Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog, page 26
November 8, 2022
New Voices: Alda P. Dobbs & Debbie Zapata Create Books Inspired by Family
Spotlight image: Debbie Zapata reads Up and Adam, illustrated by Yong Ling Kang (Kids Can Press, 2022) with the assistance of an American Sign Language Interpreter for a group at an Austin park.
Today we welcome two Texas authors to Cynsations to share their path to publication for books inspired by their own families. Alda P. Dobbs‘ debut novel, The Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna (Sourcebooks, 2021) was selected as a Pura Belpré Honor Book and is a current Texas Bluebonnet s...
November 4, 2022
Cynsational News
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Suma Subramaniam, A.J. Eversole and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: Finding My Dance by Ria Thundercloud, illustrated by Kalila J. Fuller (Penguin Workshop, 2022).
Author/Illustrator InsightsShapes and Lines and Light: A Katie Yamasaki Interview by Betsy Bird from School Library Journal. Peek: “[W]hen I am taking this book around, what I focus…on is talking to young readers about the inherent value of their own lives. That they don’t ha...
November 3, 2022
Throwback Thursday: Gene Luen Yang on Writing & Teaching
Congratulations to Gene Luen Yang, winner of the . He is the first graphic novelist to win the prestigious prize!
Take a look back at Gene’s 2018 Cynsations interview with fellow NSK Neustadt Prize winner, Cynthia Leitich Smith.
Author-Teacher Interview: Gene Luen Yang on Writing, Teaching & the Hamline MFA Program
Welcome to Cynsations. We last spoke to Dean Mary Francoise Rockcastle about the Hamline MFA...
November 2, 2022
Author-Illustrator Interview: Tim Kleyn Shares His Inspiration & Creative Process
When Tim Kleyn reached out to Cynsations with some proofs of his newest picture book, Set Sail for Pancakes (Viking Books for Young Readers 2022), we eagerly wanted to whip up a fantastic interview! Tim is a graphic designer from West Michigan with a penchant for silly sounds, fabulous illustrations, and tasty recipes to boot! Once you get a taste of Set Sail for Pancakes, you will look forward to many more picture books from Tim Kleyn!
Today we welcome author/illustrator Tim K...
November 1, 2022
Native Voice: Nasugraq Rainey Hopson on Overcoming Doubt
By: AJ Eversole
Today we welcome Nasugraq Rainey Hopson to the blog. I was lucky enough to meet her at the We Need Diverse Books Native Writing Intensive back in 2020, and it brings me so much joy to see her career moving forward. She is the author of two short stories, “The Cabin” in the award-winning collection Rural Stories: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions About Small-Town America, edited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter (Candlewick, 2020) and the forthcoming, “The Weight Of A Name” in Tasting Li...
October 28, 2022
Cynsational News
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Suma Subramaniam, A.J. Eversole and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: The Secret of the Plátano by Luz Maria Mack, illustrated by Stephany Mesa (Soaring Kite Books, 2022).
Author/Illustrator InsightsJason Reynolds on Stories Told For, and By, Young Readers by Mary Raffalli from CBS News. Peek: “I don’t sell [kids] on books by selling them on books. The fastest way to lose a child is to tell a child to read….[R]eading becomes a lot more pa...
October 27, 2022
Throwback Thursday: Kristen Tracy on Where Does Humor Come From?
Congratulations to Kristen Tracy on the publication of her newest book, I Am Picky: Confessions of a Fussy Eater, illustrated by Erin Kraan (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, BYR, 2022).
From the promotional copy:
Don’t look at this raccoon and think she’ll eat just anything. Oh, no. She is picky! She’s been choosy forever—and listen, it’s a tough life. It’s not as though the perfect snacks just fall from the sky (except when they do). You’ve got to work to find the sourest milk, the crunchiest bumble...
October 26, 2022
Perspectives from 2022 Debuts, Young Adult Edition
We were able to ask several debut young adult authors about their highlights and insights from this past year. Featured in this article are Isaac Blum, Becky Dean, R. D. Stevens, Vanessa Torres, Leslie Vedder, and Rebecca Lowry Warchut.
Isaac Blum, The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen
Tell us about your debut novel!
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen (Philomel, 2022) is an irreverent YA novel about an Orthodox Jewish teen dealing with hatred, betrayal, and first love. Hoodie R...
October 25, 2022
Perspectives from 2022 Debuts, Middle Grade Edition
As a debut author myself, it’s an honor to showcase insights from debut middle grade authors Catherine Arguelles, Emi Wantanabe Cohen, Sally Engelfried, Jacquetta Nammar Feldman, Evan Griffith, Lee Y. Miao, Stacy Nockowitz, and Misty Wilson.
Catherine Arguelles, Flip Turns
Tell us about your debut novel!
Flip Turns (North Star Editions, 2022) is a middle grade mystery featuring Maddie, a 13-year-old with anxiety who is struggling with the unwanted attention of a boy at schoo...
October 21, 2022
Cynsational News
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Suma Subramaniam, A.J. Eversole and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: Brown Is Beautiful by Supriya Kelkar, illustrated by Noor Sofi (Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)), 2022).
Author/Illustrator InsightsInterview: Rati Mehrotra by Caroline M. Yoachim from Uncanny Magazine. Peek: “I often return to themes of transformation and rebirth…Sometimes, you can’t change the world you were given, even if you are courageous and steadfast. You can onl...
