About Me

I spent much of my childhood in a canoe or sailboat, exploring the creek behind my house in Virginia. When the tide was right and a thunderstorm wasn’t brewing, I could follow that creek to the James River and glimpse the Chesapeake Bay.

When I wasn’t on the water, I was often climbing trees, playing piano, or reading and acting out Nancy Drew mysteries with friends.

Today, I am a children’s book author living in Indiana. I love to discover fascinating true stories and share them with readers. Often, I write about science, nature, art, and people making a difference in those fields. My book NIGHT BECOMES DAY: CHANGES IN NATURE (grades preK-3) is about amazing transformations happening all around us. I’ve also published books about cybersecurity, police dogs, and Latin music. An upcoming book has ties to NASA–I look forward to sharing more about it soon! Before writing books, I wrote for national children’s magazines. Those articles cover topics such as bionic limbs, cell phone addiction, and how snowflakes form.

Between my childhood in Virginia and current life in the Midwest, I worked on an archaeological dig in France, earned a few degrees (in English, environmental science, and environmental law), and wrote a book about the Vermont’s innovative land-use law called Act 250. I spent a few years working as an environmental consultant, helping companies comply with laws that protect the land and water around us.

Eventually, my husband and I moved to a historic town in Indiana. We began raising three children– who are now young adults. I spent hours reading with them, delighting in the adventures of Henry and Mudge, Frog and Toad, Hank the Cowdog, the Cobblestone Cousins, and characters from classics like Rabbit Hill, Soup, and The Saturdays. I rediscovered the joy of children’s literature and decided to write for children.

I’m curious about lots of things, from music and art to botany and history. I like to explore the abstract and the analytical, to link the poetic and the precise. When those things overlap, I find magical moments of wonder.

 

When I’m not writing, I give piano lessons, take walks with friends, and volunteer at church and school. I still love to paddle a canoe when I get the chance.

Media Bio

Short version—

Cynthia Argentine writes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for children and teens. Her book Night Becomes Day: Changes in Nature (2021, Millbrook Press) was named a “Best Children’s Book of the Year” by Bank Street College of Education and was short-listed for a national Golden Kite Award. This story uses vibrant language and amazing photos to show transformations that happen every day in the world around us. Cynthia’s other books include Latin Music, Police Dogs, and STEAM Jobs in Cybersecurity, and she’s written numerous STEM articles for national magazines. Prior to writing, she earned degrees in English, environmental science, and environmental law and worked as an environmental consultant. She loves how research and writing lead to discovering magical moments of wonder–which she can share with children through her books.

Long version—

Cynthia Argentine writes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for children and teens. Her book Night Becomes Day: Changes in Nature (2021, Millbrook Press) was named a “Best Children’s Book of the Year” by Bank Street College of Education in the STEM category. It was also a finalist for the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for nonfiction. With vibrant language and full-page photos, Night Becomes Day brings the dynamic nature of our world to life for readers ages 3-8.

Cynthia has published three other nonfiction books for late elementary and middle grades: Latin Music, Police Dogs, and STEAM Jobs in Cybersecurity. An upcoming picture book will take readers from the mountains to the moon!

Cynthia began her children’s writing career working for magazines, publishing with Cricket Media, the American Chemical Society, and Focus on the Family. Her articles cover topics from snowflake formation to cell phone addiction.

Cynthia earned degrees in English and environmental science from the College of William & Mary in Virginia and a master’s degree in environmental law from Vermont Law School. Prior to writing, she worked professionally in the environmental field, first for the Chesapeake Research Consortium and later for consulting firms, helping companies comply with laws that protect our land and water. She shifted careers when her three children were born and followed her creative instincts toward writing.

As a long-time member of SCBWI and a fan of workshops at the Highlights Foundation and Writing Barn, Cynthia has learned from and been inspired by outstanding mentors in the field of children’s literature. Naturally curious, Cynthia believes there is something interesting about nearly everything. She hopes her writing inspires readers to experience joy, notice beauty, and embrace their own value and creativity.

 

Occasionally Asked Questions

What were your favorite books as a child?

  • Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
  • From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
  • Nancy Drew mysteries by Carolyn Keene
  • The Snowstorm by Beryl Netherclift

My grandmother lived across the country on a rural ranch, and she used to send me books with her letters. The Snowstorm was a book she sent about a magical snow globe that allowed children on an old English estate to travel into the past.

  • A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
  • Mythic fantasies by Lloyd Alexander and Susan Cooper

I can distinctly remember finishing these books and wishing I could speak with the authors. I wanted to ask them what other plans they had for their characters and what had led them to write their books. I was fascinated by their ability to create something vivid that only existed in our imaginations.

What are some of your best childhood memories?

  • Being on the water—canoeing, sailing, waterskiing, fishing
  • Going to the beach in North Carolina for vacations
  • Camping with my family in the mountains of Virginia—sleeping in a tent, cooking by a campfire, and crossing a swirling stream on stepping stones
  • Playing board games like Monopoly, Risk, and Stratego
  • Playing piano and singing in choirs

Do you have any pets?

Yes!

  • My family has a dog named Apollo. When my daughter was in third grade, she made a little book about why we should get a dog. My husband and I decided she made a lot of good points, so we got her a puppy for her next birthday. Now, we can’t imagine not having him.
  • Before Apollo, we had fish. When my son won a few goldfish at the town carnival, we put them into the little pond in our front yard. A few of them lived there for years—surviving harsh winters and growing much larger than the ones inside in the fishbowl!
  • When I was a child, my family had cats. Fluffy (a calico), then Benjamin (tiger-striped), and then Ashley (who had long, gray fur).

Apollo