i tweeted about this quite a bit this week, but after reading npr’s list of the best ever young adult novels, i have to say i was quite stunned by its lack of diversity. of the 100 books listed, only two books (by sherman alexis and sandra cisneros) were written by people of color. there wasn’t one book written by an african american. not one.
i understand this list was generated by a poll; people voted for what they like. however, while a lot of the books listed are wonderful, i wish it wasn’t just a popularity contest. i wish more care and concern had been given to what is genuinely the best.
a list like this could have been a great way to introduce people to the world of young adult fiction, especially adults who haven’t read a teen novel since they were teens themselves. it could have shown the entire spectrum of young adult books — books that represent all people.
instead, what we have is more of the same.
sigh.
just another bronx girl 
We could start a new list here. What books would you recommend?
Ooh, great idea! There are so many books and authors that should have been included on that list. I would have liked to see books by Walter Dean Myers, Jacqueline Woodson, Rita Williams-Garcia, An Na, and Matt de la Pea just to name a few! What do you recommend?