Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog, page 59

Author Interview: Tim Tingle, Choctaw Storyteller & Author

Tim Tingle (right) with his son, Dr. Jacob Tingle,
photo courtesy Oklahoma Center for the Book.By Traci Sorell
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

On April 7, 2018, author Tim Tingle received the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Named in honor of an author who served as Oklahoma Center for the Book's first president, the award is presented annually  for a body of work contributing to Oklahoma's literary heritage.

Congratulations, Tim! What a wonderful honor. Tell me what it was li...

In Memory: Charlene Willing McManis

Charlene Willing McManis,
photo by Pam VaughnBy Katherine Quimby
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

If the collective noun for writers is a plot, then several subplots are mourning the loss of one of their own.

Charlene Willing McManis died May 1, 2018, at home in the small Vermont town where she had lived for the past 30-plus years. In addition to her family and friends, Charlene leaves a Vermont writing community, a Native American writing community, and a forthcoming middle-grade novel, In...

Guest Interview: Lin Oliver on the Global Future of Children's Literature

By Tioka Tokedira
for SCBWI Bologna 2018 & Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Note: To wrap up Cynsations coverage of the 2018 Bologna Children's Book Fair, Tioka Tokedira, Regional Adviser for SCBWI France, talks with SCBWI co-founder Lin Oliver about trends in publishing for children and young adults.



In today’s digital world, in what ways do you see the rights of authors and illustrators and readers expanding, becoming more global? Are there any words of caution that you’d offer? And what...

Guest Interview: Chris Cheng & Sarah Baker on Publishing Trends & Bologna 2018

By Melanie Rook Welfing
for SCBWI Bologna 2018and Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Note: This is part of a series focusing on the Bologna Children's Bookfair.



SCBWI Netherlands Regional Adviser Melanie Rook Welfing talks with SCBWI booth organizers Chris Cheng and Sarah Baker.

Chris Cheng…
has the best job creating children’s books lives in a very old, creaking floorboards, house owns a library filled with more than a few thousand children’s books is co-chair for the International...

Cynsational News

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

Author/Illustrator Insights

Mark Does YA: The Prolific Critic and Creator Talks About “Anger Is a Gift” by Shelley Diaz from School Library Journal. Peek:

“A lot of this book is wish fulfillment on my part. What if my parents had been accepting of my sexuality? So, despite that this is a contemporary novel, a lot of imagination went into the construction of these cha...

Author Interview: Eric Gansworth on Give Me Some Truth

Eric Gansworth signing Give Me Some Truth
at 2018 Texas Library Association conference.By Traci Sorell
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Eric Gansworth is the YA author of Give Me Some Truth (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, May 29, 2018). From the promotional copy:

Carson Mastick is entering his senior year of high school and desperate to make his mark, on the reservation and off. 

A rock band — and winning the local Battle of the Bands, with its first prize of a trip to New York City — is...

Author Interview: Minh Lê on Drawn Together

By Traci Sorell
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Minh Lê is the author of the upcoming Drawn Together, illustrated by Dan Santat (Hyperion, June 5, 2018). From the promotional copy:

When a young boy visits his grandfather, their lack of a common language leads to confusion, frustration, and silence. 

But as they sit down to draw together, something magical happens - with a shared love of art and storytelling, the two form a bond that goes beyond words.

Minh, I have to admit that I...

Survivors: E. Lockhart on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing Children's-YA Author

Learn more about E. Lockhart AKA Emily Jenkins. 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?

I want to be honest about the biggest reason I have weathered to...

Interview: Author Christine Marciniak & Editor Madeline Smoot on Once Upon a Princess

By Gayleen Rabakukk
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

The popularity of the recent royal wedding illustrates society's continued fascination with monarchies. 

A new middle grade novel, Once Upon A Princess by Christine Marciniak (CBAY, 2018) offers a twist on familiar tropes. From the promotional copy:

After a coup in her country, Her Royal Highness, Fredericka Elisabetta Teresa von Boden don Morh (or Fritzi to her friends), wakes up one day no longer a princess. 

Stuck hiding...

Guest Interview: Editor Emma Ledbetter & Writer Zoë Armstrong on Picture Books & SCBWI's Bologna Manuscript Contest

By Elisabeth Norton
for SCBWI Bologna 2018 and Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Note: This interview is part of a series focusing on the Bologna Children's Book Fair. 


SCBWI Switzerland Regional Adviser Elisabeth Norton talks with the judge and winner of SCBWI's new Dueling Illustrators Manuscript Contest.
One event that always draws a crowd to the SCBWI booth at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair is the Dueling Illustrators.

In the duel, two illustrators each stand before a blank flip-chart,...