Gonzalez, Rigoberto. The Mariposa Club. 2009. 216p. Alyson, $14.95. (978-1-59350-106-8). Gr. 10-12.

During their final years in high school, the Fierce Foursome—Maui, Trini, Isaac, and Lib—want to memorialize their high schools years by creating Caliente Valley High School’s first LGBT organization, the Mariposa Club, an action that brings out a mix of love from some of their family members and violence from the local gang. Spanish for butterfly, Mariposa is generally used as a derogatory term for homosexual men in the Spanish-speaking community, but these four decide to redefine the label into a term for champions. In this book about the hardships that come from being openly gay in high school, the voices are strong and separate. Each of them shows his personality as they work through their problems in a homophobic community. The issues that they address—gays who stay in the closet, parents who reject their sexual orientation, stereotypes of gay/lesbian youth that don’t work—are realistically presented. And the dialog rings wonderfully true! –Nel Ward