Author · Vermont Storyteller

Stories rooted
in wild places
& wonder.

Cindy Faughnan writes middle grade fiction full of heart, humor, and the quiet magic of Vermont—where she taught seventh and eighth grade English for years, and where the birds know her name.

Cindy Faughnan, author

A reader, a teacher,
a storyteller at heart.

Cindy Faughnan writes contemporary middle grade fiction steeped in Vermont's forests, seasons, and the kind of small-town magic that stays with you long after the last page. Her stories are shaped by years in the classroom, where she watched young readers discover themselves between the lines of a good book.

She earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she isn't writing, you'll find her with binoculars raised at the treeline, kneading dough in a warm kitchen, or unraveling a knotty row of knitting by the fire. She is represented by Mona Kanin of Great Dog Literary.

🐦 Birding 📚 Reading 🍞 Baking 🧶 Knitting 🌿 Vermont
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MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults — Vermont College of Fine Arts
📖
Former 7th & 8th Grade English Teacher, Vermont
✍️
Member of SCBWI & the League of Vermont Writers
🏆
PEN New England Children's Book Caucus Discovery Award
Portrait of Cindy Faughnan
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PEN New England Discovery Award
Children's Book Caucus
🎓
MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults
Vermont College of Fine Arts
✍️
SCBWI Member
Society of Children's Book Writers
🌿
League of Vermont Writers
Active Member

Stories that live in the in-between.

Cindy's fiction explores the tender, tangled years of middle school—friendships tested by change, families navigating loss, and the small moments of grace that sneak up on you in the woods.

Middle Grade Fiction

Vermont-set Contemporary Stories

Cindy's middle grade novels bring the forests, mud seasons, and community of Vermont alive. Her protagonists face the real, messy stuff of growing up—with humor, heart, and hope.

Young Adult

Emotionally Rich YA Voices

Drawing on years of teaching teenagers, Cindy's YA work captures the exact texture of adolescence—the longing, the humor, and the surprising wisdom young people carry.

Poetry & Columns

ROAR! Magazine Poetry Column

Co-written with Kelly Bennett, Cindy's poetry column in ROAR!—a magazine for kids—offered weekly prompts that sparked hundreds of young readers into writing their own poems.

An invitation to notice.

For years Cindy published weekly poetry prompts—small nudges that asked readers to slow down, look closely, and find language for the world around them. Below are a few favorites.

🦁 Featured in ROAR! Magazine

Cindy co-wrote a beloved poetry column with author Kelly Bennett in ROAR!, a wonderful magazine designed to get kids reading, laughing, and writing. The column ran for years and inspired countless young poets.

Visit ROAR! ⭐ Co-authored with Kelly Bennett

"A good prompt is a window left ajar. You didn't open it—you just let the light in."

— Cindy Faughnan
🐾 Great Dog Literary Mona Kanin

Say hello.

Whether you're a reader, an educator, a fellow writer, or just someone who spotted an interesting bird in Vermont—Cindy would love to hear from you.

🐦 Agent inquiries: Great Dog Literary — Mona Kanin
📖 SCBWI member & League of Vermont Writers
🌿 Based in Vermont, USA