Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog, page 44
May 18, 2021
Author Interview: Bruce Hale on Dogs, Doing the Work & Book Promotion
Bruce Hale joins us today to talk about the dog who inspired his newest book Switched (Scholastic Press, 2021), and what he’s doing to promote the book.
Could you tell us about your new release?
Switched is a tale that’s particularly close to my heart because it was inspired by my late dog, Riley. One morning when she was young, we went walking in a canyon and I let her go off-leash. Riley promptly headed into a thick stand of bushes and wouldn’t return, no matter ho...
May 14, 2021
Cynsational News
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, Bree Bender and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: We All Play by Julie Flett (Greystone Kids, 2021).
Author/Illustrator Insights
Q&A With Dahlia Adler, Cool for the Summer by from We Need Diverse Books. Peek: “[T]here’s no point at which you’re guaranteed to feel like ‘Okay, I’ve made it, I can just keep doing this exact thing forever.’…Everything you’re doing has a tipping point, either inter...
May 13, 2021
Author-Translator Interview: Lawrence Schimel Talks Process, Market, & Access
Today I’m talking with author and translator Lawrence Schimel. He writes in Spanish and English and has published over one hundred twenty books in a wide range of genres. He is also a prolific literary translator.
Lawrence, can you tell us more about how you became both an author and a translator?
I was and still am a voracious reader. I started writing in my teens because I ran out of things to read. I grew up speaking Spanish at home, so when I got to high school, I chose ...
May 12, 2021
Author Interview: Karen Cushman on What Sparks Her Inspiration
Today we welcome Karen Cushman to Cynsations. She is the author of Newbery Medal winner The Midwife’s Apprentice (Clarion, 1995), the Newbery Honor book Catherine Called Birdy (Clarion, 1994) among many other prize-winning historical fiction novels. Today Karen will talk to us about her newest book, War and Millie McGonigle (Knopf, 2021).
Congratulations on the release of War and Millie McGonigle. Tell us about how this book came to be.
For more than fifty years, I ...
May 11, 2021
Author Interview: Sheela Chari On Her Writing Process & Personal Journey
We’re thrilled to welcome Sheela Chari to Cynsations today.
Could you tell us about your latest book?
It’s great to be back! I was interviewed here when my first novel, Vanished (Hyperion, 2011), was published. Right now, I’m working on two “latest” middle-grade projects, which include The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel mystery sci-fi series (Walker Books US, 2020), and Karthik Delivers (Abrams, 2022), a contemporary novel that will be out from Abrams next spring...
May 10, 2021
Author Interview: Juliana Brandt on Writing & Balance
I am so pleased to welcome Juliana Brant to Cynsations today to chat about her writing habits, creative life, and how she finds balance. She is the author of The Wolf of Cape Fen (Sourcebooks, 2020) and A Wilder Magic (Sourcebooks, 2021), which was released last week!
Welcome to Cynsations, Juliana!
Could you tell us about your new release?
A Wilder Magic is based on the history of dam creation in Appalachia. After the Great Depression, many dams were created through...
May 7, 2021
Cynsational News
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Stephani Eaton, Suma Subramaniam, Bree Bender and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: When Lola Visits by Michelle Sterling, illustrated by Aaron Asis (Katherine Tegen Books, 2021).
Author/Illustrator Insights
How Can Parents and Teachers Help New Kids Adjust? by Rosie J. Pova from We Need Diverse Books. Peek: “[O]ne of the biggest challenges for young kids is reaching out and making new friends….So what’s a parent—or a teacher—to do to help...
May 6, 2021
Native Voices: Traci Sorell on Writing With & About Community
By Kim Rogers
Today, I’m excited to welcome back Traci Sorell, former Cynsations reporter and award-winning author. Traci’s book Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer, illustrated by Natasha Donovan, was published by Millbrook Press in March. Her book We Are Still Here: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know, illustrated by Frane’ Lessac, was published by Charlesbridge in April.
From the promotional copy of Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Gold...
May 5, 2021
Illustrator Interview: Simona Ceccarelli on Illustrating Internationally
I’m talking today with Simona Ceccarelli, an illustrator based in Switzerland who has worked books for publishers in several countries, including the U.S. market.
Simona, it’s been so rewarding to watch your career take off! It wasn’t that long ago that the first book you illustrated came out, and now it’s hard to keep up with all your new releases. How many projects do you have in the pipeline at the moment?
I have around 13 books on contract this year such as The Little S...
May 4, 2021
Guest Post: Chris Barton & Jennifer Ziegler on the “This One’s Dedicated to…” Video Series
By Chris Barton and Jennifer Ziegler
Time is everything.
We know that’s not quite how the old saying goes. But time — the scarcity of it, the abundance of it, the passage of it, how we choose to fill ours or ask others to spend theirs — has shaped all aspects of our new kidkit video series, “This One’s Dedicated to…”
For “This One’s Dedicated to…,” we chat briefly with our fellow children’s authors (such as Karina Yan Glaser, Gordon Korman, K.A. Holt, and Cyn herself) about the dedications in t...
