Since opening my first Dora book at the age of four, I have been an avid reader since the age of 4 since opening my first Dora book. I pride myself on my diverse reading palette. In each genre, I found something I was missing, something I saw myself reflected in.

Broadening perspectives needs to be taught to young adults. When our devices can unwittingly lock us into echo chambers and feed us a highly filtered version of the world, learning about everybody’s perspectives teaches empathy and builds better judgement through increased exposure. All of these skills are essential to have in our reading diet.

Each book we read adds a new seasoning to the spice rack of our minds, allowing us to create a tasty blend our brains can feast upon. However, Texas’s potentially mandated book list will limit the variety of flavors for more than 5 million students in the U.S. The list forces teachers to assign classics that allow the narrative of very few identities. Choosing books that reflect the student community engages students to learn about diverse backgrounds that feel relevant to the reader.

Relating to a character in a book validates and gives voice to struggles young adults face, especially at an age when young adults are highly are misunderstood. The book list mandates classics that were written mainly by male European authors, and it lacks contemporary authors that better represent students. We need to advocate for more variety and representation of those diverse perspectives from a plethora of backgrounds. that reflect the diverse backgrounds that we all come from.