As a child, I remember hearing a lot about Black History Month, but until I was a teacher in Ft. Worth, Hispanic Heritage Month wasn’t really on my radar. I had been completely missing out on some incredible literature and a whole perspective of history. The National Hispanic Heritage Month website explains that this month is for “celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.” It is celebrated between September 15th and October 15th (there actually is a reason for those dates). Here are a few excellent YA titles you could read in celebration.
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass: Jessica reviewed this fantastic contemporary book earlier this year and we were fortunate enough to have an interview with Meg Medina too. This would be a two-for-one because you could also celebrate Banned Book Week with Yaqui after what happened earlier this month.
The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba’s Greatest Abolitionist: I loved this historical novel-in-verse by Margarita Engle that weaves a story around Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, an amazing young woman that I am eager to know more about now. She loved books, hated slavery, wanted equality for women, and spoke out to create change at a time when women were supposed to be decorative poperty. Excellent.
The Last Summer of the Death Warriors: “When Pancho arrives at St. Anthony’s Home, he knows his time there will be short: If his plans succeed, he’ll soon be arrested for the murder of his sister’s killer. But then he’s assigned to help D.Q., whose brain cancer has slowed neither his spirit nor his mouth. D.Q. tells Pancho all about his “Death Warrior’s Manifesto,” which will help him to live out his last days fully–ideally, he says, with the love of the beautiful Marisol. As Pancho tracks down his sister’s murderer, he finds himself falling under the influence of D.Q. and Marisol, who is everything D.Q. said she would be.” — summary via Goodreads
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: Jessica also reviewed this powerful book earlier this year. If you haven’t yet read it, you will want to grab it immediately. Warning – you may need tissues.
Under the Mesquite: This is another novel-in-verse and it has an autobiographical quality to it that McCall explains in this post at Lee & Low. It is a beautiful story of a Mexican American family maintaining hope through difficult times. Summer of the Mariposas, McCall’s second novel is also not to be missed. Audrey reviewed it here. It is a mix of contemporary and fantasy, but again is focused on family.
The Summer Prince: For a bit of dystopia, you will want to pick up this one. And just like the cover, the book is lush. We had a discussion about it earlier this month. *Spoilers* were included so look carefully if you haven’t read it yet.
**Quick edit here – this is actually not Hispanic, but rather Latin@ since it is set in Brazil. I made that mistake late at night while working on the post, but didn’t catch it right away.
Gringolandia: This is historical fiction dealing with human rights in Chile. It is also a book about family and how it shapes us. We were lucky enough to have Lyn Lachmann-Miller visit Rich in Color to share about writing outside of her culture.
Hammer of Witches: If it’s history with a bit of fantasy that you are looking for, this will fit the bill perfectly. I reviewed it back in April and the author Shana Mlawski also wrote a post for us about Diversity in Fantasy.
The Tequila Worm: A young teenage girl named Sofia tells of her coming of age in McAllen Texas. She’s part of a close community that loves and supports each other. Sofia works through her feelings for her family and culture as she attends an elite boarding school on scholarship.
Mexican WhiteBoy: This one is on my TBR list. “Danny’s tall skinny. Even though he’s not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any college scout would sign him on the spot. A 95 mph fastball, but the boy’s not even on a team. Every time he gets up on the mound he loses it.
But at his private school, they don’t expect much else from him. Danny’s brown. Half-Mexican brown. And growing up in San Diego that close to the border means everyone else knows exactly who he is before he even opens his mouth. Before they find out he can’t speak Spanish, and before they realize his mom has blond hair and blue eyes, they’ve got him pegged. Danny’s convinced it’s his whiteness that sent his father back to Mexico. And that’s why he’s spending the summer with his dad’s family. Only, to find himself, he might just have to face the demons he refuses to see right in front of his face.” — summary via Goodreads
The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano: This is another book on my TBR list. “There are two secrets Evelyn Serrano is keeping from her Mami and Papo? her true feelings about growing up in her Spanish Harlem neighborhood, and her attitude about Abuela, her sassy grandmother who’s come from Puerto Rico to live with them. Then, like an urgent ticking clock, events erupt that change everything. The Young Lords, a Puerto Rican activist group, dump garbage in the street and set it on fire, igniting a powerful protest. When Abuela steps in to take charge, Evelyn is thrust into the action. Tempers flare, loyalties are tested. Through it all, Evelyn learns important truths about her Latino heritage and the history makers who shaped a nation. Infused with actual news accounts from the time period, Sonia Manzano has crafted a gripping work of fiction based on her own life growing up during a fiery, unforgettable time in America, when young Latinos took control of their destinies.” — summary via Goodreads (By the way, there is a giveaway of this book going on at Vamos a Leer through Sept. 29)
If you still want more titles, School Library Journal had a post in January listing many Resources for Finding Latino Kid LIt, the new blog Latin@s in Kid Lit is a great resource too, the Florida Department of Education created a Hispanic Heritage Month Recommended Reading List, and the Hub also posted a great list this week which included links to other resources. Finally, I found this excellent list of Hispanic Authors on Cindy Rodriguez’s blog. Now, if there were only more hours in the day so we could read all of these!
If you have recommendations, please share them in the comments. Thanks!
