Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog, page 94

Summer Girls & Women in Children's-YA Lit Roundup

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

How "Girl Books" Could Save the World (Or at Least Help Out) by Jen Malone from Nerdy Book Club. Peek: "Guess who’s not being exposed to these main characters? Boys. That’s a problem, because their female counterparts are only too happy to read books featuring male central characters, meaning those girls’ empathy for and understanding of the opposite gender grows, while the reverse isn’t necessarily happening."

Teen Girls Have a Right to Roam, Too by C.J....

Summer LGBTQIA in Children's-YA Lit Roundup

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Writing LGBTQ Picture Book Lit in 1989 Versus Now (AKA Heather Has Two Mommies and Morris Has a Dress) by Mark Joseph Stern from Slate. Peek: "Some schools want it to be more of a broad anti-bullying story. Rather than Morris being himself and the dress being a part of him—which is the message I’m hoping people get from it—they want the book to be about how Morris just likes to dress up for fun." See also Lesléa Newman and Christine Baldacchino.

LGBT Lit f...

Cynsational News & Resources

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Yowza! It's no small task to catch up Cynsational readers on a summer of children's-YA writing, literature and publishing conversations.

More update posts will follow over the next several days--focusing on gender, the LGBTQIA community, and recent awards.

But for now, we've categorized the posts by topic and offered brief peeks so you can identify those that are the most interesting, useful and inspiring to you.

Authors & New Releases

Interview: Amanda...

Cynsations Intern: Gayleen Rabakukk on Writing Communities

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

I'm honored to announce that Gayleen Rabakukk has been chosen as the summer-fall 2016 Cynsations intern. Thanks to all who applied!

Here's more from Gayleen:

By Gayleen Rabakukk
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

“You mean you both just sit there and write? On different things? And don’t talk?”

“Yes,” I tell my non-writing friends.

I realize how odd that may sound. There was a time when I would have thought it was strange, too. For many years, I’d done al...

Summer Children's-YA Lit Diversity Conversations

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Over the summer, the children's-YA book community has continued discussing diversity, decolonization, authenticity and representation both throughout the body of literature and the industry. Here are highlights; look for more in quickly upcoming, additional update posts.

Mirrors? Windows? How about Prisms? from Uma Krishnaswami. Peek: "...cultural content in children’s books needs to be woven into the story so the authors intention is not stamped all over...

Cynsational Fall 2016: AFCC & VCFA Reports

En route to the VCFA Steampunk Shakespeare party.By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Welcome back to Cynsations!

Now, in its twelfth year, this blog is an upbeat, nurturing source for conversations, for sharing resources and for celebrating literature for young readers.

The big-picture goal is to offer substantial children's-YA writer, artist, and book-lover takeaway, and for both the heart and mind.

The content encompasses all literary age ranges, genres, and formats for kids and their champ...

Cynsational News, Giveaways & Hiatus

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Cynsations is now on summer hiatus until early fall 2016. In the meantime, keep up with children's-YA literature, writing & publishing news at facebook and Twitter. Thanks for your readership and support! Note: Please hold off on sending correspondence, interview/post materials & queries until after June 1.

Congratulations to Gwendolyn Hudson Hooks and Colin Bootman on the release of Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas (Lee &a...

Call for Applications: Cynsations Intern

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Applications are invited for an intern to assist in the production of Cynsations and associated web-/social media for summer-fall 2016.

Duties would include assistance with:
coordinating, conducting and formatting interviews, guest posts, announcements and giveaways that tie into the children's-YA literature, writing, illustration, publishing, educational and gatekeeper communities; promoting all of the above; updating Cynthia Leitich Smith's Chil...

Giveaway: Signed Copy of Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie & Yuyi Morales

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Enter to win one of two author-signed copies of Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie, illustrated by Yuyi Morales (Little Brown, 2016). Obtained from BookPeople. Cynsations sponsored. Eligibility: North America. From the promotional copy:

Thunder Boy Jr. is named after his dad, but he wants a name that's all his own. 

Just because people call his dad Big Thunder doesn't mean he wants to be Little Thunder. He wants a name that celebrates something cool he'...

Guest Post: Christopher Cheng on the Behind the Scenes Scoop at SCBWI Bologna

By Christopher Cheng
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Every second year the SCBWI hosts a booth at the Bologna Book Fair...the biggest children's books exhibition and rights fair in the world. It's all about rights and networking and for SCBWI members who are at Bologna a home away from home!

Bologna, with its five halls of publishers and their books, can be mind boggling for the first-time visitor.

This year the SCBWI hosted a spectacular booth with eye-popping panels, and it was double t...