As I rejoin my Brown Bookshelf colleagues in the trenches of 28 Days Later, I’m elated with today’s YA authors. They’re vocal in a new way and their books reflect a time period where young people are witness to divisive political rhetoric that has remained at its height since President Obama took office a life time ago.
Many of the stories are also borne out of an increase in police shootings of Black people and the writer’s innate need to process, through their characters. Nic Stone has hit the scene with a powerful debut, Dear Martin, a heart wrenching story that follows the journey of a high school senior who attempts to understand the present through letters to a heroic advocate of the past.
The Backstory
So YA didn’t really become a *thing* until I wasn’t one anymore, but it grew in popularity just as I was beginning to…
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Tracey Baptiste 