Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog, page 36
February 23, 2022
Guest Interview: A. A. Prime on Translating Red Mantle
Spotlight image above: A.A. Prime accepts the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Translated YA Book Prize. See the entire presentation here.
Early in the pandemic, the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative named two winners of its 2020 Translated YA Book Prize: The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi, translated by Cathy Hirano (Henry Holt, 2019), and Maresi Red Mantle—published in the U.S. as Red Mantle by Maria Turtschaninoff, translated by A. A. Prime (Amulet...
February 22, 2022
Guest Post: Varsha Bajaj Makes Real Connections in a Virtual World
By Varsha Bajaj
Count Me In (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2019) is an uplifting story of a community rallying to support its own. It is a story that celebrates finding your voice.
In 2020, it was a finalist for the Global Read Aloud program which helped librarians and teachers find it. The support of these invaluable literacy ambassadors has been a gift.
Count Me In was read by hundreds of classes by teachers committed to education and social justice across America and even in Japan and Korea and Indi...
February 21, 2022
New Cynsations Reporter Veeda Bybee
Today we welcome Veeda Bybee to the Cynsations team as a reporter. With a background in journalism as well as someone who participates enthusiastically in conversations surrounding the kidlit community, she is well-suited in this role. Veeda has contributed to the anthologies Rural Voices, edited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter (Candlewick, 2020) and Calling the Moon, edited by Aida Salazar and Yamile Saied Méndez (Candlewick, 2022). She also has written historical ficti...
February 18, 2022
Cynsational News
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, Bree Bender and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: I Am Thinking My Life by Allysun Atwater, illustrated by Stevie Lewis (Bala Kids, 2022).
Author/Illustrator InsightsQ&A With Rachel Roasek, Love Somebody by Aleah Gornbein from We Need Diverse Books. Peek: “I want [readers] to know that they don’t have to have it all figured out….[I]t’s fine if you don’t know anything for sure yet, and it’s fine if the thi...
February 17, 2022
Author Interview: Leslie Connor Talks About the Power of Research & the Beauty of Friendships
By Rebecca Kirshenbaum
Two-time Schneider Award Winner and 2018 National Book Awards Finalist Leslie Connor talks about her new middle grade novel, Anybody Here Seen Frenchie? (Katherine Tegen, 2022), the power of research, and the beauty of symbiotic friendships.
Your newest novel, Anybody Here Seen Frenchie? , is at its heart a story about friendship (like so many of your books!). Aurora and Frenchie both exist apart from their peers, though for different reasons. Can you talk about their co...
February 16, 2022
New Cynsations Reporter Michael Leali
I am thrilled to welcome Michael Leali to the Cynsations Team as a reporter. He brings such positivity to anything he does, I know our readers will love his contributions! Michael’s middle grade novel The Civil War of Amos Abernathy (HarperCollins) debuts this May and we are excited to celebrate with him.
Welcome to Cynsations! Could you tell us about your vision for your coverage here at the blog? Why did you decide to take on this role in the conversation of books...
February 15, 2022
Lynne Marie Talks About the Value of Writing Mentorships to the Writing Journey
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Lynne Marie for a long time, after meeting at a SCBWI conference and later rooming together. Not only is she a talented writer, but she generously devotes most of her time to mentoring other authors. And many of them have gone on to publish picture books—a few of these authors writing for her imprint Dancing Flamingo Press. Enjoy meeting Lynne!
You often put on your editor’s hat outside of the office and do mentored critique groups, mentor...
February 14, 2022
Announcing the #KidsLoveNonfiction Campaign
This morning, Mary Ann Cappiello, Professor of Language and Literacy at Lesley University, and Xenia Hadjioannou, Associate Professor of Language and Literacy Education at the Harrisburg campus of Penn State University, sent the letter below to The New York Times requesting that the paper add three children’s nonfiction bestseller lists to parallel the existing picture book, middle grade, and young adult lists, which focus on fiction.
This change will align the children’s lists with the adult b...
February 11, 2022
Cynsational News
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, Bree Bender and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: Fly by Brittany J. Thurman, illustrated by Anna Cunha (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 2022).
Author/Illustrator InsightsAuthors Share Readers’ Letters to Show Impact of Books by Kara Yorio from School Library Journal. Peek: “Children’s authors know the impact and value of their work….Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of Hearts Unbroken, tweeted this response f...
February 10, 2022
Guest Post: Charlotte Sullivan Wild on Creating Love (When Work Isn’t Enough)
Hard work, persistence.
I’ve always believed in them.
It’s there in my first picture book The Amazing Idea of You, illustrated by Mary Lundquist (Bloomsbury, 2019), which celebrates the journey from potential to fruition, be it for seed, tadpole, child or idea:
Hidden in this apple
is the idea of a tree
wrapped tight
in this shiny seed.
Interior spread from The Amazing Idea of You, illustrated by Mary Lundquist, used with permission.If we plant that seed, “the idea...
