Teen author brings 'keep-it-real' guide to Naperville

Small shoulders, big issues.

At age 11, Marley Dias found a major issue: books she was exposed to featured characters who did not look like her.

An avid reader from New Jersey, Marley wondered why African-American girls were so seldom pictured as main characters in her reading. So she launched a project to address that issue and 1000 Black Girl Books was born.

Her goal was to collect 1,000 books starring black girls. Soon, #1000blackgirlbooks was getting traction.

Today, 13-year-old Marley has collected 10,000 books, won many awards and been the subject of numerous media interviews and features. She's also written a book herself to share with her fans about her adventures in changing the world.

"Marley Dias Gets It Done: and So Can You" will be celebrated at a book event at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31, at Naperville's Anderson's Bookshop, 123 W. Jefferson Ave. Marley will be in conversation at the event with Luvvie Ajayi, a blogger and a New York Times best-selling author.

The event is free and open to the public. To join the book signing line, purchase the author's featured book at Anderson's.

In her book, Marley speaks to kids about her passion for making our world a better place and how to make their dreams come true.

In the accessible "keep-it-real" guide, Marley explores activism, social justice, volunteerism, equity and inclusion, and using social media for good.

Drawing from her experience, she shows kids how they can galvanize their strengths to make positive changes in their communities while getting support from parents, teachers, and friends to turn dreams into reality. Focusing on the importance of literacy and diversity, she offers suggestions on book selection, and delivers hands-on strategies for becoming a lifelong reader.