Dear AdLit Readers,
Have you been consuming YA and Middle Grade books this spring? I have happily been immersed in the dystopian world of Petra Peña, on the Ojibwe reservation with eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine, and in the streets of the Garden Heights district with seventeen-year-old Maverick "Lil Don" Carter.
As I finished each story, I was reminded of the importance of diverse storytelling and the intense reading experiences possible for many tweens and teens. As author John Green states, "Teenagers have more intense reading experiences because they've had fewer of them...Great books help you understand and they help you feel understood." By continuing to diversify the literary canon in schools, I have hope that all students will have an opportunity to devour a book and gain a better understanding of themselves and the world around them.
Happy Reading,

Carrie Simkin, PhD
Director, AdLit