National Author’s Day & DFTBA: Don’t Forget To Be Awesome

by Katie Killian

Two of my favourite authors happen to be related. In fact, they’re brothers. And until relatively recently, they weren’t even very close. Nowadays, John and Hank Green are both YouTube-famous nerds and authors of bestselling books, philanthropists, and some might say, just all-around “nifty” people.

One saying they have popularized as “DFTBA” (don’t forget to be awesome) can be boiled down to: allowing yourself to be swept up in your passions - as “uncool” or unique as they might be. 

I like to think of the brothers as a sort of Left Brain/Right Brain duo (John, the creative one/Hank, the science/math one). But they’ve proven time and again how they’re each amplified in their greatness when they play both sides. 

So I’m bringing you a twist - here are some authors and books I love that play with plot, character, and language in beautiful, sciency ways - to get y’all excited for STEM/STEAM Day next week on 11/8!

 The Anthropocene Reviewed  |  John Green

 An Absolutely Remarkable Thing  |  Hank Green

 Love Hypothesis  |  Ali Hazlewood

 A Psalm for the Wild Built  |  Becky Chambers

 One Last Stop  |  Casey McQuiston  

 The Island of Dr. Moreau  |  H.G. Wells

 The Martian  |  Andy Weir

 Every Heart a Doorway  |  Seanan McGuire

Children’s/Teen

 All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team  |  Christina Soontornvat

 Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children  |  Ransom Riggs

  The Phantom Tollbooth  |  Norton Juster

 On a Sunbeam  |  Tillie Walden

Katie Killian is a librarian in the Fond du Lac Public Library's information and outreach services department.