Last time, I showcased fiction books for Hispanic Heritage Month; this time, it’s the teen and kids—specifically Middle Grade—books. You’ll find books exploring ghosts and Mexican urban legends, being an American with undocumented parents, what it means to be illegal, finding love in the most unexpected places, and so much more!
These are the teen and kids books on my bookstore’s Hispanic Heritage Month display this year:
“Some people ARE illegal. Lobizonas do NOT exist. Both of these statements are false.”
“An #ownvoices contemporary YA set in Argentina, about a rising soccer star who must put everything on the line—even her blooming love story—to follow her dreams.”
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
“A dazzling novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright.”
Anger Is A Gift by Mark Oshiro
A teenage boy and his classmates “find themselves being increasingly treated like criminals by their own school, and decide to organize and push back against the administration.”
The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante
“This stunning YA debut is a timely and heartfelt speculative narrative about healing, faith, and freedom. It’s a tender tale that explores the heartbreak and consequences of when both love and human beings are branded illegal.”
Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez
“A lush tapestry of magic, romance, and revolución, drawing inspiration from Bolivian politics and history.”
Reclaim the Stars by Zoraida Cordova
“Reclaim the Stars is a collection of bestselling and acclaimed YA authors that take the Latin American diaspora to places fantastical and out of this world. Authors include Daniel José Older, Yamile Saied Méndez, Anna-Marie McLemore, Mark Oshiro, Romina Garber, David Bowles, Lilliam Rivera, Claribel Ortega, Isabel Ibañez, Sara Faring, Maya Motayne, Nina Moreno, Vita Ayala, J.C. Cervantes, Circe Moskowitz, Linda Nieves Pérez, and Zoraida Córdova.”
The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore
“When two teens discover that they were both sexually assaulted at the same party, they develop a cautious friendship through her family’s possibly-magical pastelería, his secret forest of otherworldly trees, and the swallows returning to their hometown”
How Moon Fuentez Feel in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliand
“A romance starring a Mexican American teen who discovers love and profound truths about the universe when she spends her summer on a road trip across the country. ”
“A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas’s paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys. ”
Gabi, A Girl In Pieces by Isabel Quintero
“Gabi Hernandez chronicles her last year in high school in her diary: college applications, Cindy’s pregnancy, Sebastian’s coming out, the cute boys, her father’s meth habit, and the food she craves. And best of all, the poetry that helps forge her identity.”
Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp
“I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter meets Emergency Contact in this stunning Pura Belpré Honor Book about first love, familial expectations, the power of food, and finding where you belong.”
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
“Love & Gelato meets Don’t Date Rosa Santos in this charming, heartfelt story following a Miami girl who unexpectedly finds love—and herself—in a small English town.”
Thirty Talks Weird Love by Alessandra Narváez Varela
“A 13-year-old girl growing up in Mexico is visited by her 30-year-old future self in this powerful Young Adult novel in verse about accepting yourself.”
When We Make It by Elisabet Velasquez
“When We Make It is a love letter to anyone who was taught to believe that they would not make it. To those who feel their emotions before they can name them. To those who still may not have all the language but they have their story. ”
Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar
“From the prolific author of The Moon Within comes the heart-wrenchingly beautiful story in verse of a young Latinx girl who learns to hold on to hope and love even in the darkest of places: a family detention center for migrants and refugees.”
Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega & Rose Bousamra
“A middle grade graphic novel about Marlene, a young girl who stops straightening her hair and embraces her natural curls.”
Efren Divided by Ernesto Cisneros
“A boy’s worst nightmare coming true when his mother doesn’t return home and is deported. Now more than ever, Efrén must channel his inner Soperboy to help take care of and try to reunite his family.”
Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina
“Thoughtful, strong-willed sixth-grader Merci Suarez navigates difficult changes with friends, family, and everyone in between in a resonant new novel from Meg Medina.”
The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez
“The First Rule of Punk is a wry and heartfelt exploration of friendship, finding your place, and learning to rock out like no one’s watching.”
The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas
“In this magical middle-grade debut novel from Adrianna Cuevas, The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, a Cuban American boy must use his secret ability to communicate with animals to save the inhabitants of his town when they are threatened by a tule vieja, a witch that transforms into animals.”
The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz
“Twelve-year-old Jaime makes the treacherous and life-changing journey from his home in Guatemala to live with his older brother in the United States in this gripping and realistic middle grade novel.”
Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres
“A heartwarming and charming debut novel about family, friends, and finding your voice all wrapped up in a warm tortilla.”
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya
“Save the restaurant. Save the town. Get the girl. Make Abuela proud. Can thirteen-year-old Arturo Zamora do it all or is he in for a BIG, EPIC FAIL?”
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia
“A thrilling fantasy adventure based on the Mexican legend of La Llorona (the Crying Woman), a 12-year-old attempts to find her friends by entering the world of her nightmares, which includes unnatural mist, mind-bending monsters, and relentless spirits controlled by a terrifying force that defies both logic and legend.”
The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes
“Feisty heroes, tricky gods, murderous demons, and spirited giants are just some of the pleasures that await in this fresh and funny take on Maya mythology, as rich and delicious as a mug of authentic hot chocolate.”
Sal & Gabi Fix the Universe by Carlos Hernandez
“Sal and Gabi have to try to make everything right with our world when there is a rogue Gabi from another universe running loose.”
Muse Squad: The Cassandra Curse by Chantel Acevedo
“The first in a middle grade fantasy duology about a Cuban American girl who discovers that she’s one of the nine Muses of Greek mythology.”
Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera
“When a powerful desert spirit kidnaps her sister, Cece Rios must learn forbidden magic to get her back, in this own voices middle grade fantasy perfect for fans of The Storm Runner and Aru Shah and the End of Time.”
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