin’s superb ability to find the heart of the story, to narrate nonfiction with passion, veracity and ac...

Guest Post & Giveaway: Ilsa J. Bick on Takeaways from Egmont USA's Last List

Ilsa vs. The White Rabbit (Not Part of the Dream)By Ilsa J. Bick
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

I had this weird dream last night.

I’m in an office of some sort and there are all these old Star Trek books lying around that someone’s packing away.

Thing is, I know they’re not my Trek books because Spock’s on every cover, and I never wrote a Spock-centered book or story.

Yet I was positive I’d written every single one.

So, as these books are being sealed into boxes, someone—I don’t know who—s...