In the summer between middle school and high school, Aiden Navarro navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and finds himself drawn to Elias, a boy he can't stop thinking about.
For 14-year-old Aiden Navarro, scout camp highlights accomplishments and humiliations that last a lifetime. Aiden can’t escape the things he’s so often been bullied for: his weight, his Filipino heritage, and his effeminate voice. Each day documents events, from bonding over fireside songs and learning important skills to the micro- and macroaggressions that follow an adolescent boy of color who presents as effeminate. Readers also see Aiden's life before camp, from his stressful home with an emotionally abusive father to ever present bullies at school, all of which drive Aiden to his breaking point. Aiden is a boy who could live in any decade on his journey of self-discovery. This is a story that will be read and reread, and for some, it will be the defining book of their adolescence.
Flamer by Mike Curato is St. Joe County Public Library's One Book, One Michiana read for 2023.
Flamer is available in print and OverDrive/Libby e-book.
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