Illinois Authors

The Illinois Center for the Book banner

Cynthea Liu

Born:
Pen Name: None

Connection to Illinois: Liu lives and works in Chicago.

Biography: Cynthea Liu spent her formative years in Oklahoma and Texas where she was a Whiz Quiz member, an Academic Decathloner, and a spelling bee champion. After attending college on the East Coast, she worked in a corporate position until becoming a full-time children's author. Along with the books she has written listed below, Liu has also been involved in the creation of an anthology and a contributor to the second volume of the ''The New Writer's Handbook'' and ''A Practical Anthology of Best Advice for Your Craft and Career.'' Liu was the inspiration behind the creation of the anthology, ''I Took the Dare: 1 Book. 1 Social Experiment. 18 Young Writers.'' The 2nd - 7th grade writers took Liu's dare to better themselves for seven days and write about it. The stories give readers a glimpse into tween minds as they struggle with issues like sibling rivalry, self-esteem, bullying, friendship, etc. Liu also writes for Disney and Marvel, teaches Creative Writing at SNHU, is a professional manuscript consultant, and offers critiques to children’s book writers around the world.


Awards:
  • Paris Pan Takes the Dare Scholastic Book Clubs selection; Oklahoma Book Award Finalist; APALA Book List selection; Accelerated Reader program Book; Scholastic Reading Counts Book
  • The Great Call of China NoveList Best Title
  • The Dare: Friends, Family, and Other Eerie Mysteries Ben Franklin Gold Award Winner Royal Dragonfly Award Winner Scholastic Book Clubs selection Oklahoma Book Award Honor Illinois Reads List selection U.S. Asian Pacific American Library Association Selection

Primary Literary Genre(s): Fiction; Non-Fiction

Primary Audience(s): Adult readers; Children; Young adult readers

E-Mail: cynthea@wfcat.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cliubooks/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthealiu
Web: https://www.scbwi.org/speakers/cynthea-liu


Selected Titles

Bike on, Bear!
ISBN: 1481405063 OCLC: 893784246

Bear can do everything—except ride a bike. Discover how he overcomes his two-wheeled challenge in this irresistibly adorable picture book!Bear can do almost anything. His one-paw pawstand is perfection. He can solve the trickiest of equations. He can even out-build a brigade of beavers. But the one thing Bear can’t do? Ride a bike.Bear tries everything to help him learn: library books, training wheels and super-cheers from his fellow animal friends. But all of those fail to get poor Bear on two wheels. The situation is looking unbearable—but an unexpected mishap might be just the thing that propels Bear to bike on!

Disney/Pixar Elemental Little Golden Book
ISBN: 0736443711 OCLC:

Golden/Disney 2023

This Little Golden Book is based on Disney and Pixar's Elemental—coming to theaters on June 16, 2023!In a city where Fire, Water, Earth, and Air reside together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy are about to discover something elemental: how much they have in common. This Little Golden Book retelling Disney and Pixar's Elemental is perfect for girls and boys ages 2 to 5, as well as Disney Little Golden Book collectors of all ages!

Disney/Pixar Turning Red Little Golden Book
ISBN: 073644260X OCLC:

Golden/Disney 2022

In Turning Red, Mei Lee is a confident, dorky thirteen-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. And as if changes to her interests, relationships, and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which for a teenager is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda! Turning Red is directed by Academy Award-winner Domee Shi (Pixar short Bao), produced by Lindsey Collins and coming to Disney+ on March 11th, 2022. This Little Golden Book retelling of the animated feature film is perfect for girls and boys ages 2 to 5, as well as Disney Little Golden Book collectors of all ages!

Mulan's Perfect Present/Jasmine's New Friends
ISBN: 0736437533 OCLC:

RH/Disney 2018

Princess Jasmine from Disney Aladdin and Princess Mulan from Disney Mulan show what it means to be a true friend in this deluxe storybook featuring two stories in one, plus a super-glittery cover! This latest addition to the Disney Princess Fairy-Tale Friendships series, highlighting royal friendships of all kinds, is perfect for children ages 3 to 7.Disney's Dream Big, Princess campaign focuses on the amazing stories and leadership qualities of each Disney Princess and shows how they relate to today's girls.

Paris Pan takes the Dare
ISBN: 0399250433 OCLC: 259754275

G.P. Putnam's Sons New York : 2009

Friendless because of her family's frequent moves, twelve-year-old Chinese American Paris Pan wants very much to fit in with the seemingly friendly girls in her new school, even if it means taking a dare to spend the night in a spooky woods, reputedly haunted by the ghost of a girl who died there years ago.

The Dare: Friends, Family, and Other Eerie Mysteries
ISBN: 0999033239 OCLC: Chicago :

Pivotal Publishing Chicago : 2020

Twelve-year-old Paris Pan has moved to a small town where she has a real shot at making friends. But that friendship comes at a price. She must take The Dare, something that caused a girl to disappear on the very property she now resides. To make matters worse, Paris must play basketball against her will, eradicate a crush on the least desirable boy in 7th grade, and cope with a family crisis that was possibly caused by a chili dog.

The Great Call of China
ISBN: 0142411345 OCLC: 237881931

Speak New York : 2009

Chinese-born Ceca was adopted when she was two years old by her American parents. Living in Texas, she's bored of her ho-hum high school and dull job. So when she learns about the S.A.S.S. program to Xi'an, China, she jumps at the chance. She'll be able to learn about her passion - anthropology - and it will give her the opportunity to explore her roots. But when she arrives, she receives quite a culture shock. And the closer she comes to finding out about her birth parents, the more apprehensive she gets. Enter Will, the cute guy she first meets on the plane. He and Ceca really connect during the program. But can he help her get accustomed to a culture she should already know about, or will she leave China without the answers she's been looking for?

Turning Red: The Deluxe Junior Novelization
ISBN: 0736442812 OCLC:

RH/Disney 2022

In Turning Red, Mei Lee is a confident, dorky thirteen-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. And as if changes to her interests, relationships, and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which for a teenager is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda! Turning Red is directed by Academy Award-winner Domee Shi (Pixar short Bao), produced by Lindsey Collins and coming to Disney+ on March 11th, 2022. The feature film is all retold in this hardcover deluxe junior novelization that's perfect for girls and boys ages 6 to 9. Also comes with a full-color insert featuring scenes from the film, plus a pull-out movie poster!

Wooby & Peep
ISBN: 9781402796449 OCLC: 794306372

Sterling Children's Books New York, NY : 2013

When Peep leaves the city to live in the country with her pet iguana, her new neighbor, Wooby is concerned but tries to be polite and neighborly, even when her efforts to become his friend lead to disaster.

Writing for Children and Teens: A Crash Course: How to Write, Revise, and Publish a Kid's or Teen Book with Children's Book Publishers
ISBN: 099903328X OCLC:

Pivotal Publishing 2023

Strap on your helmet. Buckle up! Writing for Children and Teens: A Crash Course has been updated in 2023 by Disney and Marvel author and coach Cynthea Liu. If you're dying to know how to get your children's or teen book published, hop in this fun ride and rev that story engine. Please note: this book is not only suitable for adults but also for determined young writers (age 12 and up, middle school and high school grades, too). If you have younger writers in the family or classroom, this is a fun resource for you to learn from to help answer their questions about how children's book publishing works.Nowhere will you find a more comprehensive, current, and detailed reference guide designed specifically for writing children and young adults, written by a bestselling, award-winning children's book author who is in the field today.Writing for Children and Teens is a ten-step course that addresses the nitty-gritty details of the business and covers core principles for picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and young adult novels, including ...How to stress-test your book ideas for the marketplace for any formatHow long your manuscript should be for any formatHow to format your manuscriptHow to write and revise your manuscript to make your book great including topics such as target audience, target market, character, plot, theme, setting, and descriptionCommon writing issues to avoid along with possible solutionsHow to determine if one should pursue major trade, small press, self-publishing, independent publishing, or hybrid publishingHow to physically or electronically submit to literary agents and editorsHow to write a cover letter, query, synopsis, and author bio designed to enticeSubmission strategies for just about any situation for writers who have little to no experienceHow to interpret confusing submission guidelines, complete with advice on how to communicate professionally with agents and editors using their lingoWhere to seek valuable input and help from the writing communityImportant resources, tools, and organizations every children's and teen book writer should know aboutBook coach Cynthea and her pooch crew from her website of the same name (Writing for Children and Teens) have been hard at work on this latest edition to deliver practical, current advice for you, your family members, your friends, and any of your fur-babies interested in writing for children and young adults.The new paperback and hardcover editions are coming soon to an Amazon page near you.

 

 

Accessibility