Monday, September 15th to Wednesday, October 15th marks the month-long celebration of Hispanic and Latino history and culture. This coincides with the independence days of several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Ending on October 15th includes Mexico’s Independence Day and several other important Latin American historical anniversaries.
The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded to a 30 day period under President Ronald Reagan in 1988.
Hispanic refers to people from Spanish-speaking countries or territories, including Spain, most of Latin America, and Equatorial Guinea. Latino refers to people from Latin America (a region encompassing Brazil, the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, and all of Central and South America) but excludes Spain.
Core values in Hispanic culture include familismo (a deep, collective loyalty to the family), religion, respect for elders, community (strong bonds and support systems), and personal relationships built on respect and harmony (respeto and simpatÃa). Food, music, and cultural celebrations are also vital aspects of the culture and life.
This month we have collected books from the middle grades to represent our Hispanic Heritage collection. Take a look at some of our favorite books that celebrate Hispanic Heritage at RPL!
Lucky Broken Girl
Author:
Ruth Behar
Genre:
Historical Fiction
Ruthie Mizrahi is a Cuban-Jewish immigrant in1960s New York. When she was nine she was in a severe car accident. During her recovery, Ruthie was in a full body cast. Her world shrinks, forcing her to find connection through observing her diverse neighborhood. With the help of supportive friends and neighbors, especially Ruthie’s mentor Chicho, she learns to paint, navigate her fear of walking again, and discover that “lucky” means more than just avoiding misfortune.Â
A Dash of Trouble
Author:
Anna Meriano
Genre:
Fantasy/Magical Realism
Leo Logroño, a young Mexican-American girl, feels left out as the youngest of five sisters in a family of powerful witches, or brujas. When Leo discovers her family’s secret—that they pour magic into the baked goods at their popular Texas bakery—Leo begins secretly practicing from a stolen family spellbook.
Determined to help her best friend with a boy problem, Leo attempts a love spell. The magic, however, goes hilariously wrong and spirals out of control. As she desperately tries to fix her magical mess before her family finds out, Leo learns an important lesson about the consequences of her actions, the true nature of friendship, and the bonds of sisterhood. This novel is a sweet, warmhearted story about growing up and finding your place within a magical family.
Ultraviolet
Author:
Aida Salazar
Genre:
Realistic Fiction/Novel in Verse
Ultraviolet follows 13-year-old Elio Solis as he navigates the tumultuous territory of eighth grade, first love, and impending manhood. When Elio falls for his classmate Camelia, his world is so profoundly changed that he begins to see everything in vibrant ultraviolet hues. However, his perspective shifts when he experiences his first heartbreak.Â
The story addresses significant themes including consent, healthy masculinity, puberty, and father-son relationships. Elio grapples with conflicting expectations of manhood from his traditional father and a more progressive world. Seeking guidance, he joins a community group called Brothers Rising, where he and other boys explore a more conscious path to adolescence. Through humor and heartfelt verse, the book challenges stereotypes and ultimately offers Elio a new way to understand himself and his place in the world.
Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs
Author:
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Genre:
Fantasy
The night before Princess Solimar of San Gregorio turns fifteen (her quinceañera) she becomes the protector of the monarch butterflies. With this, her silk shawl, or rebozo, becomes enchanted with the magic of the butterflies, granting her the ability to see the near future. This newfound power becomes a burden when a greedy neighboring king, Aveno, invades while her father is away.
After escaping the invasion, Solimar embarks on a dangerous quest to warn her father and save her kingdom. With the help of her pet quetzal bird, a magical talking doll, and a river boy, she must discover her inner strength and use her unique abilities to defeat King Aveno and protect the ancestral home of the monarchs.
Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna
Author:
Alda P. Dobbs
Genre:
Historical Fiction
This is based on a true story. In 1913, after Petra Luna’s mother dies and her father is dragged away by soldiers all while the Revolution rages in Mexico, Petra vows she will take care of the family she has left – her grandmother, sister, and brother. They flee north towards the United States border. Their journey takes them through battlefields and deserts, hunger and danger to get to the border. Petra, despite her family’s hardships and traditional views, holds onto her “barefoot dreams” of safety, food, and most importantly, learning to read and write. The novel follows Petra’s determination to keep her family safe and achieve a better future in America, highlighting themes of hope, courage, and the value of dreaming big even in the face of devastation. Â
Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa
Author:
Julian Randall
Genre:
Fantasy/Mythology
Aspiring filmmaker Pilar “Purp” Ramirez is transported from Chicago to the magical island of Zafa. Pilar is on Zafa to investigate the disappearance of her cousin, Natasha, who vanished decades earlier during the Trujillo dictatorship. On Zafa, a mythical land of folklore creatures, Pilar partners with a resistance fighter named Carmen to confront El Cuco, the Dominican bogeyman, and his evil forces. She learns that Natasha and others disappeared are imprisoned in La Blanca, a magical prison built by Trujillo and El Cuco. To free them and stop the evil, Pilar must overcome fear and embrace the role of a hero, using her quick wit and strength to rescue her cousin and save Zafa.Â
I Lived on Butterfly Hill
Author:
Marjorie AgosÃn
Genre:
Historical Fiction
I Lived on Butterfly Hill tells the story of Celeste Marconi, a young girl whose idyllic life in Valparaiso, Chile is shattered by the 1973 military coup led by Augusto Pinochet. When her doctor parents are targeted by the regime, they send Celeste to live with an aunt in Maine. Celeste must then navigate a new country, culture, and language, all while grappling with the fear and uncertainty of her parents’ safety. The book, based on true events and written by acclaimed poet Marjorie AgosÃn, explores themes of exile, resilience, and the power of language, culminating in Celeste’s eventual return to a country still recovering from the dictatorship, where she uses writing to help her community heal. Â
In the United States, Celeste experiences loneliness and hardship as she adjusts to a different climate, culture, and language. Despite the challenges, she finds friendship and learns to adapt to her new surroundings.
Graciela in the Abyss
Author:
Meg Medina
Genre:
Fantasy
In Meg Medina’s fantasy novel Graciela in the Abyss, a young girl drowns and wakes up 100 years later as a sea ghost who makes sea glass. Guided by her friend Amina, she navigates the ghostly underwater world, balancing the sea’s fragile ecosystem and assisting newly awakened spirits. Meanwhile, on land, 12-year-old Jorge, whose family runs a blacksmith forge, discovers a powerful harpoon crafted by a vengeful ancestor to kill sea spirits.
When the harpoon injures Graciela’s friend and threatens both worlds, the unlikely pair must join forces. They embark on a quest to confront evil forces, destroy the cursed weapon, and prevent it from wreaking havoc on the living and the dead. The adventure explores themes of courage, friendship, and finding hope in the deepest, darkest places.
Treasure of the World
Author:
Tara Sullivan
Genre:
Realistic Fiction
Treasure of the World follows 12-year-old Ana, who lives with her family in a desolate Bolivian silver mining community. In her town, boys are destined to become miners and girls their wives. When Ana’s abusive father forces her sick, 11-year-old brother Daniel into the dangerous mines, Ana courageously volunteers to take his place. After a devastating cave-in kills her father and leaves Daniel missing, Ana must navigate the dangerous underworld of the mine.Â
The book explores themes of generational poverty, child labor, and the deep historical inequities experienced by the mining community. Ana’s journey highlights her resilience as she tries to save her family and find a way out of the crushing despair of their circumstances.
Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows
Author:
Ryan Calejo
Genre:
Fantasy
Ryan Calejo’s debut fantasy novel, Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows, follows a middle-schooler whose life is upended by a house fire and his parents’ disappearance. Charlie soon begins to develop bizarre physical symptoms, like growing horns and feathers that resemble the mythical creatures from his late abuela’s Hispanic folklore tales. With the help of his crush, investigative journalist Violet Rey, Charlie discovers his grandmother’s stories are real.Â
He is drawn into an ancient conflict between La Liga, a secret society protecting the mortal world, and La Mano Negra, a sinister group of evil spirits. Using his knowledge of the legends and his transforming body, Charlie and Violet must navigate a world of supernatural beings to find his missing parents and save the world from darkness.
Invisible
Author:
Christina Diaz Gonzalez
Genre:
Graphic Novel/Contemporary
Invisible, by Christina Diaz Gonzalez and illustrated by Gabriela Epstein, is a graphic novel about five Latinx middle schoolers who are lumped together for community service despite their vastly different backgrounds. The story, inspired by The Breakfast Club, follows George, Nico, Dayara, Miguel, and Sara, who are initially strangers assigned to work in the school cafeteria. While serving time under a grumpy lunch lady, they discover they are stereotyped and feel unseen by others.
However, when they encounter a homeless woman and her child, their initial differences fade. The group must come together, revealing their personal struggles and secrets, to offer help. Told in both English and Spanish, the graphic novel’s narrative unfolds through flashbacks in the principal’s office, showing how their collective act of compassion brought them together and made them feel seen.
The Moon Within
Author:
Aida Salazar
School:
Fiction/Novel in verse
Aida Salazar’s verse novel, The Moon Within, follows eleven-year-old Celi Rivera as she navigates the challenges of puberty, friendship, and cultural heritage. Celi is mortified by the prospect of her first period, especially because her mother wants to celebrate it with a “moon ceremony,” an ancestral Mexican ritual.
At the same time, her best friend, Magda, comes out as genderfluid and asks Celi to use the name Marco and he/him pronouns. A rift forms when Celi’s new crush, Iván, cruelly mocks Marco, and Celi initially prioritizes her crush over her friend. Ultimately, Celi learns to embrace her own identity, reconnect with her culture, and stand up for her friend, proving that true friendship is more important than a crush.
The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez
Author:
Adrianna Cuevas
Genre:
Fantasy
In Adrianna Cuevas’s The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, Cuban American boy Nestor moves to a new town with his mom to live with his grandmother while his dad is deployed. To keep a low profile, Nestor wants to hide his secret ability to talk to animals, but the townsfolk become suspicious when local animals start disappearing. Nestor discovers the culprits are a magical tule vieja, a witch who absorbs animal powers during a solar eclipse. He must overcome his desire for secrecy, work with new friends, and use his unique gift to expose the witch and save the town before the upcoming eclipse.
Curveball
Author:
Pablo Cartaya
Genre:
Graphic Novel
In Pablo Cartaya’s graphic novel Curveball, baseball-loving middle schooler Elena Rueda struggles with the intense pressure to be the best, a burden passed down from her overbearing mother. Though the only girl on her team, Elena’s skill is undeniable, but the sport has stopped being fun. A knee injury forces Elena off the field for the summer, a secret relief until she realizes she doesn’t know who she is without baseball.
Seeking a different kind of camaraderie, Elena is drawn into the world of live-action role-playing (LARPing) with her younger brother Benji and his quirky friends. Initially skeptical of a game without a scoreboard, she gradually discovers the joy of imaginative play. As a new baseball season approaches, Elena must navigate her mother’s expectations and her newfound passion, learning to find her voice and decide what playing—and life—is all about for her.
Mañanaland
Author:
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Genre:
Fantasy
Mañanaland is a coming-of-age story about Maximiliano “Max” Córdoba, a young boy in the village of Santa Maria. Max loves playing soccer and longs to learn more about his mother, who disappeared when he was a baby, but his protective father refuses to speak about her. After Max discovers his family’s secret legacy of acting as “Guardians” to help refugees fleeing a neighboring country, he volunteers for a mission to escort a young girl to safety.
Motivated by his newfound responsibility and the hope of finding answers about his mother, Max embarks on a dangerous journey guided by a compass and a family legend. Through his quest, he learns that the mythical “Mañanaland”—where the refugees seek safety—is not a literal destination, but a metaphor for hope and a better tomorrow. Max’s adventure helps him understand his family’s past and accept life’s uncertainties, finding closure and embracing his own future.
#bookchat #bookrecommendations #bookrecs #childrensbooks #kidsbooks #rplrecommends #storytimeathome #tweenbooks #yabooks #yareads #youthservices 2021rplteenreadingchallenge authors book recommendations book recs book reviews books booksforteens byteensforteens celebrations children children's books Fiction ireadya law Law Library LGBT music nonfiction picture books poetry readingchallenge reading suggestions richmond storytime at home teenreadingchallenge teenreads teens volunteen ya yabooks yafiction yareads youngadult young adult
