Walter Dean Myers named USA's third Ambassador for Young People's Literature

Walter Dean Myers named today as the USA's national ambassador for young people’s literature. The third person to hold the post since it was created in 2008. Mr Myers' books chronicle the lives of many urban teenagers, especially young, poor African-Americans. He succeeds Katherine Paterson, the novelist best known for Bridge to Terabithia, and the first appointee, Jon Scieszka, author of books including The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. The choice of Mr. Myers represents a departure from his predecessors and is being seen as a bold statement.