Latino Books

Picture Books |  Fiction | Folklore | Poetry and Song | Nonfiction

The books recommended below were published within the last several years. Grade levels are only suggestions; the individual child is the real criterion.

Picture Books
Suggested grade level listed with each entry

Hairs/Pelitos written by Sandra Cisneros, illustrated by Terry Ybanez (Apple Soup)
In this inspired tale of diversity, a young girl describes her family members’ different types of hair. Grade level: K–3. 25 pages.

Quinito, Day and Night / Quinito, dia y noche written by Ina Cumpiano, illustrated by Jose Ramirez (Children’s Book Press)
Readers follow Quinito through a day as he describes, in both English and Spanish, his family, friends, and activities in terms of opposites. Grade level: Preschool–2. 24 pages.

Isla written by Arthur Dorros, illustrated by Elisa Kleven (Dutton)
In this follow-up to Abuela, Rosalba accompanies her grandmother to her beloved island home, soaring over rainforests, harbors, and markets. Grade level: K–3. 40 pages.

Numero Uno written by Alex Dorros and Arthur Dorros, illustrated by Susan Guevara (Abrams)
Simple Spanish dialogue is easily accessible as brainy Socrates Rivera and brawny Hercules Hernandez argue over the building of a bridge. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

Just in Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales (Porter/Roaring Brook)
Senor Calavera, a dapper skeleton, searches for the perfect gift for Grandma Beetle, and the array of possible presents forms a Spanish alphabet. Grade level: Preschool–2. 40 pages.

A Perfect Season for Dreaming / Un tiempo perfecto para sonar written by Benjamin Alire Saenz, illustrated by Esau Andrade Valencia (Cinco Puntos)
Over the course of many summer siestas, seventy-eight-year-old Octavio Rivera dreams of a piñata that releases unexpected bounty — one Spanish guitar, two giant turtles, three Italian pears, etc. — and shares the wonder with his granddaughter. Grade level: K–3. 40 pages.

Fiction
Suggested grade level listed with each entry

Mexican White Boy by Matt de la Pena (Delacorte)
Danny lives in two worlds — the kids at his private school never let him forget that he is half-Mexican, while his cousins are uneasy around him because he is too white — but he feels at home on the baseball field, where his ninety-five-mile-per-hour fastball gets everyone’s attention. Grade level: 7 and up. 256 pages.

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle (Holt)
This Pura Belpre and Newbery Honor–winning free-verse narrative of 1868–1898 war-torn Cuba (told through soliloquies of various revolutionary characters) explores themes of oppression, war, and human rights. Grade level: 7 and up. 168 pages.

Party Girl by Lynne Ewing (Knopf)
After her best friend is killed in a drive-by shooting, gang member Kata seeks revenge and then understanding in this unromanticized novel. Grade level: 7 and up. 111 pages.

Red Glass by Laura Resau (Delacorte)
Sixteen-year-old Sophie and her family of survivors (a legalized Mexican immigrant, a Bosnian war refugee) take in the six-year-old survivor of an ill-fated border crossing. Grade level: 7 and up. 275 pages.

He Forgot to Say Goodbye by Benjamin Alire Saenz (Simon)
Two teens — one a working-class student at an all-Hispanic public school where the teachers don’t expect much from their students, the other a wealthy WASP with anger-management issues — become friends. Grade level: 7 and up. 325 pages.

The Afterlife by Gary Soto (Harcourt)
Murder victim Chuy rises from his body to observe Latino neighborhoods of Fresno in this ghostly romance. Grade level: 7 and up. 161 pages.

Facts of Life: Stories by Gary Soto (Harcourt)
Ten short stories depict young Latino and Latina characters at pivotal moments in their lives. Grade level: 4–6. 176 pages.

Help Wanted: Stories by Gary Soto (Harcourt)
These tales of Mexican-American kids dealing with family, friends, and love introduce convincing characters and memorable images. Grade level: 7 and up. 216 pages.

Mercy on These Teenage Chimps by Gary Soto (Harcourt)
In this rollicking novel featuring Latino protagonists experiencing the painful beginnings of adolescence, thirteen-year-old Joey takes to a tree after his coach publicly humiliates him. Grade level 4–6. 147 pages.

The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees (Hyperion)
A Mexican American kid wrestles with the shifting social dynamics of high school while fighting to stay true to himself. Grade level: 7 and up. 316 pages.

Folklore
Suggested grade level listed with each entry

Red Ridin’ in the Hood: And Other Cuentos written by Patricia Santos Marcantonio, illustrated by Renato Alarcao (Farrar)
Eleven familiar tales are recast in the American Southwest with humor and humanity, enhanced by satirical illustrations. Grade level: 4–6. 186 pages.

Poetry and Song
Suggested grade level listed with each entry

Cool Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Growing Up Latino in the United States edited by Lori Marie Carlson (Holt)
Carlson presents a spirited collection of poetry encapsulating both the challenges and delights of growing up Latino. Grade level: 7 and up. 123 pages.

Red Hot Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Being Young and Latino in the United States edited by Lori Marie Carlson (Holt)
Established poets and new voices capture the potent emotion of adolescence in this ten-years-later follow-up to Cool Salsa. Grade level: 7 and up. 140 pages.

Love to Mama: A Tribute to Mothers written by Pat Mora, illustrated by Paula S. Barragan (Lee)
Mora offers a complex collection of narrative poems penned by established and emerging Latino writers celebrating mothers and grandmothers. Grade level: K–3. 32 pages.

De Colores: And Other Latin-American Folk Songs for Children translated by Jose-Luis Orozco, illustrated by Elisa Kleven (Dutton)
Twenty-seven folk songs representing countries from Panama to Paraguay are complemented by vibrant, detailed illustrations. Grade level: K–3. 56 pages.

Nonfiction
Suggested grade level listed with each entry

Fiesta U.S.A. by George Ancona (Lodestar)
The dance, music, and food of four Latino holidays are depicted by colorful photographs of celebrations around the United States. Grade level: K–3. 48 pages.

Barrio Streets Carnival Dreams: Three Generations of Latino Artistry edited by Lori Marie Carlson (Holt)
An eclectic and emotional collection of poetry, essays, paintings and photography from Latino artists. Grade level: 7 and up. 127 pages.

Voices in First Person: Reflections on Latino Identity edited by Lori Marie Carlson, illustrated by Flavio Morais with photos by Manuel Rivera-Ortiz (Atheneum)
This collection of vignettes by Latino contributors (including Gary Soto and Sandra Cisneros) evinces pride in a cultural heritage that celebrates faith and tradition, food and language, and the importance of family. Grade level: 7 and up. 78 pages.

More lists of Recommended Books