Cynthia Leitich Smith
Encyclopedia
Cynthia Leitich Smith is a New York Times best-selling author of fiction for children and young adults. A member of the Muscogee Creek Nation
, she writes fiction for children centered on the lives of modern-day American Indians. These books are taught widely by teachers in elementary, middle school, high school, and college classrooms. In addition, Smith writes fanciful, humorous picture books and gothic fantasies for ages 14-up. Regarded as an expert in Children's Literature by the press, she also hosts a website for Children's Literature Resources.
Smith is a faculty member at Vermont College of Fine Arts
, teaching in the Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA program.
Smith lives in Austin, Texas
.
Rain is Not My Indian Name is a novel for middle school readers. Upon its publication by HarperCollins, Smith was recognized as 2001 Writer of the Year by Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. Like Jingle Dancer, it was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award. An audio book version of this title is available from Listening Library/Random House.
Indian Shoes is a chapter book for ages 7 and up. Published in 2002 by HarperCollins, it was selected for inclusion on the NEA Native American Book List. It is also listed as a Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, the 2003 Best Children's Books of the Year by Bank Street College of Education, and Choices 2003 by the Cooperative Children's Book Center.
Santa Knows, also by Greg Leitich Smith and illustrated by Steve Bjorkman, is a humorous holiday picture book, published in 2006 by Dutton, for ages 4 and up. In 2006, it was included among "Holiday High Notes" by the Horn Book, "Worthy Stories for the Holidays" by the Miami Herald, and cheered as a "newly minted winner" by Kirkus Reviews.
Tantalize is a young adult gothic fantasy novel, published in 2007 and 2008 by Candlewick Press, for ages 14 and up. Fantasy elements include vampires and shapeshifters. The novel is a genre bender, employing elements of mystery, suspense, comedy, romance, and gothic fantasy. It was also published in 2008 by Listening Library/Random House, Walker Books U.K., , Walker Books Australia and New Zealand, and Editions Intervista in France. Tantalize was named to the 2011 list of Popular Paperbacks by the Young Adult Library Services Association and and featured at the 2007 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.
Eternal is a young adult gothic fantasy novel, published in 2009 and 2010 by Candlewick Press, for ages 14 and up. Fantasy elements include angels, vampires and shapeshifters. The novel is a genre bender, employing elements of mystery, suspense, comedy, romance, and Gothic fantasy. It also was published by Listening Library/Random House, Walker Books U.K., Walker Books Australia and New Zealand, and Amber in Poland. The U.S. paperback edition debuted at #5 on the New York Times best-seller list (children's paperbacks) and #13 on the Publishers Weekly best-seller list.
Holler Loudly, illustrated by Barry Gott, is a humorous tall tale picture book, published in 2010 by Dutton, for ages 4 and up. Holler Loudly was featured at the 2010 Texas Book Festival and was a Dolly Parton's Imagination Library selection.
Blessed is a young adult gothic fantasy novel, published in 2011 by Candlewick Press, for ages 14 and up. Fantasy elements include angels, vampires, and shapeshifters. The novel is a genre bender, employing elements of mystery, suspense, comedy, romance, and Gothic fantasy. It also was published by Walker Books Australia and New Zealand.
Creek people
The Muscogee , also known as the Creek or Creeks, are a Native American people traditionally from the southeastern United States. Mvskoke is their name in traditional spelling. The modern Muscogee live primarily in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida...
, she writes fiction for children centered on the lives of modern-day American Indians. These books are taught widely by teachers in elementary, middle school, high school, and college classrooms. In addition, Smith writes fanciful, humorous picture books and gothic fantasies for ages 14-up. Regarded as an expert in Children's Literature by the press, she also hosts a website for Children's Literature Resources.
Smith is a faculty member at Vermont College of Fine Arts
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Vermont College of Fine Arts offers four distinct graduate programs, awarding Master of Fine Arts degrees in Visual Art, Writing, Writing for Children & Young Adults and Graphic Design. The student to faculty ratio at VCFA is 4-to-1.. The faculty and alumni of VCFA have won many literary awards,...
, teaching in the Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA program.
Smith lives in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
Books
Jingle Dancer, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. A picture book for ages 4 and up. Published in 2000 by Morrow/HarperCollins, the book was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award, a runner-up for the Western Writers of America Storyteller Award, and is listed as a Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, on the 2002 Texas 2x2 list, and on the 2002 Michigan Reader's Choice Award List.Rain is Not My Indian Name is a novel for middle school readers. Upon its publication by HarperCollins, Smith was recognized as 2001 Writer of the Year by Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. Like Jingle Dancer, it was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award. An audio book version of this title is available from Listening Library/Random House.
Indian Shoes is a chapter book for ages 7 and up. Published in 2002 by HarperCollins, it was selected for inclusion on the NEA Native American Book List. It is also listed as a Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, the 2003 Best Children's Books of the Year by Bank Street College of Education, and Choices 2003 by the Cooperative Children's Book Center.
Santa Knows, also by Greg Leitich Smith and illustrated by Steve Bjorkman, is a humorous holiday picture book, published in 2006 by Dutton, for ages 4 and up. In 2006, it was included among "Holiday High Notes" by the Horn Book, "Worthy Stories for the Holidays" by the Miami Herald, and cheered as a "newly minted winner" by Kirkus Reviews.
Tantalize is a young adult gothic fantasy novel, published in 2007 and 2008 by Candlewick Press, for ages 14 and up. Fantasy elements include vampires and shapeshifters. The novel is a genre bender, employing elements of mystery, suspense, comedy, romance, and gothic fantasy. It was also published in 2008 by Listening Library/Random House, Walker Books U.K., , Walker Books Australia and New Zealand, and Editions Intervista in France. Tantalize was named to the 2011 list of Popular Paperbacks by the Young Adult Library Services Association and and featured at the 2007 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.
Eternal is a young adult gothic fantasy novel, published in 2009 and 2010 by Candlewick Press, for ages 14 and up. Fantasy elements include angels, vampires and shapeshifters. The novel is a genre bender, employing elements of mystery, suspense, comedy, romance, and Gothic fantasy. It also was published by Listening Library/Random House, Walker Books U.K., Walker Books Australia and New Zealand, and Amber in Poland. The U.S. paperback edition debuted at #5 on the New York Times best-seller list (children's paperbacks) and #13 on the Publishers Weekly best-seller list.
Holler Loudly, illustrated by Barry Gott, is a humorous tall tale picture book, published in 2010 by Dutton, for ages 4 and up. Holler Loudly was featured at the 2010 Texas Book Festival and was a Dolly Parton's Imagination Library selection.
Blessed is a young adult gothic fantasy novel, published in 2011 by Candlewick Press, for ages 14 and up. Fantasy elements include angels, vampires, and shapeshifters. The novel is a genre bender, employing elements of mystery, suspense, comedy, romance, and Gothic fantasy. It also was published by Walker Books Australia and New Zealand.
Short stories/essays
- "The Gentleman Cowboy" in Period Pieces: Stories for Girls, published by HarperCollins in 2003, for ages 8 and up.
- "The Naked Truth" in In My Grandmother's House: Award-Winning Authors tell Stories about their Grandmothers, published by HarperCollins in 2003 for ages 8 and up.
- "A Real-Live Blonde Cherokee and His Equally Annoyed Soul Mate" in Moccasin Thunder, published by HarperCollins in 2005 for ages 12 and up.
- "Riding With Rosa" in Cicada literary magazine (Vol. 7, No. 4, March/April 2005) for ages 12 and up.
- "Haunted Love" in Immortal: Love Stories with Bite, published by BenBella in 2008 for ages 12 and up.
- "Cat Calls" in Sideshow: Ten Original Tales of Freaks, Illusionists, and Other Matters Odd and Magical, published by Candlewick Press in 2009 for ages 12 and up.
- "The Wrath of Dawn," co-authored by Greg Leitich Smith in Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd, published by Little, Brown in 2009 for ages 12 and up.
- "Isolation" in Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories, published by HarperCollins in 2011, for ages 13 and up.
See also
- Cynthia Leitich Smith Official site
- Cynsations
- Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith Spanish-English blog
- CL Smith Interview at BookReviewsAndMore.ca