Happy National Hispanic Heritage Month!
¡Feiz Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana!
National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15. This
month recognizes the contributions, achievements, and influences of Hispanic Americans to the
history and culture of the United States. Check out these books that are written by Hispanic
authors and/or feature characters who identify as Hispanic-American and were added to our
collection in 2022. Descriptions and suggested ages provided by the Publishers.
While the month is officially known by the term Hispanic, not all people use the term to identify
themselves. Currently the three most common identifiers are Hispanic, LatinX, and the newest is
Latine.
Hispanic
People who speak Spanish or are descended from Spanish-speaking populations
Latinx / Latino / Latina
People who are from or descended from people in Latin America.
Latine
Describes all people from or descended from Latin America. Adopts the letter “e” from the
Spanish language as a representation of gender neutrality.
Don’t forget to check out our book displays in Youth and Teen, and grab a special Hispanic
Heritage Month bookmark!
¡Celebramos Juntos!
Let’s Celebrate Together!
Picture Books & Board Books
The Queen in the Cave
New Juvenile Picture Book (E SARDA)
Written by Júlia Sardà.
Once upon a time there were three sisters: Franca, Carmela, and Tomasina. This is their story of adventure and discovery. A tale of hidden mysteries and new wonders, of finding a strange world beyond home and unlocking the secrets inside themselves.
With Lots of Love
Juvenile Picture Book (E TORRES SANCHEZ)
Written by Jenny Torres Sanchez, Illustrated by André Ceolin
Rocio and her family move from Central America to the United States, leaving behind their extended family and many happy memories, but Rocio’s Abuela finds a way to send her something special for her birthday.
If Your Babysitter is a Bruja
New Juvenile Holiday Picture Book (E HALLOWEEN SIQUEIRA)
Written by Ana Siqueira, Illustrated by Irena Freitas
If you get a new babysitter, and it’s almost Halloween, be wary…for she might just be a bruja!
The Book that Kibo Wrote
Juvenile Picture Book (E RUIZ JOHNSON)
Written by Mariana Ruiz Johnson, Translated by Lawrence Schimel
One night in the savanna, Kibo the rhino writes a book, and it travels from reader to reader, connecting animals from across the globe.
I’m hungry = ¡Tengo hambre!
Juvenile Picture Book (E DOMINGUEZ)
Written by Angela Dominguez
When a bluebird comes upon a dinosaur who’s down in the dumps, he asks what’s wrong. “¡Tengo hambre!” says the dinosaur. I’m hungry! Does the dinosaur want a banana? “¿Plátano? No.” Fish? “¿Pescado? No, gracias.” Nothing seems to do the trick! What does dinosaur want to eat?
Growing an Artist: the story of a landscaper and his son
Juvenile Picture Book (E PARRA)
Written by John Parra
Today Juanito is accompanying his father who is in the landscaping business, and he takes his sketchbook along to draw anything that catches his eye, and gets to help his father plan an entire garden–and then help plant it. Includes an autobiographical note.
My Party = Mi Fiesta
E BABY BOOKS OUR WORLD R
Written by Raúl the Third, colors by Elaine Bay
In this festive bilingual board book, join Coco Rocho and his friends as they gather all the things they need to throw a grand fiesta!
Something Happened to My Dad: a story about immigration and family separation
New Juvenile Picture Book (E HAZZARD)
Written by Ann Hazzard, PhD, ABPP and Vivianne Aponte Rivera, MD
Illustrated by Gloria Félix
Carmen’s family receives support from their community after her father, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, has been detained.
Lola Out Loud: Inspired by the Childhood of Activist Dolores Huerta
New Juvenile Picture Book (E TORRES)
Written by Jennifer Torres, Illustrated by Sara Palacios.
As Lola helps her mother at the family’s hotel, she learns about compassion, social injustice, and how one voice can lead to change. Includes author’s note on Dolores Huerta, a labor organizer who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association.
Again, Essie?
Juvenile Picture Book (E LACIKA)
Written by Jenny Lacika, Illustrated by Teresa Martínez
Rafael tries to save his toys from his baby sister, Essie, by building a wall from shoeboxes, toilet paper rolls, and other household objects in this playful exploration of 3-D geometry and spatial reasoning.
Juvenile Fiction and Comic Books
Join the Club, Maggie Diaz
New Juvenile Fiction (J MORENO)
Written by Nina Moreno, Illustrated by Courtney Lovett
Suggested for: Ages 8-12 / Grades 7-9
Seventh grade is all about figuring out who you are — good thing Maggie Diaz has the perfect plan! Maggie decides to join ALL the clubs at school, but juggling homework, friends, and all of her after-school activities is way harder than it looks.
Valentina Salazar is Not a Monster Hunter
New Juvenile Fiction (J CORDOVA)
Written by Zoraida Córdova
Suggested for: Ages 8-12 / Grades 4-6
Eleven-and-a-half-year-old Valentina Salazar grew up as a monster protector until her father’s loss, but when a video of a mythical egg appears, Valentina convinces her older brother and sister to help her find and save it–all while avoiding the monster hunters who want to destroy it.
Treasure Tracks
New Juvenile Fiction (J RODRIGUEZ)
Written by S.A. Rodriguez
Suggested for: Ages 10-14 / Grades 4-6
Twelve-year-old Fin drags his reluctant father on a diving hunt for a missing treasure, hoping that finding the family legacy will help his ailing Abuelo.
The Do-Over
New Juvenile Fiction (J TORRES)
Written by Jennifer Torres
Suggested for: Ages 9-12 / Grades 4-6
The Mendoza sisters need a do-over! Raquel and Lucinda used to be inseparable before their parents’ divorce. Now the twins are forced to spend time at their father’s ranch with his new girlfriend and her daughter! Raquel schemes to get rid of them while Lucinda starts to wonder if bringing back the family together is really worth the struggle.
ChupaCarter
New Juvenile Fiction (J LOPEZ)
Written by George Lopez with Ryan Calejo, Illustrated by Santy Gutiérrez
Suggested for: Ages 8-12 / Grades 4-6
Uprooted from his home in Los Angeles and sent to live with his cantankerous grandparents in New Mexico, twelve-year-old Jorge struggles with loneliness until he meets a new friend who happens to be a chupacabra!
Moonwalking
Juvenile Fiction (J ELLIOTT)
Written by Zetta Elliott
Suggested for: Ages 8-12 / Grades 10-12
In 1980s Brooklyn, new student and autistic punk-rock-lover JJ Pankowski befriends Pie Velez, an Afro-Latinx math geek and graffiti artist.
Falling Short
Juvenile Fiction (J CISNEROS)
Written by Ernesto Cisneros
Best friends Isaac and Marco face various challenges in sixth grade, such as Isaac getting better grades, Marco winning a spot on the basketball team, and both seeing their efforts make a change in their respective family lives. They hope their friendship and support for one another will be enough to help them from falling short.
Tumble
New Juvenile Fiction (J PEREZ)
Written by Celia C. Pérez
Suggested for: Ages 9-12 / Grades 4-6
Before she decides whether to accept her stepfather’s proposal of adoption, twelve-year-old Adela Ramírez reaches out to her estranged biological father–who is in the midst of a career comeback as a luchador–and the eccentric extended family of wrestlers she has never met, bringing Adela closer to understanding the expansive definition of family.
They Call Her Fregona: a Border Kid’s Poems
New Juvenile Fiction (J BOWLES)
Written by David Bowles
Suggested for: Ages 10 and up / Grades 7-9
Thirteen-year-old Güero stands by and supports his first girlfriend, Joanna, after the sudden deportation of her father.
Invisible
New Juvenile Comic Book (J GONZALEZ)
Written by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Illustrated by Gabriela Epstein with color by Lark Pien
Can five overlooked kids make one big difference? Although they’re sure they have nothing in common with one another, some people see them as all the same… just five Spanish-speaking kids. Then they meet someone who truly needs their help, and they must decide whether they are each willing to expose their own secrets to help… or if remaining invisible is the only way to survive middle school.
Juvenile World Language
Did you know we have a collection of books in Spanish? Check out the following and more in the World Languages Collection!
Book of Questions: Selections = Libro de las Preguntas: Selecciones
Juvenile World Language Book (SPANISH 861.62 NER)
Written by Pablo Neruda, Illustrated by Paloma Valdivia , Translated by Sara Lissa Paulson
Suggested for: Ages 6-15 / Grades 2-3
This Spanish-English bilingual edition is the first fully illustrated selection of Book of Questions. These poems, carefully woven together by theme and accompanying full-page illustrations, invite us to wonder at the natural world and the myriad mysteries it contains.
My Town = Mi Pueblo
Juvenile World Language Book (J SPANISH SOLIS)
Written by Nicholas Solis, Illustrated by Luisa Uribe
In this bilingual picture book, cousins from opposite sides of the border visit each other’s towns and delight in their similarities and differences.
Con Mucho Amor
Juvenile World Language Book (J SPANISH TORRES)
Written by Jenny Torres Sanchez, Illustrated by André Ceolin
Suggested for: Ages 4-8 / Grades K-1
Rocio has grown up in Central America, but now she and her family are moving to the United States. Rocio does her best to adjust to a new way of living, but there are many things she misses from her old life–Abuela’s cooking, Abuela’s pinata creations, Abuela’s warm hugs, and of course, Abuela herself most of all. But Abuela finds a way to send Rocio something special just in time for her birthday–a gift wrapped with lots of love–and that fills Rocio to the brim.
Me Gustan los Bichos
Juvenile World Language Book (J SPANISH BROWN)
Written by Margaret Wise Brown, Illustrated by G. Brian Karas, Translated by Juan Vicario
In brief rhyming text, lists all the types of insects the narrator likes. Translation of the book I Like Bugs.
Teen Fiction, Nonfiction and Graphic Novels
There are even more Teen selections on the Teen Instagram account! (@deerfieldlibraryteen)
Abuela, Don’t Forget Me
New Teen Nonfiction (306.8745 OGL)
Written by Rex Ogle
Rex Ogle’s companion to Free Lunch and Punching Bag weaves humor, heartbreak, and hope into life-affirming poems that honor his grandmother’s legacy. Throughout a coming of age marked by violence and dysfunction, Abuela’s red-brick house in Abilene, Texas, offered Rex the possibility of home, and Abuela herself the possibility for a better life.
Amazona
New Teen Graphic Novel (CANIZALES)
Written by Canizales ; translated by Sofía Huitrón Martínez
Suggested for: Ages 14-18 / Grades 10-12
Andrea, a young Indigenous Colombian woman, has returned to the land she calls home. Only nineteen years old, she comes to mourn her lost child, carrying a box in her arms. And she comes with another mission. Andrea has hidden a camera upon herself. If she can capture evidence of the illegal mining that displaced her family, it will mark the first step toward reclaiming their land.
The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School
New Teen Fiction (REYES, S.)
Written by Sonora Reyes
Suggested for: Ages 13 and up / Grades 10-12
Sixteen-year-old Mexican American Yami Flores starts Catholic school, determined to keep her brother out of trouble and keep herself closeted, but her priorities shift when Yami discovers that her openly gay classmate Bo is also annoyingly cute.
This is Why They Hate Us
New Teen Fiction (ACEVES, A.)
Written by Aaron H. Aceves
Suggested for: Ages 14 and up / Grades 10-12
Enrique “Quique” Luna has one goal this summer–get over his crush on Saleem Kanazi by pursuing his other romantic prospects. Never mind that he’s only out to his best friend, Fabiola. Never mind that he has absolutely zero game. And definitely forget the fact that good and kind and, not to mention, beautiful Saleem is leaving L.A. for the summer to meet a girl his parents are trying to set him up with.
Does my body offend you?
Teen Fiction (CUEVAS, M.)
Written by Mayra Cuevas and Marie Marquardt
A timely story of two teenagers who discover the power of friendship, feminism, and standing up for what you believe in, no matter where you come from. A collaboration between two gifted authors writing from alternating perspectives, this compelling novel shines with authenticity, courage, and humor.
We Weren’t Looking to be Found
New Teen Fiction (KUEHN, S.)
Written by Stephanie Kuehn
Suggested for: Ages 14-18 / Grades 10-12
When Dani and Camila find themselves rooming together at Peach Tree Hills, a treatment facility in beautiful rural Georgia, they initially think they’ll never get along and they’ll never get better. Then they find a mysterious music box filled with letters from a former resident of PTH, and together they set out to solve the mystery of who this girl was . . . and who she’s become.
Reclaim the Stars : 17 Tales Across Realms & Space
Teen Fiction (RECLAIM)
Edited by Zoraida Córdova
Suggested for: Ages 12-18
In this collection of stories by acclaimed young adult authors, the Latin American diaspora travels to places of fantasy and out into space.
Echoes of Grace
Teen Fiction (MCCALL, G.)
Written by Guadalupe García McCall
Suggested for: Ages 14 and up / Grades 10-12
On the Texas-Mexico border, eighteen-year-old Grace’s relationship with her older sister Mercy is fractured when Mercy’s two-year-old son dies in an accident, bringing to the surface old family traumas and literal ghosts as the family struggles to heal.
Ophelia After All
Teen Fiction (MARIE, R.)
Written by Racquel Marie
Suggested for: Ages 13-18 / Grades 10-12
Seventeen-year-old Ophelia Rojas, well known for her rose garden and her dramatic crushes on every boy in sight, begins to question her sexuality and sense of self when she starts to fall for cute, quiet Talia Sanchez in the weeks leading up to their high school prom and graduation.
Only Pieces
New Teen Fiction (TELLO, E)
Written by Edd Tello
Edgar wants nothing more than to live his life out loud, but telling the truth about his sexuality isn’t so easy in his traditional Mexican-American family. With Alex, popular football player at school, Edgar feels happy and free, believing he might finally pick up all the broken pieces of his heart. But falling in love is more complicated than Edgar can ever imagine–and coming out might destroy the only life he’s ever known.
