Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog, page 70

New Voice: Gaye Sanders on The Survivor Tree

By Gayleen Rabakukk
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Gaye Sanders is the debut author of The Survivor Tree, illustrated by Pamela Behrend (RoadRunner Press, 2017). From the promotional copy:

A family plants an American elm on the Oklahoma prairie just as the city is taking root—and the little tree grows as Oklahoma City grows until 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995, the day America fell silent at the hands of one of its own.

As rubble from the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma...

Cynsations News

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

Author/Illustrator Interviews

An Interview with Author Christina Soontornvat by Michele Weber Hurwitz from Smack Dab in the Middle. Peek:

“At its heart, a story has to be about what these characters want and need, deep in their souls, and the ways they overcome many obstacles to get there. So in that way, I think fantasy and realistic fiction are very similar!”

Allen Say: Pictures that Come Straight from the Heart by Ju...

New Voice: Liara Tamani on Calling My Name

By Robin Galbraith
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Liara Tamani is the debut author of 
This unforgettable novel tells a universal coming-of-age story about Taja Brown, a young African American girl growing up in Houston, Texas, and it deftly and beautifully explores the universal struggles of growing up, battling family expectations, discovering a sense of self, and finding a unique voice and purpose.
T...

Survivors: Nancy Werlin on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing YA Author

Learn more about Nancy Werlin.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 apologize in advance, because this is a big question and I have a lot to say. This isn’t a topic that can...

Book Trailer: Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos by Monica Brown, iIllustrated by John Parra

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Check out the book trailer for Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos by Monica Brown, illustrated by John Parra (NorthSouth, 2017). From the promotional copy:

The fascinating Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is remembered for her self-portraits, her dramatic works featuring bold and vibrant colors. 

Her work brought attention to Mexican and indigenous culture and she is also renowned for her works celebrating the female form.

Brown's story recounts Frida's beloved p...

New Cynsations Reporter Traci Sorell

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Traci Sorell joins the Cynsations team as a reporter covering children's-YA writing, illustration, publishing and other book news from Indigenous authors and illustrators.

Traci writes fiction and nonfiction for children featuring contemporary characters and compelling biographies for the trade and educational markets. She has been an active member of SCBWI since August 2013.

In April 2016, Charlesbridge acquired her first nonfiction picture book, We Are G...

Book Trailer: The People Shall Continue by Simon Ortiz, illustrated by Sharol Graves

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Cynsations is going on hiatus for the rest of the week. We'll be back on Nov. 27.

Happy feasting to those who do so at this time of year!

Check out the book trailer  for The People Shall Continue by Simon Ortiz, illustrated by Sharol Graves (Lee & Low).

Cynsational News

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

Picture Book Month: "Every day in November, there is a new post from a picture book champion," explaining why they think picture books are important. This initiative was founded by author-storyteller Diane de Las Casas, who died earlier this year and is dearly missed.

See 2017 posts by Picture Book Month champions (and more to come!):
Laura Krauss Melmed, Donna Janell Bowman, Laura Rennert, Kimberly Will...

Survivors: Joy Preble on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing Children's-YA Author

Joy Preble, Heather Demetrios & Renee Watson at Texas Book Festival.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, what bumps did you encounter and how have you managed to defy the odds to achieve continued success?

Ha! Oh the bumps. So many bumps. Some have been the things that no author can control, such as an editor l...

Guest Post: Beth Bacon & Marianne Murphy on Conveying Meaning With Meta Fiction & Concrete Poetry

By Beth Bacon
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

This is the third post in a series honoring reluctant readers.

Writing conveys a full spectrum of experiences and emotions—but are there limits to what words alone can do? When digging deeper into the building blocks of literacy, you realize that letters and words are more than the ideas the represent. They’re physical entities too. Their shapes and designs can contain meaning.

One way to reach emerging readers is with a visual approach to sto...