by Naadeyah Haseeb

I'm a grown(ish) woman who loves media made for teenagers. It can provide, as entertainment is so often meant to, a bit of escape from pressures of the adult “real world” I've found myself thrust into only semi-prepared. It takes me back to the time when the problems of life tended toward the frivolous and easily solved, though they felt just as intense. And although young adult literature, which is my favorite form of teen media, can and does tackle more serious issues, I tend to gravitate towards more lighthearted stories.

A few months ago, I read a CNN article about the lack of diversity in young adult literature. As I read it, I found myself agreeing about the need for more diversity and reminiscing. As a teen, I could never find a book by a black young adult author that I could relate to. In fact, my favorite young adult book was The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.