John Green, famed young adult author, met a teenager with tuberculosis named Henry, on a recent trip to Sierra Leone. Green learned about Henry’s experience with the disease and was moved to write about it. He discovered that around 1.3 million people die each year from the disease, with many marginalized individuals excluded from treatment. I was shocked to learn that high a number of people still die from a treatable disease. This is an important area to expose teenagers to, especially since health care in middle class areas can be taken for granted. The book was released on March 18 and is available from the Ramapo Catskill Library System. The article in American Libraries can be accessed here as well.