The Great Read: Does Mac Barnett Have the Best Job in Kids’ Books? Or the Worst?
The national ambassador for young people’s literature published a manifesto aimed at adults. Then came the blowback.
The New York Times
The Great Read
May 22, 2026, 2:00 p.m. Eastern time

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A man in a brown sweater and beige cap sits in a wooden chair, hands clasped, with framed prints on a green wall behind him. He looks up.

Jason Andrew for The New York Times

Does Mac Barnett Have the Best Job in Kids’ Books? Or the Worst?

The national ambassador for young people’s literature published a manifesto aimed at adults. Then came the blowback.

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