Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog, page 20

Spring Hiatus

By Gayleen Rabakukk

Happy Spring, Cynsational readers!

Effective immediately, Cynsations is on a short hiatus. We’ll return the week of April 24 (after the Texas Library Association Conference) with more inspiration, insights, and information on children’s-YA writing, illustration, literature and publishing. In the meantime, you’re welcome keep up on all those topics by following Cynthia Leitich Smith on Instagram and Facebook.

Longtime Cynsations subscribers may notice a new look in your email...

Cynsational News

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

Spotlight Image: A Garden in My Hands by Meera Sriram, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2023).

Author/Illustrator Insights

What’s Worth Fighting For by M.T. Anderson from Nerdy Book Club. Peek: “I want kids reading this book to feel real companionship. I want them to look at…the routes they walk on and…see stories hidden all around them, surprising histories...

Throwback Thursday: Nora Shalaway Carpenter & Rocky Callen Talk Mental Health Themes in YA Literature

Congratulations to editors Nora Shalaway Carpenter and Rocky Callen on the release of their new anthology, Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes (Candlewick, April 11, 2023). Contributors include: Mercedes Acosta, Karen Jialu Bao, James Bird, Rocky Callen, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Alechia Dow, Patrick Downes, Anna Drury, Nikki Grimes, Val Howlett, Jonathan Lenore Kastin, Sonia Patel, Marcella Pixley, Isabel Quintero, Ebony Stewart and Francisco X. Stork. From t...

Author Interview: Anne Bustard’s Advice on Historical Fiction & Far Out!

By Gayleen Rabakukk

When I was brand-new to Austin, my fellow Vermont College alumnx welcomed me to the local kidlit community, especially Anne Bustard. At a writing retreat six or seven years ago, Anne told us she was working on an intergenerational story set in the 1960s, with a small Texas town planning a UFO welcome festival. With so many of my favorite elements, I knew immediately I’d love to read this book. And soon it will be out in the world: Far Out! (Simon & Schuster Books For Young R...

Authors in Conversation: Adrianna Cuevas & Cynthia Leitich Smith on Eerie Books

Two award-winning Austin authors have ghostly books publishing this month: Adrianna Cuevas and Cynthia Leitich Smith. We couldn’t resist the opportunity for insight on eerie stories from these authors, so we arranged for them to ask each other questions. First up, Cynthia asks Adrianna questions about The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, April 4, 2023). From the promotional copy:

Rafa would rather live in the world of The Forgotten Age, his favorite role-playing game, than f...

In Memory: Julie Anne Peters

By Gayleen Rabakukk

Julie Anne Peters, the critically-acclaimed, award-winning author of more than a dozen books for young adults and children died March 21 at the age of 71.

Peters first book, The Stinky Sneakers Contest (Little Brown, 1992), was plucked from the slushpile by Megan Tingley, her first fiction acquisition. They worked on several middle grade books together in the 1990s. Then, in the early 2000s Peters shifted to writing for young adults, “she found her true voice,” Tingley told ...

Cynsational News

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

Spotlight Image: The Song That Called Them Home by David A. Robertson, illustrated by Maya McKibbin (Tundra Books, 2023).

Author/Illustrator Insights

Process Talk: Cynthia Leitich Smith on Harvest House from Uma Krishnaswami. Peek: “It’s important to remind [readers] that we’re by no means defined by harm done to us, and that we deserve to embrace and enjoy life, to find strength and res...

Throwback Thursday: Cynthia Leitich Smith on Writing (Sort Of) Timeless Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Congratulations to Cynthia Leitich Smith on Harvest House, out Tuesday from Candlewick! To date, the book has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Connection. From the promotional copy:

Deftly leading readers to the literary crossroads of contemporary realism and haunting mystery, Cynthia Leitich Smith revisits the world of her American Indian Youth Literature Award winner Hearts Unbroken (Candlewick, 2018, 2020).

Halloween is near, and Hughie Wolfe is volunteering...

New Voices: Shachi Kaushik & Susan Johnston Taylor Share Picture Book Advice

By Gayleen Rabakukk

Spotlight image: Shachi Kaushik celebrating Diwali with her new book.

I love sharing the success stories of Austin authors with Cynsations readers. Today I’m interviewing two debut picture book authors, Shachi Kaushik and Susan Johnston Taylor, about their paths to publication and advice for aspiring writers. Shachi is the author of Diwali In My New Home, illustrated by Aishwarya Tandon (Beaming Books, 2022) and Susan is the author of Animals in Surprising Shades, illustrate...

Author Interview: Guadalupe Garcia McCall on Collaboration & Secret of the Moon Conch

By AJ Eversole

Today Cynsations gets to share an interview with Guadalupe Garcia McCall, co-author of Secret of the Moon Conch (Bloomsbury, June 2023). From the promotional copy:

Award-winning authors David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall join forces to craft a sweeping fantasy romance about falling in love despite all odds.

In modern-day Mexico, Sitlali has no family left and has caught the attention of a dangerous gang leader. She has no choice but to make the perilous trip to the US borde...