“Young-adult author John Green has done an amazing job mobilizing a generation of readers and writers through his “nerdfighter” campaign. Kids from all around the country shout from the rooftops that they love to read and learn and make art. One day Mr. Green will undoubtedly win a MacArthur Fellowship, or something similar, for the groundbreaking online community he’s created (as well as for his fiction). But not every kid is able to own his or her creativity in this way. In many working-class neighborhoods, the “nerdfighter” label just isn’t gonna fly. Self preservation won’t allow for it. I’m sensitive to this because it’s the way I grew up, too.”

 ~ Matt De la Peña, NPR’s Codeswitch blog

Absolutely worth reading the entire article. I'm adding his books to my reading list.