Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog, page 19

Bologna 2023: SCBWI Scholarship Winners Anden Wilder & Jess Racklyeft

By Elisabeth Norton

Spotlight image: Jess Racklyeft and Anden Wilder at Bologna Children’s Book Fair, photo courtesy Anden Wilder.

This year, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) was thrilled to be back at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair! The booth was busy, with many fair attendees stopping by to learn more about how SCBWI chapters around the world support authors, illustrators and translators on their publishing journeys.

This year SCBWI awarded scholarships to all...

Cynsational News

By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Suma Subramaniam, A.J. Eversole and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations

Spotlight Image: Real to Me by Minh Lê, illustrated by Raissa Figueroa (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2023).

Author/Illustrator Insights

Interview With Holding On Creators Sophia N. Lee & Isabel Roxas by Michele Kirichanskaya from Geeks Out. Peek: [Sophia N. Lee:] “I wanted to write the kind of stories that made me fall in love with reading and that helped shape my identity….[A]s reader...

Throwback Thursday: Martine Leavitt on Writing & My Book of Life by Angel

Congratulations to Martine Leavitt on the publication of her newest novel, Buffalo Flats (Margaret Ferguson Books, 2023). From the promotional copy:

Seventeen-year-old Rebecca Leavitt has traveled by covered wagon from Utah to the Northwest Territories of Canada, where her father and brothers are now homesteading and establishing a new community with other Latter-Day Saints. Rebecca is old enough to get married, but what kind of man would she marry and who would have a girl like her—a girl fill...

Author Interview: Brian Young Discusses The Joy of Writing His Second Book

By AJ Eversole

Today we get to hear from Brian Young, author of American Indian Youth Literature Award Winning Healer of the Water Monster (Heartdrum, 2022). The sequel, Heroes of the Water Monster (Heartdrum, 2023) will be released May 23. From the promotional copy:

An unmissable companion to Healer of the Water Monster, which won the American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award, this novel by Navajo author Brian Young tells the story of two contemporary young Navajo heroes–and o...

Guest Post: Author Michael Leali on Retellings & His New Middle Grade Novel Matteo

By Michael Leali

As much as I’m a reader, I also love movies and television. As I recently told my boyfriend, “I’m addicted to story,” and I have been for as long as I can remember. Growing up, Disney animated features like The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin were some of my absolute favorites.

The stories I consumed, in many ways, informed my thinking and behavior as a young person. Sure, there were silly things like wanting to fly on magic carpets and eat ba...

Cynsational News

By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Suma Subramaniam, A.J. Eversole and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations

Spotlight Image: Night Market Rescue by Charlotte Cheng, illustrated by Amber Ren (Rocky Pond Books, 2023).

Author/Illustrator Insights

Q&A With Zion Clark and James Hirsch by Georgie Fehringer from Publishers Weekly. Peek: [Zion Clark:] “There are a lot of things in life…that can either break us down or build us up….I want people to be inspired to look at themselves and be like, there’s...

Throwback Thursday: Diana López on Confetti Girl

Congratulations to Diana López on the publication of Felice and the Wailing Woman, book 1 of the Los Monstruos series (Kokila, April 18, 2023). From the promotional copy:

When Felice learns that she’s the daughter of La Llorona, she catches a ride to the magical town of Tres Leches, where her mother is said to be haunting the river. Growing up with her uncle Clem in Corpus Christi, Felice knew that she had been rescued from drowning—it’s where her intense fear of water comes from—but she had no...

Author Interview: Sher Lee on her Debut Journey & Fake Dates and Mooncakes

I am so happy I came across an early copy of Fake Dates and Mooncakes (Underlined/Penguin Random House, 2023). It charmed me from the very beginning of the story, the meet cute had me squealing, and then took me on a wonderful ride. I just knew I wanted to celebrate it and was delighted when author Sher Lee agreed to an interview.

From the promotional copy: Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians in this heartfelt, joyful paperback original rom-com that follows an aspiring chef...

Guest Post: Jacquetta Nammar Feldman: Your Manuscript Needs a Calendar!

By Jacquetta Nammar Feldman

My journey in calendaring my manuscripts did not begin with a calendar. It began with a list—a lengthy, elaborate document I had created to cross-reference dates, settings, and activities for my main character Yasmeen in my debut middle grade novel, Wishing Upon the Same Stars (HarperCollins, 2022). I thought my list was perfect. I thought my method was fool-proof and had yielded a perfectly constructed timeline. I thought the final revision I turned into my editor a...

Author Interview: Darshana Khiani on Finding a Structure to Tell Your Story

By Gayleen Rabakukk

Today we welcome author Darshana Khiani to talk about her journey to becoming a published author and how writing her new book, I’m An American, illustrated by Laura Freeman (Viking, May 2, 2023) presented very different challenges from her debut picture book, How to Wear a Sari, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff (Versify, 2021).

What first inspired you to write for young readers?

First, thank you so much for having me. Cynsations has been a blog I have been reading for man...