Mike Curato’s award-winning graphic novel Flamer is included on a list of books banned from every public school in Greenville, South Carolina.
Before I read Flamer, I was struck by a quote from Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of Hey, Kiddo, included on the cover: “This book will save lives.”
That’s a big claim, but research from organizations like the Trevor Project has supported the idea that making students feel included saves lives: “LGBTQ+ young people who reported living in very accepting communities attempted suicide at less than half the rate of those who reported living in very unaccepting communities.”
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I've always believed that the cover blurb - the thought of queer kids' lives being saved - is their chief impetus for seeing through to getting Flamer banned. Prove to me it's not that.