Not So Pure and Simple

Lamar Giles is known for his young adult thrillers and contemporary novels that often tackle social issues and diverse perspectives. He has written 10 novels for young adult and middle grade audiences. Some of his other acclaimed novels include The Getaway, The Last Last-Day-of-Summer, SPIN, Endangered, and Fake ID (“About.” Lamar Giles). Among other accolades, he has been a two-time Edgar Award finalist in the YA category. The Getaway has been adapted for TV, and Giles has written for Star Wars, National Geographic, and DC Comics. He and his family live in Virginia.

Further, Giles is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books, a nonprofit that “aims to create a world where every reader can find themselves in the pages of a book” and provides “programs to mentor diverse writers and illustrators, support diverse publishing professionals, and provide books to classrooms nationwide” (“Home.” We Need Diverse Books). We Need Diverse Books provides narratives about characters of different races, religions, sexualities, cultures, and abilities. Giles focuses on Black characters in his writing:

…my books are about Black kids. They may be in strange situations, or have talents you don’t expect, but they are Black.