Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog, page 56

Survivors: Sharon G. Flake on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing Children's-YA Author

Sharon G. Flake, Homewood Library, PittsburghBy Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

In children’s-YA writing, maintaining an active publishing career is arguably an even bigger challenge than breaking into the field.

Reflecting on your personal journey (creatively, career-wise, and your writer’s heart), what bumps did you encounter and how have you managed to defy the odds to achieve continued success?

I guess it makes sense that my career always felt a bit magical. For gosh sakes, I began...

New Voices: Kaylee Morrison and Nancy Smith on Joshua and The Biggest Fish

Nancy stands behind co-author & grandkid, Kaylee.By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

What an honor and joy it is to welcome debut children's authors, Kaylee Morrison and Nancy Smith, who're also citizens of Muscogee Nation!

Their picture book is Joshua and The Biggest Fish (Doodle and Peck Publishing, 2017). From the promotional copy:

The big fish are way out in the deepest part of the river. Will Joshua find a way to catch a really big fish? Maybe then, the men won't see him as "cepane,"...

In Memory: Patricia Hermes

By Gayleen Rabakukk
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Author Patricia Hermes died July 11, while Cynsations was on hiatus. She was 82.

After writing articles for national parenting magazines and an Op-Ed piece for The New York Times, a literary agent approached Hermes about writing for children.

"Hermes promptly wrote What If They Knew (Harcourt, 1980), a middle grade novel about a girl with epilepsy—something she had suffered from in childhood—starting at a new school. Thus began her career...

Cynsational News

By Cynthia Leitich Smith,
Robin Galbraith, Stephani Eaton & Gayleen Rabukukk
for Cynsations

Author/Illustrator Insights

Interview with Ibi Zoboi from Goodreads. Peek: “Elizabeth Bennet was the hero and love interest I didn't know I needed. I wanted to update her so she could be relatable to teens. So Zuri is Lizzie: supersmart, politically aware, has big questions about her place in this world, and, yes, falls in love.”

Advice from Tayari Jones to Writers in Difficult Times fro...

New Voice: Nora Carpenter on Yoga Frog

By Robin Galbraith
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

September is yoga month!

So as a former preschool teacher I was thrilled to interview Nora Carpenter about her fantastic new picture book Yoga Frog, illustrated by Mark Chambers (Running Press Kids, 2018). From the promotional copy:

Frog loves to practice yoga. And he will inspire kids to enjoy doing yoga, too. Follow Frog's yoga flow, from warming up to cooling down. 

Start with the mountain and chair poses, then work into giraff...

New Voice: Dawn Quigley on Apple in the Middle

By Traci Sorellfor Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

This is a watershed year for the release of Native young adult novels.

From Eric Gansworth’s Give Me Some Truth (Scholastic, 2018), the followup to his If I Ever Get Out of Here (Scholastic, 2013), and Tim Tingle’s  (7th Generation, September 2018), the fourth in his No Name series, to the upcoming Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, October 2018), I’m pleased to feature a newcomer to the age market, Daw...

Survivors: M.T. Anderson on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing Children's-YA Author

Learn more about M.T. Anderson.By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

In children’s-YA writing, maintaining an active publishing career is arguably an even bigger challenge than breaking into the field.

Reflecting on your personal journey (creatively, career-wise, and your writer’s heart), what bumps did you encounter and how have you managed to defy the odds to achieve continued success? (Mention the year your first book was published.)

My first book – Thirsty, a vampire novel (Candlewick) –...

Cynsations Intern: Stephani Eaton on The Joy of Writing

Stephani Eaton, photo by Tanya OdomBy Stephani Eaton
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

When I was in second grade, I wrote a poem about an impending storm that pleased my dad so much that he hung it in his office. It stayed there for years.

I recently asked if he remembered what it said and he rattled off: “This dark and rainy noon will soon pass the sunset of time.”

I had to laugh at the melodrama of my seven-year-old self. Laughed and said, “What on earth does that mean?”

He defended my fir...

Cynsational News

By Cynthia Leitich Smith,
Robin Galbraith, & Gayleen Rabukukk
for Cynsations

Author/Illustrator Insights

Nova Ren Suma On Ghosts, Unreliable Narrators, & A Room Away from the Wolves by Luann Toth from School Library Journal. Peek: “As a writer, it’s both a fantastic rollercoaster ride writing a [unreliable] narrator like this, and also a maddening puzzle, because even if the reader isn’t meant to know the full truth, I always need to, and I need to make sure...

Guest Interview: Lawrence Schimel on The Treasure of Barracuda & The Wild Book for #WorldKidLit Month

Lawrence Schimel, photo by Nieves GuerraBy Avery Fischer Udagawa
for Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Cynsations

September is #WorldKidLit Month, a time to notice if world literature is reaching kids in the form of translations. 

Read a  Cynsations  interview with co-organizer Marcia Lynx Qualey.

Lawrence Schimel wears many hats: translator, writer, founder of SCBWI Spain, publisher at A Midsummer Night’s Press.

I talked with him about his translations of two middle grade adventure novels: The...