Cynsational News & Links

Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz (Hyperion, December 2007) book trailer. Learn more about the novel from Laurie's site. Read a Cynsations interview with Laurie.

Book Lists for Young Adults on the Web: a resource for librarians, YA readers, and YA writers studying a thread within the body of literature.

Do You Hear It? The YA Voice by Susan Sundwall from WOW! Women on Writing. Here's a sneak peek: "It's so easy to get the young and the adult mixed up. The proper voice can keep it in balance, but there's always a tension present between the two."

Home Free: Seeing Slavery through the Eyes of a Child: an interview with Christopher Paul Curtis by Deborah Hopkinson from BookPage. See a book talk from Scholastic.

"Debbie Michiko Florence is Going Places" from WOW! Women on Writing. Debbi is the author of the upcoming China: A Kaleidoscope Kids Book (Williamson, 2008).

Harry Potter and the Fundamentals of Fantasy by Philip Martin from Absolute Write.

The Horn Book offers a new podcast with author M.T. Anderson.

Hot Off the Press: new releases from CBC Magazine.

Web Connections for September 2007 from Book Links.

Are you in the Massachusetts area? The snowflake ornaments to be auctioned in conjunction with Robert's Snow: for Cancer's Cure are on exhibit at Child at Heart Gallery at 48 Inn Street in Newburyport through Oct. 22. Open house: Oct. 6.

Ninth Annual Jewish Children's Book Writers' Conference

From Anna Olswanger:

The 92nd Street Y Buttenwieser Library and the Jewish Book Council are cosponsoring the Ninth Annual Jewish Children's Book Writers' Conference from 9:00 am to 5:00 p.m. Nov. 18 at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan.

Featured speakers are senior editor Reka Simonsen of Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, editor Jennifer Wingertzahn of Clarion Books, senior editor Lindsey Silken of JVibe/JFL Media, sales manager Sarah Aronson of Jewish Lights Publishing, literary agent Kirsten Wolf of Jill Grinberg Literary Management, and associate art director Einav Aviram of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Author and illustrator Neil Waldman, winner of the National Jewish Book Award, will give opening remarks, and the day will include sessions on publishing and writing in Israel, the Sydney Taylor Book Award and Manuscript Competition, and new this year: a panel on "How I Got My First Book Published."

The registration form is available for download (PDF file). Call 212.415.5544 or e-mail library@92Y.org for additional information or to request the form by mail. The final registration deadline is Nov. 12.

If you write or illustrate children's books for the Jewish market, this conference is for you!

Ninth Annual Jewish Children's Book Writers' Conference
Nov. 18, 2007, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
$85 before Nov. 1, $100 after Nov. 1
Fee includes kosher breakfast and lunch.

More Personally

Reminder: Are You Predator or Prey? Giveaway Contest: In recognition of October's spookiness, I'm giving away three Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007) prize packages--two to people (booksellers, teachers, librarians) who connect books to YA readers and one to an individual reader. The packages each include an autographed copy of Tantalize, a Sanguini's T-shirt, bat and wolf finger puppets, stickers, and additional surprises! In addition, the individual winner will receive one signed Tantalize bookmark, and the bookseller/teacher/librarian winners will receive twenty signed bookmarks. I'll also send autographed bookmark stacks to at least three runners-up in the bookseller/teacher/librarian category. Deadline Oct. 15. See details!