Cynthia Leitich Smith
Cynthia Leitich Smith is a best-selling, award-winning children’s-YA writer, writing teacher, a NSK Neustadt Laureate, and the author-curator of the Native-centered Heartdrum imprint at HarperCollins Children’s Books.
Her latest book is the YA novel HARVEST HOUSE, an Indigenous ghost mystery, which has so far received three starred reviews.
She looks forward to the release of MISSION ONE: THE VICE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM (Book 1 of THE BLUE STARS graphic novel, middle grade series), co-authored by Kekla Magoon and illustrated by Molly Murakami.
Cynthia’s recent releases include her middle grade anthology ANCESTOR APPROVED: INTERTRIBAL STORIES FOR KIDS and her middle grade novel SISTERS OF THE NEVERSEA.
ANCESTOR APPROVED received four starred reviews and is the winner of the Reading the West Young Readers Book Award, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, an ALA Children’s Notable Book and a Kids Indie Next List Pick. It also was named to the ILA, Kirkus Reviews, Chicago Public Library, NY Public Library, Shelf Awareness, and Bank Street Best Books of 2021 lists.
SISTERS OF THE NEVERSEA received six starred reviews and was named to summer reading lists by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly. It also named to the Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Chicago Public Library, American Indians in Children’s Literature; Politics & Prose, and Parents Magazine Best Books of 2021 lists.
Her debut picture book, JINGLE DANCER, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu, is widely considered a modern classic.
Her debut tween novel RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME was named one of the 30 Most Influential Children’s Books of All Time by Book Riot, which in addition listed her among 10 Must-Read Native American Authors. She also was named Writer of the Year by Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers for RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME and won the American Indian Youth Literature Award for Young Adult Books for HEARTS UNBROKEN, which also was named to YALSA’s Amelia Bloomer list and received the Foreword Reviews Silver Medal in Young Adult Fiction.
In addition, Cynthia is the New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling YA author of the TANTALIZE series and FERAL trilogy.
Cynthia lives in Austin, Texas, and is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation.
The Austin chapter of SCBWI has instituted the Cynthia Leitich Smith Mentor Award in her honor, and Cynthia is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters.
She also serves on the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults, where she was named the inaugural Katherine Paterson Endowed Chair. Plus, Cynthia coordinates and leads the annual We Need Diverse Books Native Writing Intensive.
Cynthia holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas, Lawrence and a J.D. from The University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor. She studied law abroad at Paris-Sorbonne University.
“Turned out there was some big, bad Wolf in my good boy after all.”
“In the end, I'd loved him enough to let go. From afar, I would love him forever.”
“She seems to think being cryptic is some kind of substitute for having a decent personality.”
“Straightening, I asked, "What do you believe in?""Old love songs, best friends, the collected works of J.R.R.Tolkien, crispy pork egg rolls with just the right amount of grease, the Big Boss and eternity.""The Big Boss?"Zachary pointed up, as if to heaven. "Pious,"I teased.”
“Miranda: You say you were my guardian angel. Does that mean you watched me all the time? Like when I got my period or doctored a zit or took a shower or-Zachary: I'm an angel, not a Peeping Tom.”
“I may be heaven-sent, but I'm not perfect.”
“Bridget adds, "Did Anyone bring a weapon?" "Confiscated," Zach admits for both of us. Vesper holds up her metal fingernail file. "They didn't take this." We're dealing with the forces of evil," I point out. "Not the TSA.”
“You ate the police?! I exclaimed.”
“I like it,” I said. “The material’s so heavy, though. Imay turn into a sweat monster.”
“Each second neared our last.We danced.“Kieren . . .”“Shhh . . .”We danced.“I’ll be okay.” Was that me lying? Or him?We danced.“Close your eyes,” he whispered, brushing his lipsagainst mine. “Know that I’m missing you already andthat you’ll always be in my prayers.”When I opened my eyes, I stood alone in the middle ofthe dance floor.”
“Men suck.- Not all men. Just the really good ones.”
“It was funny, though, the things you didn't learn about people until after they died.”
“I may be heaven-sent, bit I'm not perfect”
“But adulthood," continued the barely twentysomething, "doesn't give you power over what matters most. It doesn't protect you from pain, loss, fate. That's part of being human.”
“Besides, humans aren't prey. They are our natural enemies. They are to be avoided. ”
“It's not about you, it's about the story. It's not about the folks who raise an eyebrow because you're not yet published or not yet J.K. Rowling. It's not about what that lady at church may think or, for that matter, the critics. It's not about the fact that you can't please everyone, and it's sure as heck not about the odds. In the immortal words of Gold Five, "Stay on target." You may or may not be the one who destroys the Death Star. But you're a hero if you get out of your own way, put it all on the line, and try.”
“That's when it happens. Maybe it was my argument. Maybe it was my scary zeal. Whatever the reason, as soon as Megan whistles, the crowd is on its feet.They're blowing bubbles. They're raising their lighters high. They're cheering through their fangs...For Dawn Summers, for themselves and each other, for every sibling who got tossed into a situation beyond her control.For me.And for my sister, who whistles again...Once more with feeling.”
“Forget what you might have heard. There are no separate corps of angels for agnostics, atheists, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Buddhists, Unitarians, Hindus, Druids, Shintoists, Wiccans, and so on. To put a spin on the old saying, it's okay if you don't believe in angels.We believe in you.”
“Vampires don't live at all," she points out, "neither do we." She has me there. "Fine, I'll go. But when Kurt leads his minions in a march around the cemetary with our heads on sticks, don't say I didn't warn you.”