Mary (co-founder) grew up in rural central Virginia enthralled with the power and play of language, but it wasn’t until college that she was exposed to a diverse body of modern and contemporary literature. She fell deeply in love with reading and writing poetry, went on to pursue an MFA, and began questioning how poetry could be taught differently to younger students. When she became a mom, that questioning became more urgent, and she wanted more books that would expose her children to a diverse and representative literary canon at their level with language that would excite them the way it excited her.
Michael (co-founder) was born and raised in Southwest Virginia. As a mixed child who was always encouraged to read but who rarely saw himself reflected in the books he was given, he understands what it means for children of color to have access to stories that include characters and situations that reflect their cultures, their communities, and the complexities of their lived experiences. As an associate professor of English at a community college, Michael has also seen the joy and the spark that comes when a reader finds a piece of literature that frames the world in a way that makes them feel seen, heard, and connected—sometimes for the first time. Michael believes that engagement with diverse and expressive literature should start much earlier in a reader’s literacy journey.