Cynthia Leitich Smith delivers a "GenX voice and approach to fiction for kids and teens," as she explained in an interview for Authors and Artists for Young Adults (AAYA). Her stories "are sometimes humorous, sometimes touching, and focus on the relationships of today's diverse families and friends." A mixed-blood member of the Creek Nation, Smith explores contemporary Native American themes in her novels, picture books, and chapter books, dealing with subjects of loss, urban assimilation, and sense of community. Her award-winning young adult novel Rain Is Not My Indian Name is a contemporary tale of a mixed-heritage teen who in dealing with a personal tragedy comes closer to understanding her own background. Similar themes crop up in Smith's picture book Jingle Dancer, about a contemporary Creek-Chippewa girl who honors the women in her family while solving a personal difficulty, and in the chapter book Indian Shoes, which takes...