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Rock Banned Book Club featuring "Flamer" by Mike Curato

Co-presented with the Prince George's County Office of Human Rights

PGCMLS and PGCOHR host a monthly book club to explore the top 10 challenged books of 2022. This month's discussion features "Flamer" by Mike Curato.

About "Flamer"

Award-winning author and artist Mike Curato draws on his own experiences in Flamer, his debut graphic novel, telling a difficult story with humor, compassion, and love.

I know I’m not gay. Gay boys like other boys. I hate boys. They’re mean, and scary, and they’re always destroying something or saying something dumb or both.

I hate that word. Gay. It makes me feel . . . unsafe.

It's the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone's going through changes—but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.

About Mike Curato

Mike was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City. He has been drawing ever since he could hold a pencil. Mike attended Syracuse University and has a BFA in Illustration. After college, he moved to Seattle, where he eventually began a career as a graphic designer. In 2012, Mike finally achieved his lifelong goal of becoming a published author & illustrator of children's books when Henry Holt Books for Young Readers (MacMillan) offered him a 3-book deal featuring his character, Little Elliot. The first book in the series, "Little Elliot, Big City" debuted August 26th, 2014. Mike currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Rock Banned Book Club Events (Locations TBC)

August 9, 2023 - "Flamer" by Mike Curato (Bowie Library)
September 13, 2023 - "All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M. Johnson
October 11, 2023 - "Lawn Boy" by Jonathan Evison"
November 8, 2023 - "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie (Accokeek Library)
December 13, 2023 - "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins
January 10, 2024 - "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Perez
February 14, 2024 - "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison (Spauldings Library)
March 13, 2024 - "A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Maas
April 10, 2024 - "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" by Jesse Andrews
May 8, 2024 - "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
June 12, 2024 - "This Book is Gay" by Juno Dawson