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Children's and young adult book author Cynthia Leitich Smith writes stories that center Indigenous youth as heroes. Her storytelling draws inspiration from moments and experiences she’s had in her own life.

“I didn't really think of it as writing stories about Native characters. I thought of it more like I was drawing inspiration from moments of childhood or questions that I had growing up,” she said.

The New York Times bestselling author and proud citizen of the Muscogee (Mvskoke) Nation, who will present the Information School’s Spencer G. Shaw Lecture on Oct. 16, has become a powerful advocate for Indigenous representation in children’s and young adult literature. 

“For a long time, the only representation of Indigenous characters was either retellings of traditional stories — many of them without permission or in an inauthentic way — and historical fiction,” she said. “I thought I could maybe ground this in more reality. I could include more contemporary experiences.” 

Growing up in Kansas City, Smith found comfort in the local public library. After the devastation of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, she realized she wanted to do something positive for the world that served children and teens. 

“Books made sense to me,” she said. “I felt that the world of stories for the young was where I belonged; that's where the hope lives.”

Now, for over two decades, she’s put true representations of Native children and teens on the shelves. In works like Hearts Unbroken, Rain is Not My Indian Name and Firefly Season, her storytelling covers themes of friendships, relationships, sisterhood and identity, all in effort to push back against harmful stereotypes and celebrate the experiences of Indigenous youth. 

“Nobody comes out of the womb with a bias against anyone. They had just been fed so much misinformation and stereotypes,” she said.

 In 2020, Smith launched the Native-focused imprint Heartdrum at HarperCollins Children’s Books. 

“I'd always dreamed of doing whatever I could to heighten more representation of voices behind the bylines,” she said.

Heartdrum shares mostly fictional stories centered on young Native heroes. Many books include young protagonists who experience a full range of emotions as they live their daily lives.

“We wanted these not only to be books that would be useful in the classroom, but books that kids and teens would choose to read on their own if they could have their pick of any story,” Smith said. 

The Spencer Shaw Lecture Series takes place every October and features a leading figure in children's literature. It is open to library students, teachers, librarians, alumni and community members. This year, the lecture will be held in the UW HUB, and

“I'm going to tell all my best stories. I'm going to give some behind-the-scenes insights into the life of a working author. I'm going to explain how reality and society impact fiction. I'm going to talk about some of the books that I dearly love, and I hope [the attendees] will too,” she said. 

Smith hopes that the community at UW sees this lecture as an opportunity to enter a conversation that might be new to them, whether they are Native or not. 

“You don't have to have a huge grounding or deep cultural understanding that these are books that are written for young people. They’re crafted in a way that will welcome them home to the page and make them feel like they belong there,” she said.