Books for Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is a wonderful time to celebrate the diverse cultures of Latin America and the incredible richness they add to our own cultural landscape. Below are books for Hispanic Heritage Month, including a board book, picture books, middle grade, and YA. They cover a range of topics, including family, heritage, immigration, friendship, community, revolution, and identity.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I received complimentary copies of some of the books below for review purposes; however, all opinions are my own.
Books for Hispanic Heritage Month
Enjoy these books for Hispanic Heritage Month! They cover a range of topics and age groups!
Get in touch with indigenous wisdom in this new book for young readers. A mother explains in simple language how the rhythms of the moon affect the rhythms of our life, when we sync the cycles of our activities and dreams to the cycle of the heavens. Don’t be fooled by the fact that this is a board book! My almost nine year old was drawn to it right away and loved it immediately! The first of what will be a series of books on My Living World. Be sure to watch my interview with the author.
Buy When Moon Blooms on Amazon or Bookshop
This unique immigration story links the story of butterfly migration to that of a young girl waiting for her beloved father to return home to Mexico from his trek up north as a migrant worker. He tells her to watch for him when the weather turns cold and the monarch butterflies return from their own journey north. A beautiful book about how family and love transcend borders, always guiding us back home. Includes additional material about butterfly migration. Be sure to watch my interview with the author and illustrator.
Buy A Flicker of Hope on Amazon or Bookshop
When Emilia’s mother asks her to go shopping in town by herself, Emilia isn’t feeling very brave – especially when her mother gives her an old corte (a traditional Mayan skirt) to wear. Emilia would rather wear her own clothes and stay home, but she agrees to give it a try. She discovers that there is magic in the old corte after all! A gust of wind carries her to town, passing over a birthday party, dancing at the park, and more. Emilia realizes what she is missing out on by not being brave enough. After she finishes her shopping, she walks home and discovers how much fun she can have with a little courage. Written by a mother-daughter team, this book is a great one to spark discussions about connection to heritage, and being brave enough to try new (and sometimes old!) things.
Buy Emilia’s Corte on Amazon or Bookshop
Perla is a mighty dog with two incredible superpowers, but when she hears that her beloved Nico is being bullied at school, she feels helpless. If only she could go to school and bite the bully’s ankles! But it turns out that Nico watches Perla and learns from her courage in dealing with her own potential bully. Through her example, Perla helps Nico find his own mighty roar to scare away the boy who has been bothering him. A sweet story with a powerful message, from the indomitable Isabel Allende.
Buy Perla The Mighty Dog on Amazon or Bookshop
Available in Spanish as Perla la súper perrita on Amazon or Bookshop
Written by a marine biologist, this gorgeous underwater adventure combines science with indigenous mythology to create a breathtaking tale of courage and kindness. When the ocean goes dark, Maren the shark whale sets off to discover the problem. Along the way, she shares her brilliant shiny scales with new ocean friends, so that they can find their way in the darkness. She is happy to help her new friends but soon realizes she has given away all of her scales and has no light left for herself! Luckily, her new friends surround her with light and help her complete her quest to find the Aztec goddess to ask for help. In the end, the goddess shows Maren that she has taught them all a lesson about the importance of kindness and community. A beautiful story with dazzling illustrations, introducing children to creatures of the ocean as well as elements of Aztec mythology.
Buy Sea of Constellations on Amazon or Bookshop
This deceptively simple story neatly captures what it can feel like to live between cultures, as a young girl struggles with feeling like an outsider in her own family, all of whom live near the orange groves in California. By spending a special day with her abuelo working in the orange groves, the girl weaves her own tale into the larger story of her family, gaining a greater appreciation for the hard work of generations of her family. The book deftly captures the magic of the groves for those that labor in them as well as the painful history they simultaneously represent. A lovely debut picture book inspired by the author’s own experiences visiting her family in the orange groves of California.
Buy In the Groves on Amazon or Bookshop
This wordless book is an ode to childhood friendship, to days playing together in the sun, and to the loss and confusion one feels when that golden time comes to an end. In this allegorical tale, a young boy enjoys playing with his friend on their island home, until a storm carries him out to sea. He finds himself in an unfamiliar land, but despite his grief, he finds hope in the mango that has traveled with him. It is a gift for his new home, connecting him to the past. A poignant tale of loss and new beginnings, inspired by the author’s own experiences of immigrating from Cuba to the US as a child refugee.
Buy The Mango Tree/La Mata de Mango on Amazon or Bookshop
An indelible memory of my time in the Andes is of the hair-raising bus rides through the mountains. While the buses weren’t as colorful as the star of this beautiful book, the rides along narrow roads with the sheer drop-offs were definitely memorable! In this lovely picture book, La Chiva the bus is an important member of its Andean community, relied upon to help carry neighbors to and from the market. Each bus ride is a reunion among friends, who chat and sing as they travel through the mountains. But when something goes wrong with La Chiva one day, the passengers show their true community spirit by coming together to find a solution. The bouncing, rhyming text make the reader feel they are bumping along on the curving road, and the gorgeous artwork will make anyone want to hop immediately on a plane to Colombia.
Buy I Am La Chiva! on Amazon or Bookshop
This sweet book addresses a common situation in many immigrant families, in which there can be a language barrier between generations. Max loves spending time with his abuela, cooking special treats, but he relies heavily on the parrot Lorito to communicate with his Spanish speaking grandmother. Max does speak some Spanish, but he’s embarrassed after his cousins tease him about his accent. But one day Lorito is nowhere to be found. Can Max find the courage to speak Spanish with his grandmother, even if his accent isn’t perfect, or will they have to skip their beloved cooking sessions? A great story to encourage kids to embrace imperfection and recognize the rewards of trying something new or difficult. See my interview with the author.
Buy Squawk of Spanish on Amazon or Bookshop
Available in Spanish as Un graznido en español on Amazon or Bookshop
This heartwarming story demonstrates the power of love and community and shows the human side of immigration. A mother shares with her children the story of their father’s migration to the US in search of a better life, how they met and created a new family, with love, perseverance, and hard work. Along the way, they also built a new community, while still maintaining ties to family back home. A lovely book about how stories can connect us to the past and create a bridge toward the future. Be sure to watch my interview with the author.
Buy Not Far from Here on Amazon or Bookshop
Abuela’s visits from Peru are few and far between but always special. She brings with her treats from the home country of Dulce’s parents, but also greetings and love from family Dulce has never met. Her suitcase (maleta) is always packed with special gifts that help connect Dulce to Peru and to family. As the days of Abuela’s latest visit wind down, Dulce rations the treats, hoping to make the sweetness of the visit last even after Abuela has gone. But Abuela has a special surprise for Dulce! A suitcase of her own, tucked under her bed, full of treats and surprises to enjoy after Abuela’s departure, a reminder of the love that they always share despite the distance. A beautiful book about family ties that stretch across continents and how grandparents always find a way to share that special love with children far away.
Buy A Maleta Full of Treasures on Amazon or Bookshop
Young Estrella is sad to learn that her Tia Fortuna must leave her beloved house by the sea and move into a retirement home. But her aunt reminds her that as long as she carries the memories in her heart, she will always be at home. Estrella and her family descend from Sephardic Jews, who were forced from Spain in the 15th century, found refuge in Turkey and then in the New World. In her own lifetime, Tia Fortuna left her home in Cuba to settle in Miami, so she understands what it means to have to carry home with you, and she helps Estrella to understand the magic of family stories and memories in creating continuity during times of change. This book not only teaches a valuable lesson about adaptability, it also shows just how diverse Latin America truly is.
Buy Tía Fortuna’s New Home on Amazon or Bookshop
All Rooster has ever wanted was to fit in, but with a devil as a father, that was never very likely. Add to that the fact that his devilish heritage has somehow resulted in him being incredibly stinky (no matter how much he bathes), and Rooster has resigned himself to having only a few friends. When kids in town start to go missing, Rooster feels somewhat responsible, as he suspects his father has something to do with the disappearances. He promises to find the missing children and bring them back, a move that he hopes will win him some goodwill in the enchanted town of Tres Leches. Unfortunately, the task proves to be challenging in ways he hadn’t anticipated. Luckily, he has the help of his few trusted friends. Together, can they bring back the missing kids? A great read for older kids about doing the right thing, and learning to distinguish between what you want and what you need.
Buy Los Monstruos: Rooster and the Dancing Diablo on Amazon or Bookshop
What would you sacrifice in the fight for freedom? This YA novel, a companion to Sanctuary, is both a riveting adventure and a warning about the logical extension of current trends in our society. The New American Republic, in a bid to win the global water race – made worse by the climate crisis – finds a ready source of labor – undocumented immigrants. Thousands are rounded up and taken to a labor camp in the desert to dig for newly discovered aqualinium to make rain. The prisoners are subjected to abuse and experimentation, until finally they revolt, forming the resistance group SOLIS. The four alternating narrators weave a compelling story of a possible future, but one with echoes of past fascist governments. A story of courage and hope but also one of vengeance and loss, raising the question of whether you can defeat the enemy without becoming a monster yourself.
Buy Solis on Amazon or Bookshop
Set in the recent past in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, this emotionally wrenching queer coming of age novel is told in the voice of Libertad, a young woman on the cusp of adulthood. How can she look forward to her 18th birthday, though, when the country is like ticking bomb, ready to explode at any moment? Is her brother involved in the protests, which are often violently suppressed? And did her kiss with her best friend mean anything, even if her friend now has a boyfriend? On top of everything, Libertad is facing online harassment from the political poetry she has posted anonymously. Will there be a future where she can speak up without fear, without hiding who she really is? A tightly written novel of a young woman coming of age under difficult circumstances, discovering her voice and the courage to use it.
Buy Libertad on Amazon or Bookshop
In this new collaboration from this award-winning pair of authors, a young couple’s fate is tied to those of their past selves, who lived centuries earlier. Can they escape the cycle and remake themselves as something other than the star-crossed lovers they were in their previous incarnations? Told alternately by the two main characters, this YA novel is another tour de force from this author dream team, combining history, culture and spirituality into a powerful story of young love and self-discovery. Be sure to watch my interview with one of the authors.
Buy Hearts of Fire and Snow on Amazon or Bookshop
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