Cynthia Leitich Smith (Mvskoke Nation) is a 2025 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Candidate, a NSK Neustadt Laureate, Southern Miss Medallion winner, Texas Literary Hall of Fame inductee, and the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint at HarperCollins Children’s Books. She’s a New York Times bestselling author, and her latest titles include ON A WING AND A TEAR, the BLUE STARS graphic novel series, FIREFLY SEASON, and LEGENDARY FRYBREAD DRIVE-IN: INTERTRIBAL STORIES.