“Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

‘LGBTQ Latnx Students Share 12 Must-reads’ glsen.org

Recommended by Soli: This is a coming of age story about Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza and Dante Quintana, who befriend each other and struggle to understand race, sexuality, and family relationships together. This novel helped me overcome a loss in cultural identity I had as a young gay Chicana. Before this book, I had never seen Mexicano LGBTQ characters in young adult literature. I personally relate to Dante because he loves swimming and struggles with leaving people he loves behind.