Who can forget the first time they met irresistible, fast-talking Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables? Or the years that they spent growing up with Harry, Hermione, and Ron? Luckily for us, it truly is the golden age for young adult fiction right now, as YA authors today continue to take the genre in new and incredibly exciting directions. Indeed, young adult books have stepped up onto the literary stage as a powerful genre in its own right, creating role models for all of us and leading important conversations about personhood, gender, sexuality, and race.