Have you heard the good word about We Need Diverse Books? I hope so. Just in case, let me scream about them a bit. WNDB is a 501(c)(3) (aka a nonprofit) “of children’s book lovers that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry.” Their goal is to “help produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people.” Overseen by young adult and middle grade author Ellen Oh, author Dhonielle Clayton, and Judy Schricker, their vision is for “a world in which all children can see themselves in the pages of a book.”

To that end, WNDB not only helps promote diverse books but also has published four anthologies through Crown Books (an imprint of Penguin Random House): The Hero Next Door (small acts of kindness save the day and the hero is you), Fresh Ink (genre-defying stories meant to be read and shared), Flying Lessons and Other Stories (uniqueness and universality), and A Universe of Wishes.

The theme of this latest anthology is evident in the name: wishes. If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for? What would you sacrifice to get it? What would you do to someone else to be granted your most fervent desire?

There is a truly staggering array of talent is this collection, from Samira Ahmed to Dhonielle Clayton (whose story “The Weight” was one of my favorites) to Kwame Mbalia (progenitor of Tristan Strong and king of Twitter, who’s writing challenge last April is the reason I have a novella on submission) to Mark Oshiro (“Unmoor” was absolutely shattering) to Zoraida Córdova (just stab me right in the heart, woman).

As with any anthology, there were stories I connected with and stories I didn’t, but here’s the thing for anyone jumping into A Universe of Wishes: not all of these stories are for you. They’re not meant to be.

And that’s okay.

I think that’s something we’ve lost sight of lately, both as casual readers and as book reviewers: the distinction between a book that’s legit not good and books that simply aren’t for us. And yes, there are bad books in the world. There are a lot of them. There are books built around stereotypes. There are books that are racist. There are books that are twice as long as they need to be. There are books by Donald Trump. Bad books.

Then there are books that are well written, perhaps even beautiful. The characters are fleshed out and alive. The story is compelling. It feels new. But you don’t connect with it. You casually flick one or two stars at it or DNF it and say it wasn’t that good. But what you should be saying is, “It wasn’t for me,” which is something completely different.

The audacity of thinking every book is for you.

It’s that sort of thinking that got us where we are.

That sort of thinking is the reason We Need Diverse Books exists. It’s why authors like Ebony Elizabeth Thomas are writing books like The Dark Fantastic: Race and The Imagination From Harry Potter to the Hunger Games. It’s why so many of us continue to kick back against canon even though it sometimes feels like kicking a steel wall. Because for far too long, cis het white dudes, and then cis het white folx, have been comfortable reveling in that audacity.

A Universe of Wishes will make those people uncomfortable. And that is one of my highest praises these days. Was every story in it for me? No. Was it a good book? Absolutely. Do I think you should pick it up for the young adult readers in your life? I do. They will find their own story in its pages. They will learn something new about someone else between the pages. And they’ll learn something about everyone having the right to speak their truth.

Which is, honesty, the best you can give.