What are the “three Hs and an A” of exploring difficult subject matter in picturebooks?
In 2020, I had the honor of appearing on a panel at the SCBWI-Austin online monthly meeting with authors Cindy Baldwin and Bethany Hegedus as we discussed the challenges of “Writing About Difficult Topics for Young Readers.”
Recently, I presented some of the information (and more) that I shared that day in the article CASTING LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS: WRITING FOR YOUNG READERS ON DIFFICULT TOPICS, now appearing on the Cynsations website.
Drawing from my experiences as the author of WHEN A KID LIKE ME FIGHTS CANCER and other picture books, I offer gentle guidelines to keep in mind for writers who strive to tackle a topic for kids with honesty and sensitivity.
You can check out the article here: https://cynthialeitichsmith.com/2020/11/guest-post-catherine-stier-on-casting-light-in-the-darkness-writing-for-young-readers-on-difficult-topics/
Thank you to Cynsations for this opportunity!