The Best American Series® First, Best, and Best-Selling The Best American series is the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction and nonfiction. Each volume’s series editor selects notable works from hundreds of magazines, journals, and websites. A special guest editor, a leading writer in the field, then chooses the best twenty or so pieces to publish. This unique system has made the Best American series the most respected — and most popular — of its kind. The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2012 includes Kevin Brockmeier, Judy Budnitz, Junot Díaz, Louise Erdrich, Nora Krug, Julie Otsuka, Eric Puchner, George Saunders, Adrian Tomine, Jess Walter, and others This quirky collection of fiction and nonfiction shorts, chosen annually by high-school students in California and Michigan, is part of the prestigious Best American series. Mentored by Eggers (McSweeney’s, A Hologram for the King, 2012), the voluntary, extracurricular Best American Nonrequired Reading committee, comprised of bright young minds from dozens of different high schools, meets regularly to read, debate, and compile the country’s best fiction, journalism, essays, comics, tweets, letters, humor pieces, and so on for inclusion in this eclectic anthology. The 2012 edition boasts an introduction written shortly before his death by the legendary Ray Bradbury and cover art by Caldecott-winning author-illustrator Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabret, 2007). A veritable time capsule of the past year, this mostly winning edition includes nonfiction ruminations from the front lines of the Occupy movement as well as a transcript of the eulogy written by the sister of Steve Jobs. Fiction contributors include George Saunders and Julie Otsuka. Proceeds from the book benefit youth literacy via 826 National, a network of eight youth tutoring, writing, and publishing centers in eight cities across the country. --Chris Keech " If you need to fall in love with reading again –or just want a reminder that high school students deserve a lot more than their reading lists give them– then THE BEST AMERICAN NONREQUIRED READING 2012 is the book for you ." - Bust  "As a devoted fan of this series (this is the 11th volume), I can report that this year's anthology of 32 selections might be the best yet ." -Elizabeth Taylor, Chicago Tribune  “ An eclectic annual that will leave readers marveling over many of the discoveries ...category-defying... All readers will find their own favorites that justify the collection as a whole.” - Kirkus Reviews  " Lively, eclectic and surprising ..." -Minneapolis Star Tribune The Best American Series® First, Best, and Best-Selling The Best American series is the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction and nonfiction. Each volume’s series editor selects notable works from hundreds of magazines, journals, and websites. A special guest editor, a leading writer in the field, then chooses the best twenty or so pieces to publish. This unique system has made the Best American series the most respected — and most popular — of its kind. The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2012 includes Kevin Brockmeier, Judy Budnitz, Junot Díaz, Louise Erdrich, Nora Krug, Julie Otsuka, Eric Puchner, George Saunders, Adrian Tomine, Jess Walter, and others [INSERT AUTHOR PHOTO] DAVE EGGERS, editor, is the editor of McSweeney’s and a cofounder of 826 National, a network of nonprofit writing and tutoring centers for youth, located in eight cities across the United States. He is the author of seven books, including What Is the What , Zeitoun , Wild Things , and A Hologram for the King . RAY BRADBURY, guest introducer, was one of the most celebrated writers of our time. Among his best-known works are Fahrenheit 451 , The Martian Chronicles , The Illustrated Man , Dandelion Wine , and Something Wicked This Way Comes . In 2000, Bradbury was honored by the National Book Foundation with a medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. His introduction was written just weeks before he died, on June 6, 2012. Look for the other best-selling titles in the Best American series: THE BEST AMERICAN COMICS THE BEST AMERICAN ESSAYS THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES THE BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE AND NATURE WRITING THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES THE BEST AMERICAN SPORTS WRITING THE BEST AMERICAN TRAVEL WRITING DAVE EGGERS  is the editor of McSweeney’s and a cofounder of 826 National, a network of nonprofit writing and tutoring centers for youth, located in seven cities across the United States. He is the author of four books, including What Is the What and How We Are Hungry .