Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog, page 68

In Memory: Julius Lester

By Gayleen Rabakukk
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Author Julius Lester died Jan. 18 while Cynsations was on winter hiatus.

Julius Lester, whose literature explored African American life, dies at 78 by Emily Langer from The Washington Post. Peek:

"He once wrote that 'the need to know more about my individual past led me to begin studying slavery.' ...To Be a Slave (illustrated by Tom Feelings, Dial Books for Young Readers,1968), (was) a Newbery Honor book."

At Publishers Weekly, Shannon Ma...

Cynsational News

Cynsations reporter Traci Sorell checks proofs of her debut picture book.By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Robin Galbraith & Gayleen Rabukukk for Cynsations

Author/Illustrator Insights

Kate DiCamillo: How She Became a Bestseller after 473 Rejection Letters by Linda Morris for The Sydney Morning Herald. Peek:

“DiCamillo often makes a game of asking children to guess her number of knockbacks [rejections]. 

‘They start with five or 10. And then they will get really excited and say '5...

New Voice Interview & Giveaway: Kerri Kokias on Snow Sisters!

By Traci Sorell
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

In addition to covering publishing news pertaining to Native creators for Cynsations, I am excited to shine a spotlight on fellow Epic Eighteen authors and illustrators, all of whom have a debut picture book coming out in 2018.

One of the first releases from our group is Snow Sisters! by Kerri Kokias, illustrated by Teagan White (Knopf, 2018).

From the promotional copy:

Just like snowflakes, no two sisters are alike, but that doesn’t mean the...

Author & Editor Interview: Jessica Lee Anderson, Madeline Smoot on Uncertain Summer

By Gayleen Rabakukk
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

I've always had a fascination with Bigfoot; the idea that an ape/human creature could be secretly living in the woods both intrigued and terrified me as a child.

So when I got the opportunity to chat with the author and editor of Uncertain Summer by Jessica Lee Anderson (CBAY, 2017), I couldn't pass it up. First, the promotional copy:

For decades something has lurked in the swampy lakes of East Texas. Could it be the elusive Bi...

Survivors: Daniel Kraus on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing YA Author

Learn more about Daniel Kraus.By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

In 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?

The the only bumps of note have revolved around me figuring out what kind of life I wanted to live inside of publishing....

Cynsations Intern: Kate Pentecost

Learn more about Kate Pentecost.By Kate Petecost
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

“So, wait, you’ve been doing this for how long?” People often ask when I tell them how long I’ve been writing.

“Since the fourth grade,” is the answer. That was the grade in which I learned that I wanted to be a writer—specifically a writer for children.

I learned then that there was nothing that felt better to me than being around children’s books. Discussing them, holding them, reading them, and, most of al...

Cynsations Winter Hiatus

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Many blessings of the season, Cynsational readers!

Effective immediately, this blog is on winter hiatus until sometime in early 2018. In the meantime, please find me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I'll continue sharing bookish news about writing and illustrating books for young readers, the creative life, and publishing as an industry--along with some adventures of my own.

Thanks to everyone who was featured or contributed a guest article to Cynsations...

Survivors: Tim Wynne-Jones on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing Children's-YA Author

Learn more about Tim Wynne-Jones.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?

Yes, that first magical published book. And then the struggle to get the next one out – the terrible two...

New Voice: Kate Hart on After the Fall

By Traci Sorell
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Kate Hart’s YA novel, After the Fall, debuted in January 2017 from Farrar, Straus and Giroux. From the promotional copy:

Kate Hart's debut YA novel After the Fall is a wrenching, emotional read and an intense conversation starter about issues of sexual consent.

Seventeen-year-old Raychel is sleeping with two boys: her overachieving best friend Matt…and his slacker brother, Andrew. Raychel sneaks into Matt’s bed after nightmares, but not...

Canadian Children's-YA Literature Awards

By Melanie J. Fishbane
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

This fall a number of awards were given out to the best of Canadian children and young adult books.

Here’s the rundown of who won, the shortlist and more.

The 2017 Canadian Children’s Book Centre Awards

Every November, in a gala event at The Carlu in downtown Toronto, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC), in partnership with TD Bank and other donors, gives out $145,000 in prizes to the best in Canadian children’s writing and illus...