Reanna's Book Realm

What do you think of when you hear the name Walter Dean Myers? For me, I think of an author who broke tremendous barriers in the world of children and young adult literature, specifically concerning uncomfortable topics about race. In seventh grade, my English class was assigned to read Monster , a book following an African-American teenager who is put into the criminal justice system. I’ll be honest, before reading that book, I wasn’t truly aware of the unfairness and inequality minorities faced within the law, let alone misrepresentation they face almost everywhere, including literature. However, Walter Dean Myers did, and wrote many pieces about it, including “Where Are The People of Color in Children’s Books?”, which inspired the founding of We Need Diverse Books, cofounded by Ellen Oh. Unfortunately, Walter Dean Myers has passed away, but his legacy lives on in Flying Lessons & Other Stories , a collection of short stories featuring characters of color. I consider myself...

Lily Jo is a few days away from starting her first day of eighth grade. For most kids, it’s a hard year. Most students are just finding out who they want to be, and until they do, insecurities are on the rise. While Lily Jo is going to face the typical hardships of the school year, she’s got a big one that not many people have: she is transgender. But right now, the world still sees her as Tim, including her father. So when she runs into the new boy, Dunkin, in the neighborhood, she’s pretty thrilled. Dunkin doesn’t know anything about her, and could be part of the fresh, new start she’s looking for. However, Dunkin has his own problems. He has bipolar disorder, the same diagnosis that his father has, and just moved from his childhood home. Right now, his whole life is filled with the unknown, and associating himself with Lily wouldn’t help him gain any social life. Life keeps throwing Lily and Dunkin together, though, and it seems like they might just be what the other one needs. ...