
Where It's Banned
Last Night at the Telegraph Club has been banned in school districts in the following states: North Carolina, Florida, Utah, South Carolina, Maryland, Texas, Virginia, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Tennessee, & Alaska (2021-2024 school years) https://pen.org/book-bans/pen-america-index-of-school-book-bans-2023-2024/

Why It's Banned
According to the author Malinda Lo, BookLooks* rated Last Night at the Telegraph Club as “Not For Minors,” and claims the book “contains obscene sexual activities; sexual nudity; alternate sexualities; and derogatory term.”
As someone who actually read the book, i know that none of the experiences the main character has are graphic or lewd. They just depict the life of an average teenage girl. Teens explore and it’s wild to pretend that this book would be the inspiration for that. Of course, the “alternate sexualities” they’re referring to is likely tied to the main character being a lesbian.
*What is BookLooks?
According to Book Riot, "across Moms For Liberty Facebook groups, as well similar “parents rights” groups across the country, a new resource has emerged heeding the call: BookLooks...It is a tool developed by Moms For Liberty being used to push their agendas even further under the guise of protecting children."
Why I Recommend This Book
I love this book for so many reasons! Malinda Lo places readers in Lily's (MC) shoes and includes timelines, footnotes, flashbacks, and an author's note in order to help readers understand the context of Lily's story. The timelines include the Chinese Exclusion Act, World War II, and McCarthyism, among other things. Lo is able to include traditional Chinese characters, as well as romanizations of Mandarin & Cantonese with the help of footnotes.
I wrote a full review on this book in 2021: https://www.bookishafrolatina.com/post/last-night-at-the-telegraph-club-by-malinda-lo
How to Access This Book

This is one of my most used apps on my phone because I can add e-cards from my local library, state library, AND the Queer Liberation Library to check out e-books and e-audiobooks. It is available on browsers, Apple's app store, Google Play, and the Amazon app store.

Similar to Libby, I can access e-books and e-audiobooks from my library on here but I can also access films, comics, and music. On Hoopla, we also don't have to wait until another person is done with the book before we borrow it! It is available on browsers, Apple's app store, Google Play, and the Amazon app store.
Books Unbanned is a resource is meant to help those who are struggling to access banned books in their states! Brooklyn Public Library founded Books Unbanned in 2022 and now, you can get access through multiple library systems as residents of the US.
The Banned Book Club, launched by Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) makes digital versions of banned books available to readers nationwide. The ebooks are available to all readers across the country for free via the Palace e-reader app.
More Resources For This Book
Book Résumés help teachers, librarians, parents, and community members defend books from censorship. They detail each title’s significance and educational value and are easy to share with administrators, book review committees, elected officials, and board members.
You want access to queer books like this but your library doesn't have Libby or have this book in their collection? Sign up for a library card through the Queer Liberation Library!
"Queer Liberation Library fights to build a vibrant, flourishing queer future by connecting LGBTQ+ people with literature, information, and resources that celebrate the unique and empowering diversity of our community."
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