Skip to main content

Books from Hispanic and Latinx Creators to Read for Hispanic Heritage Month

Image
By

From September 15 - October 15 every year we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in America! This month-long celebration is a chance to recognize the history, culture, and contribution of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we want to spotlight some amazing Hispanic and Latinx children's book creators with great books you should read!

You should read....

Vamos!: Let's Go to the Market
By Raúl The Third
Boston: Versify, 2019. Picture book.

This Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor book introduces young readers to the vibrant world of Little Lobo and his dog Bernabe in a Mexican-American border town. Like a bilingual Richard Scarry, the pages of this book are filled with amazing details that bring this world to life while also introducing Spanish vocabulary and Mexican-American cultural references.

And you should also check out these other great books from Raúl The Third!

Stroller Coaster by Matt Ringler, illustrated by Raúl The Third
Training Day by Raúl The Third
Lowriders in Space by Raúl The Third

You should read...

By Pam Muñoz Ryan
New York: Scholastic Press, 2000. Historical fiction.

In 1930, 13-year-old Esperanza Ortega and her mother must flee a life of wealth and luxury in Aguascalientes, Mexico to become laborers in Southern California farms. They must adjust to a new life of hardship as they face the harsh circumstances of Mexican farm workers at the beginning of the Great Depression. Despite it all, Esperanza and her mother become resilient.

And you should also check out these other great books from Pam Muñoz Ryan!

Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Echo: A Novel by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Becoming Naomi León by Pam Muñoz Ryan

You should read...

By Duncan Tonatiuh
New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2015. Biography.

This picture book biography introduces young readers to the prolific Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada who is best remembered for his humorous calaveras images -- the well-dressed skeletons prominently featured in many Día de Muertos celebrations. This book offers a unique look at Mexican culture while also describing printmaking techniques like lithography, engraving, and etching. This book is a delight to read and informative as well.

And you should also check out these other great books from Duncan Tonatiuh!


You should read...

By Juana Martinez-Neal
Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2018. Picture book.

Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela is a little person with quite a big name! In fact, her name is so long that it never seems to fit -- she has to tape an extra paper on the page just to write her whole name! Alma's father sits her down to tell her the story of her name and the family history it represents. As she learns the story of her name, Alma realizes that her name fits perfectly. This story is brought to life by beautiful illustrations that represent Peru, where Juana Martinez-Neal was born.

And you should also check out these other books from Juana Martinez-Neal!

Zonia's Rain Forest by Juana Martinez-Neal
La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
La Madre Goose: Nursery Rhymes for Los Niños by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

You should read...

By Eric Velasquez
New York: Holiday House, 2019. Picture book.

Our young narrator Ramsey makes a painting of Super Octo and inadvertently inspires his grandmother to make pulpo guisado, octopus stew. Ramsey is suspicious when the octopus they pick out at the store seems to still be alive, and his suspicions are confirmed when the octopus escapes from the pot, grows into a giant monster, and captures Ramsey's Grandma. Ramsey dons a cape to rescue his grandma from the giant octo-monster in this fabulously tall tale, that is revealed to be a figment of Ramsey's imagination that he is telling to his intergenerational Afro-Latinx family.

And you should also check out these other books from Eric Velasquez!

Beautiful Moon: A Child's Prayer by Tonya Bolden, illustrated by Eric Velasquez
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Eric Velasquez
Grandma's Gift by Eric Velasquez

This barely scratches the surface of amazing Hispanic and Latinx creators making books for children, do you have any favorites we didn't share?

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stand Tall by Joan Bauer

By DeeDee
Stand Tall By Siena Siegel by Joan Bauer Putnam, 2002, 182 pgs Realistic Fiction Tree is 12 years old and over 6 feet tall. That would be great if he were a basketball player, but he is not. Dealing with his unusual size is not Tree's only challenge. Tree's parents have recently gone through a divorce, and his grandfather has had his leg amputated as the result of an old Vietnam War injury. The strength of this book is the characterizations. All of the main characters are dimensional and sympathetic. Bauer sets the characters in real and often funny family situations. Best of all is the character of Tree. He is boy with a heart to match his stature. This is a great book for boys or girls ages 9-12, as a read aloud or for individual reading. This book could also be a good Rx book for children whose families are going through divorce, or for anyone who feels like they don't fit in.
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The New Girl

By
The New Girl By Cassandra Calin New York: Graphix, 2024. Comic. 261 pages. 12-year-old Lia and her family have just moved from Romania to Montreal, and she's doing her best to keep up with the changes. But, she's homesick. She misses the rest of her family, her friends, and her favorite Romanian treats. She doesn't speak French and her English is shaky, which makes it hard to make friends, even in her international immersion class. And she's dealing with super painful menstrual cramps every month. But before long, Lia starts to hit her stride. She befriends the other bilingual girls in her class, she gets a spot as the artist for her school's magazine, and even has a new crush -- Julien. Though she may be the new girl, Lia is starting to fit in. This slice of life graphic novel is an adorable choice for middle grade readers and young teens. Lia is a likable protagonist and readers will have little difficulty relating to her adjustment to school. The text speaks to a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker

By
  Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker By Heidi Heilig New York: Greenwillow Books, 2025. Fiction. 291 pages. Thanks to Cincinnati Lee's no good, dirty rotten, artifact stealing great great great grandfather, Cincinnati's family is now cursed and Cincinnati feels like it's up to her to break the curse. Which involves trying to steal the artifacts back from museums that her grandfather robbed from graves and archeological sites around the world and return them to their countries of origin. But when Cincinnati's first artifact stealing mission goes awry, she decides it might be more effective to steal an all-powerful artifact herself that she can use to break the curse - The Spear of Destiny. Unfortunately her race for the spear will pit her against art smugglers and thieves intent on finding the ancient artifact themselves. If you are looking for an Indiana Jones read-alike, this is the perfect for you! Heavy on the adventure with similar levels of mysticism to those seen in th...
Post a Comment
Read more