Cynthia Leitich Smith
Cynthia Leitich Smith developed an interest in writing children's literature at a young age. She was "Dear Gabby" for her sixth grade newspaper, and she edited her junior high and high school newspapers. Following graduation from journalism school at the University of Kansas and from Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor, she began writing fiction. She is recipient of the 2001 Wordcraft Circle Award for children's literary prose. Her most recent book is Indian Shoes (HarperCollins, 2002). Ms. Smith, a mixed-blood enrolled member of Creek Nation, lives in Austin, Texas.
