NYC Special Edition! Teen Banned Book Club with Sonora Reyes

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NYPL cardholders can access The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School right away on our free e-reader app, SimplyE. Download the app and look for "Teen Banned Book Club" on the home screen.

Check out our all-new discussion guide for The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School and discover previous Banned Book Club titles!

Seventeen-year-old Yamilet prefers drawing attention for her killer eyeliner, not for being one of the only Mexican kids at her new mostly white Catholic school. At least here no one knows she's gay, and she intends to keep it that way. After a harsh rejection from her crush at her old school, she could use the fresh start.

It's harder to fake being straight when Bo, the only openly queer girl at school, is so annoyingly cute. Yami isn't sure if she likes Bo or if she's just jealous of her unapologetic nature. Either way, she isn't ready to make the same mistake again. If word got to her mom, she could face a lot worse than rejection.

Here, she has new priorities. Make her mom proud, keep her brother out of trouble, and most importantly, don't fall in love. Granted, she's never been good at any of those things—but that's a problem for future Yami.

Born and raised in Arizona, Sonora Reyes is the author of contemporary Young Adult novels The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School and The Luis Ortega Survival Club.

They write fiction full of queer and Latinx characters in a variety of genres, with current projects in both kidlit and adult categories. Sonora is also a co-founder of QPOCfest, a virtual book festival celebrating queer and trans BIPOC authors and books.

Outside of writing, Sonora loves dancing, singing karaoke, and playing with their baby niblings.

The New York Public Library stands by the right to read freely. In response to recent increases in book banning and censorship across the country—particularly targeting books for young people— NYPL is partnering with the American Library Association to provide opportunities for teens across the country to access frequently banned books, participate in events, and exercise the freedom to read. Get updates and download our free toolkit!

• Download our free toolkit and learn more about how to get involved in your community.
• Discover more ways to take action and #UniteAgainstBookBans.
• Check out previous editions of our Banned Book Club!

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