Lee Merrill Byrd: An Interview by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Lee Merrill Byrd, the president of Cinco Puntos Press, Inc., is also a novelist and children’s books author. In November 2006 author and children’s literature specialist Cynthia Leitich Smith interviewed Lee for her widely respected blog CYNSATIONS about children's books. Since that interview is still very much current and discusses the history of Cinco Puntos Press as well as others topics relevant to Lee juggling her work as a writer and publisher, we thought it a good place to visit if you’re looking for information about who and what Cinco Puntos Press is. Besides, Cynthia's blog--with its progressive, multicultural perspecitive--is an important source of information, issues and ideas about books for kids. We recommend it highly.

Let's begin by talking about your own novel, Riley's Fire (Algonquin, 2006). Could you tell us about the story?...

For more follow this link to Cynthia’s blog.

P.S. John Byrd, the son of Lee and Bobby, joins his mother in ths photograph. John, who began packing boxes for Cinco Puntos when he was in Junior High School, is now a vice president of the corporation.