Reading Without Walls

Have you heard of Gene Luen Yang? You might have read Boxers, Saints, or American Born Chinese, all graphic novel titles that have won tons of awards! They're different takes on what happened and is still happening when Western culture meets, in this case, Chinese heritage. Whether it's about the conflict between religions or just another student struggling to fit in at school, his writing is a valued perspective in a fun format.

Information and learning are power. By loving books or at least being open to them, we bibliophiles take in so much information, even when we're just reading for fun. Why not take that opportunity to read books that will teach you something while still giving you that high point that comes when you want to know what happens next and you're in love with all the characters and you've been caught up in a world and a conflict that's not your won?

Gene Luen Yang is the National Ambassador for Young People's literature, and he's challenged us bookworms (especially the ones who read middle grade and YA lit) to the Reading Without Walls challenge. To celebrate the sheer awesomeness of this challenge, I made mini book lists for each of the three suggestions that are part the challenge.

1. Read a book about someone who doesn't look like you or doesn't live like you. (Race, sexuality, creed, gender, location, class, physical and mental ability, on and on! There are so many ways to experience the world.)
2. Read a book about a topic you don't know about. (Even if you call yourself a humanities person, you'll need to learn about the world to write your novels (or poems, or interpretative dances). Read about science: how to raise bees, the mythology of the planets, optical illusions. Read about history: great queens, the quirky people who were just like us. Not a nonfiction person? Read a book where the main character works stage crew, or does ballet.  What we don't know is huge.)
3. Read a format you don't usually read. (Read some poetry, if you're a prose person. Read a graphic novel, even if you think they're too easy. Listen to an audiobook, if you usually skim the words or if you can't imagine what an accent sounds like.)

Booklist to come! Happy reading (or listening),
~Citali