Back in September, SLJ blogger Betsy Bird (A Fuse #8 Production) said that the next National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature “shouldn’t be another white guy or gal” because it’s the ambassador for all kids. Bird went on to suggest Walter Dean Myers as the perfect person for the job. Was she looking into a crystal ball? This morning, the award-winning author, who often writes about the challenges that face today’s at-risk urban youth, was named our third ambassador by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington.

SLJ spoke to Myers (left), 74, about his new role, why he’s excited by it, and how he plans to carry it out. Sponsored by the Library of Congress’s Center for the Book and the Children’s Book Council, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literaturewas created to raise national awareness of the importance of lifelong literacy and education.

How do you see yourself following in the footsteps of Jon Scieszkaand Katherine Paterson, and what change do you hope to bring to the job?

I think that Jon and Katherine were admirable in that they loved books and reading, and I know and love them both. I think that I can be riskier in what I bring to the position because of who I am, but I don’t feel our message is that much different.

As ambassador, do you plan to take your work in juvenile detention centers further?

I would like to continue my work in juvenile detention centers. If I could, with the help of Jon and Katherine and the legion of other writers out there, convince America that I was very much like the kids in the juvy prisons, and that I was truly saved by reading and by books, I feel I could change the country.

What’s your platform for the next two years?

“Reading is not an Option!” is my platform. The value of reading has escalated in my lifetime. As a young man, I saw families prosper without reading because there were always sufficient opportunities for willing workers who could follow simple instructions. This is no longer the case. Children who don’t read are, in the main, destined for lesser lives. I feel a deep sense of responsibility to change this.

Being ambassador will no doubt help you carry out that sense of responsibility.

Becoming National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature is awesome. My foster mom would have been so proud! But as I enter my legacy years, there is also a feeling of responsibility. I have certain talents, and I must exploit those talents to the benefit of young Americans.

You’ve said that you “write books for the troubled boy I once was and for the boy inside me still.” No wonder the subjects you write about hit so close to home for a lot of kids.

Good writing explores the geography of our common humanity. I extend this geography to people that others often do not. Young readers understand the territories that I explore.

What excites you the most about this new role?

The idea of young parents reading to and with their children—with the research showing how much of a difference in the lives of the children it will make—is so exciting. We have a mountain of research showing what causes reading difficulties. We need to bring that research to the classroom and to the communities across the nation. I know that schools alone cannot accomplish this, but I also know that Americans have a history of community involvement in education that can be reengaged to make a difference. We did not always have public schools, but we have always educated ourselves.

Do you think technology competes too much with books for kids’ time and attention?

We’ve always had to balance the tools we’ve used to live successfully. My step-dad valued physical strength and job loyalty. I value the ability to adapt, which involves linguistic flexibility.

How do you feel about comics and ebooks?

I love comics, and I’m getting into ebooks. We don’t discuss why antibiotics should be more appealing, or why good dental care is necessary. Reading is essential to every person’s well being and will become even more so in the future. The appeal should not be based on entertainment levels but, rather, as a clear adjunct to a good and well balanced life.

You and your son Christopher collaborate quite a bit. Do you plan to work together in your new role as ambassador?

Ah, if I could ever run Christopher’s life! He’s currently in Vietnam doing whatever young black artists do in Vietnam! I hope to hold him up as an example of a man who, as a child, was always exposed to books, to reading, and to art.

You’re such a prolific writer. How are you going to juggle writing with your new role?

Each waking day is an empty vessel, how wonderful to arise each morning with the option of how to fill it. Dick Gregory, comedian, activist, runner, once said (after running away from me in an informal race on New York’s Lower East Side), “Your choices of what to do with your life expresses the range of your humanity, what you ultimately decide to do expresses the depth.” I hope my writing will be both deepened and enhanced by this opportunity.

About Debra Lau Whelan

Debra Whelan is a former senior editor for news and features at SLJ.