The Real Riley Mayes

Name: The Real Riley Mayes
Author: Rachel Elliott

Rachel Elliott · 2024

Literary fiction

Banned in 1 country

About this book

A Stonewall Book Award Honor * A Sid Fleishman Humor Award Honor Funny and full of heart, this debut graphic novel is a story about friendship, identity, and embracing all the parts of yourself that make you special. Fifth grade is just not Riley’s vibe. Everyone else is squaded up—except Riley. Her best friend moved away. All she wants to do is draw, and her grades show it. One thing that makes her happy is her favorite comedian, Joy Powers. Riley loves to watch her old shows and has memorized her best jokes. So when the class is assigned to write letters to people they admire, of course Riley’s picking Joy Powers! Things start to look up when a classmate, Cate, offers to help Riley with the letter, and a new kid, Aaron, actually seems to get her weird sense of humor. But when mean girl Whitney spreads a rumor about her, things begin to click into place for Riley. Her curiosity about Aaron’s two dads and her celebrity crush on Joy Powers suddenly make more sense. Readers will respond to Riley’s journey of self-discovery and will recognize themselves in this character who is less than perfect but trying her best. And creative kids will recognize themselves in her love of art and drawing. While often funny and light, Riley’s exploration of what it feels to be an outsider and how hard it can be to make a friend break your heart in the best way. And with all of Riley’s hijinks and missteps, this story is laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish.

Censorship history

In 2024, "The Real Riley Mayes" by Rachel Elliott faced bans at the school level across various districts in the United States due to its LGBTQ+ content and perceived immorality. These challenges were often initiated by local parent-teacher associations and conservative advocacy groups, leading to school board votes that upheld the bans in several instances. The book's removal from school libraries sparked protests from students and advocates for LGBTQ+ representation, highlighting the ongoing debates surrounding educational content and censorship.