BEST AUTHOR BEST : AMANDA JONES

 

Turmoil in a Louisiana school made her a culture warrior, a process she describes in '' The Librarian : The Fight Against Book Banning in America.'' Writers she loves include Jason Reynolds and Karin Slaughter.

.-  What books are on your night stand?

'' Call Us What We Carry,'' by Amanda Gorman; '' Sunrise Nights,'' by Jeff Zentner and Brittany Cavallaro; '' The Partition Project,'' by Saadia Faruqi.

.-  What kind of a reader were you as a child?

I was a voracious reader of Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, the Baby-Sitters Club series and the Danielle Steel novels I sneaked from my great-aunt.

.-  How have your reading tastes changed over time?

I have gone through phases. If I find authors I like, I want to read all of their books. As a teen, my mission was to read every V.C. Andrews and Stephen King book. At one point, all I read for over a year was historical fiction set in Ireland.

Another year, I read nothing by Larry McMurtry and westerns. I'll try anything, and if I Like it, it becomes a phase until I try something different.

.-  Have you ever gotten in trouble for reading a book?

As a kind I would get in trouble at school all the time for rushing through my schoolwork so I could read. My mom would try to ground me, but I didn't see being forced to stay in my room reading as a punishment.

.-  What's the best book you've ever received as a gift?

Jarrett Learner gave me an autographed galley of his middle grade book, '' A Work in Progress ''  at a conference and I cherish it. That book is fantastic.

.-  What books are you embarrassed not to have read yet?

Nothing. If I wanted to read it, I read it.

.-  What's the last book you read that made you laugh?

'' Remarkably Bright Creatures,'' by Shelby Van Pelt. I laughed when I realized how invested I'd become in a main character who was an octopus.

.-  The last book that made you cry?

'' Big,'' by Vashti Harrison. It's beautiful.

.-  What qualities do a good librarian and a good activist have in common?

Good librarians and good activists put kids' interest first. Everything I do is so that current kids, and kids in the future, have a better world.

.-  You're organising a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, do you invite?

I'd invite Jason Reynolds because he is a national treasure. He writes masterpieces that to me are on par with the level of genius we admire in Michelangelo or Mozart.

I'd invite Dr. Maya Angelou, because I could listen to her talk all day long, and her books and poems changed my life. Finally, I'd invite Prince Harry, because I have questions after reading '' Spare.''  

The World Students Society thanks The New York Times.