My Journey With More Diverse Books

 When I was first reading in the early 2000s - 2010s, YA at the time was definitely lacking diverse voices, but it wasn't completely without them. However, a lot of the books that were supposed to show diverse characters had some issues that people in the book community talk about now. 

In the last few years, YA has vastly changed. There are so many queer stories, stories about people of color, etc. Many readers are finally finding characters like themselves in the books they read. I will say that I did read stories with characters that were different from me, but they were usually adult fiction. There's nothing wrong with that, but I do think it is valuable for a 12-year-old to have stories that are diverse that are aimed at 12-16-year-olds. The adult novels just aren't quite the same. 

I know that book Tiktok has really helped me to expand my reading. There are a lot of books that I wouldn't have given a chance if I hadn't seen them there first. I also think that sometimes when I see characters that are different from myself on the cover of books I think they're not for me and if I buy it I'm taking that book away from someone who the book is for. I have since changed my mind about that. If more people buy these books, they can become more popular and be more available to the people who need them most. 

My hope is that books keep diversifying especially young adult, middle grade, ad kids books because teens and kids need to see themselves in the books they read and they also need to see people who are different from them. It is so important that our bookshelves reflect the world around us. We need to read about others' experiences and understand their stories. A more diverse world of books is great for everyone's reading experience. 

So, I'm trying to read more books about people who are different from me, and to be honest, I'm glad I have because I really enjoy these books. Also, if you have any recommendations, please comment and let me know. I can only see so many books so I need some other perspectives on what to read.