The following books are great resources about Latin American history and culture. Some titles are available for free at the Cottonwood Lending Library (designated as LL below) or on Sora through NorthNet Library (designated as NN below). You must add NorthNet Library to your Sora account to access the books designated NN. To add NorthNet Library system, go to Sora. Under the Explore heading on the left, click the caret next to The Cottonwood School, then click Add Library, and enter NorthNet Library in the search bar. You’ll then be able to view the available titles.
Abuela’s Weave
Author: Omar S. Castaneda
Grade Level: 1-4
Topic: fiction
Summary: Introduces children to the culture of Guatemala through the eyes of Esperanza, who works with her abuela selling weavings at the public market.
Resources: Abuela’s Weave Teacher’s Guide
Carmela Full of Wishes (LL)
Author: Matt de la Pena
Grade Level: K-3
Topic: fiction
Summary: It’s Carmela’s birthday and she is finally old enough to join her big brother on family errands. When Carmela finds a dandelion, her brother tells her to make a wish. If only she can make just the right wish.
Resources: Carmela Full of Wishes Educator’s Guide
Chato’s Kitchen
Author: Derrick Barnes
Grade Level: K-3
Topic: fiction
Summary: Chato is the coolest cat in East LA. He can’t believe his luck when a tasty-looking family of mice move in next door and he invites them to dinner.
Resources: Crown: Chato’s Kitchen Activity Guide
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreno Played the Piano for President Lincoln(NN)
Author: Margarita Engle
Grade Level: K-3
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: Teresa loved the piano and began playing and composing at a young age. The revolution in Venezuala forced her family to move to the US, where there was also a war going on. Her fame spread and she was invited to play at the White House for the president.
Resources: Dancing Hands Curriculum Guide
Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin
Author: Duncan Tonatiuh
Grade Level: K-4
Topic: fiction
Summary: Two cousins, one in the US and one in Mexico, learn they aren’t that different from each other.
Resources: Dear Primo Lesson
Dreamers (LL, NN)
Author: Yuyi Morales
Grade Level: K-3
Topic: fiction
Summary: A book about immigration, resilience, dreams, hopes, and making your home wherever you are.
Resources: Dreamers Educator’s Guide
Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music (LL, NN)
Author: Margarita Engle
Grade Level: K-3
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: The true story of a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba’s taboo about female drummers.
Resources: Drum Dream Girl Discussion Guide
Mango, Abuela, and Me (NN)
Author: Meg Medina
Grade Level: K-3
Topic: fiction
Summary: Mia’s abuela lives in the house with them. While she cooks, Mia helps her learn English, and Abuela teaches Mia a little Spanish.
Resources: Mango, Abuela, and Me Discussion Guide
Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match
Author: Monica Brown
Grade Level: K-3
Topic: fiction
Summary: Marisol has flaming red hair and brown skin. She loves polka dots and stripes. While other people try to figure her out, Marisol refuses to be put in a box. This Peruvian-Scottish-American girl has her own style.
Resources: Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match Teacher’s Guide
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre
Author: Anika Aldamuy Denise
Grade Level: K-4
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: The inspiring true story of New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian,who was also a master storyteller and puppeteer.
Resources: Planting Stories Literature Guide
Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation (LL, NN)
Author: Duncan Tonatiuh
Grade Level: K-5
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: The Mendez family fights to end segregation in California schools.
Resources: Separate is Never Equal Educator’s Guide
Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx (LL, NN)
Author: Jonah Winter
Grade Level: K-3
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: The story of Sonia Sotomayor, who rose from poverty and prejudice to become the first Latina Supreme Court judge.
Resources: Sonia Sotomayor Discussion Guide
Waiting for the Biblioburro
Author: Monica Brown
Grade Level: K-
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: Librarian Luis Soriano Bohorquez packs his burros and travels over the mountains of Colombia to deliver books to rural villages.
Resources: Waiting for the Biblioburro Curriculum Guide
Anna Maria Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle
Author: Hilda Eunice Burgos
Grade Level: 4-7
Topic: fiction
Summary: Anna Mari lives in a small apartment with her 3 sisters, a piano she can never practice, and a new baby on the way. She wants to go to a private academy, which she will need to excel at a piano piece and win a scholarship. Through her adventures, she learns what truly matters and that she can succeed.
Resources: Ana Maria Does Not Live in a Castle Teachers’ Guide
Blancaflor, The Hero with Superpowers: A Folktale from Latin America
Author: Nadja Spiegelman
Grade Level: 3-5
Topic: fiction, folktale, graphic novel
Summary: A girl with magical powers saves a prince and learns to be honest with herself. This Latin American folktale highlights the contributions of women and Indigenous cultures.
Resources: Blancaflor Teachers’ Guide
Bravo! Poems About Amazing Hispanics (LL)
Author:
Grade Level: 3-6
Topic: fiction, poetry
Summary: Learn about some amazing Latinos through poetry, including musician, baseball player, pilot, and many more.
Resources:
The Color of My Words
Author: Lynn Joseph
Grade Level: 3-6
Topic: fiction
Summary: A young girl’s struggle to find her place in the world and become a writer. Takes place in the Dominican Republic.
Resources: The Color of My Words Educator’s Guide & Teaching Resources
The Dreamer
Author: Pam Ryan Munoz and Peter Sis
Grade Level: 3-6
Topic: fiction
Summary: Neftali must answer the call of a mysterious voice, which leads him to the lush rain forest, into the sea, and through the Chilean rain on a voyage of self-discovery.
Resources: The Dreamer Educator’s Guide & Teaching Resources
Efren Divided (NN)
Author: Ernesto Cisneros
Grade Level: 4-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: Efren is American-born, but he worries about his parents who are undocumented. One day he comes home to find out his mom has been deported.
Resources: Efren Divided Teaching Resources
The First Rule of Punk
Author: Cecelia C. Perez
Grade Level: 4-7
Topic: fiction
Summary: It’s the first day of school and 12-year old Malu disrupts the queen bee with her punk rock looks. Malu’s dad always told her to remember the first rule of punk: always be yourself.
Resources: The First Rule of Punk Teacher’s Guide
Lowriders to the Center of the Earth
Author: Cathy Camper
Grade Level: 3-7
Topic: fiction, graphic novel
Summary: The characters from Lowriders in Space are back! When their cat Genie goes missing. they go on a mission to find him, which leads them to the Aztec God of the Underworld, who is holding Genie hostage.
Resources: Lowriders Series Teacher Guide
Nuestra America: 30 Inspiring Latinas/Latinos Who Have Shaped the United States
Author: Sabrin Vourvoulias
Grade Level: 3-7
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: The true inspiring stories of 30 Latina/os throughout history and their contributions to the United States.
Resources: Efren Divided Teaching Resources
Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist (NN)
Author: Sylvia Acevedo
Grade Level: 4-8
Topic: non-fiction
Summary: The true story of a Latina rocket scientists whose life was transformed by joining the Girl Scouts, where her love of science was nurtured. She bacame one of the first Latino students to graduate with a master’s in engineering from Stanford University.
Resources: Path to the Stars Teacher’s Guide
Rooting for Rafael Rosales
Author: Kurtis Scaletta
Grade Level: 3-6
Topic: fiction
Summary: Rafael lives in the Dominican Republic and dreams of playing Major League Baseball. Maya lives in Minnesota and worries about the bees dying. The story travels back and forth between the Dominican Republic and Minnesota, where Maya and her sister are following Rafael’s first year in the minors.
Resources: Rooting for Rafael Rosales (link on webpage)
Santiago’s Road Home (NN)
Author: Alexandra Diaz
Grade Level: 3-6
Topic: fiction
Summary: A young boy gets detained by ICE while crossing the border from Mexico to the United States.
Resources: Santiago’s Road Home Reader Discussion Guide
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Author: Benjamin Alire Saenz
Grade Level: 7-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Aristotle and Dante seem to have nothing in common. When they meet at the swimming pool, they discover a special friendship that changes lives and lasts a lifetime.
Resources: Aristotle and Dante Educator’s Guide & Teaching Resources
Caminar
Author: Skila Brown
Grade Level: 6-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: Set in Guatemala. The powerful tale of a boy who must decide what it means to be a man during a time of war.
Resources: Caminar Educator’s Guide & Teaching Resources
The Champions Game: A True Story
Author: Saul Ramirez
Grade Level: 7-10
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: A team of 12 middle schools in South-Central El Paso surprise the coutnry by taking first place in the national chess championship.
Resources:
The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child (NN)
Author: Francisco Jimenez
Grade Level: 5-8
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: An autobiographical collection of stories by Santa Clara University professor Francisco Jimenez, who at age four crossed the border with his family in 1947.
Resources: The Circuit Educator’s Guide
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora (LL, NN)
Author: Pablo Cartaya
Grade Level: 5-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: Save the restaurant. Save the girl. Make Abuela proud. Can 13-year old Arturo Zamora do it all or is he in for a BIG, EPIC FAIL?
Resources: Discussion Guide to Pablo Cartaya books
The Champions Game: A True Story
Author: Saul Ramirez
Grade Level: 7-10
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: A team of 12 middle schools in South-Central El Paso surprise the coutnry by taking first place in the national chess championship.
Resources:
Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings
Author: Margarita Engle
Grade Level: 7-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: Margarita is a girl between two worlds. Her heart lies in Cuba, her mother’s tropical island home and a lush island paradise, and her home in Los Angeles. She spends her year dreaming of summers in Cuba.
Resources: Enchanted Air Educator’s Guide & Teaching Resources
Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck
Author:
Grade Level: 7-9
Topic: historical fiction
Summary: When a hurricane sinks their ship, Quabrado, who has been traded from ship to ship, escapes to freedom.
Resources: Hurricane Dancers Educator’s Guide and Teaching Resources
The Other Half of Happy (NN)
Author: Rebecca Balcarcel
Grade Level: 5-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: Quuijana is one-half Guatemalan, one-half American, one-half-kid, one-half grownup. She must figure out what parts of herself are important and what parts make her whole. A story about growing up biracial.
Resources: The Other Half of Happy Discussion Guide
The Queen of Water
Author: Laura Resau
Grade Level: 7-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Virginia is born in a small indigenous community in Ecuador. When she is taken from her home at 7 years old to become a servant to a mestizo couple, she has no idea what her future holds.
Resources: Queen of Water Educator’s Guide and Teaching Resources
Sal & Gabi Break the Universe
Author: Carlos Hernandez
Grade Level: 5-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: What would you do if you had the power to reach through time and space and retrieve anything you want, including your mother who is no longer living? Join Sal & Gabi as they adventure through time and space.
Resources: Sal and Gabi Educator’s Guide
They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems
Author: David Bowles
Grade Level: 5-8
Topic: fiction
Summary: A novel in verse about a boy who navigates the start of 7th grade and life growing up on the border the only way he knows how – through poetry.
Resources: They Call Me Guero Discussion Guide
The Book of Unknown Americans (NN)
Author: Cristina Henriquez
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: When Maribel suffers a horrible injury, the family leaves behind a comfortable life in Mexico and risk everything to come to the US for her treatment.
Resources: Book of Unknown Americans Reader’s Guide
Down These Mean Streets
Author: Piri Thomas
Grade Level: 10-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: A book about coming of age in Spanish Harlem. The story of Piri Thomas and his descent into drugs, street fighting, and armed robbery. Mature content.
Resources: Down These Mean Streets Teacher’s Guide
A Dream Called Home: A Memoir
Author: Reyna Grande
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: A young woman’s quest to find her place in America as a first-generation Latina university student and aspiring writer.
Resources: A Dream Called Home Teacher’s Guide
He Forgot to Say Goodbye
Author: Benjamin Alire Saenz
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Ramino and Jake live very different lives. They live on opposite sides of town. The boys bond over the fact that both their fathers walked out when they were young boys and discover that there lives actually have a lot in common.
Resources: He Forgot to Say Goodbye Educator’s Guide
The House on Mango Street (LL, NN)
Author: Sandra Cisneros
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Esperanza Cordero is a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing herself and what she will become in life. A coming of age story.
Resources: House on Mango Street Teaching Guide
In the Time of Butterflies (NN)
Author: Julia Alvarez
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: historical fiction
Summary: A novel of four sisters who speak out against the dictator Rafael Leonidas Trijullo in the Dominican Republic. Their story of secret crushes, gun running, and everyday life under a dictator.
Resources: In the Time of Butterflies Teacher’s Guide
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (NN)
Author: Erika Sanchez
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Julia never seems to follow the plans for what her parents expect of the perfect daughter. She wants ot go to college, move out of her parents’ house, and live her own life. A laugh-out loud funny book about finding yourself amind the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican American home.
Resources: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter Lesson Plans
Mexican Whiteboy (LL)
Author: Matt de la Pena
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: A story of friendship, acceptance, and struggle to find your identity. Danny is a pitcher, but he’s not on a team. Danny is Half-Mexican, growing up in San Diego, and many people make assumptions about him when he doesn’t even speak Spanish.
Resources: Mexican White Boy Educator’s Guide
The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano
Author: Margarita Engle
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: The true story of Juan Francisco Manzano. Born into slavery in Cuba, Juan becomes a poet.
Resources: Poet Slave of Cuba Teacher’s Guide
Reaching for the Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut
Author: Jose M. Hernandez
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: The inspiring true story of how Jose Hernandez, born to a migrant farm worker family, followed his dreams and because the first Mexican-American astronaut.
Resources:
The Tequila Worm (NN)
Author: Viola Canales
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: fiction
Summary: Sofia’s family are storytellers. Her tales of growing up in the barrio are full of magic and family traditions from holidays to curing homesickness by eating the tequila worm.
Resources: Tequila Worm Educator’s Guide
We Are Not From Here (NN)
Author: Jenny Torres Sanchez
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: A gripping novel about one family’s journey from Guatemala to Mexico to the United States.
Resources: Learning Guide for We Are Not From Here
We Were Here
Author: Matt de la Pena
Grade Level: 9-12
Topic: nonfiction
Summary: When Miguel is sent to Juvi and a group home, the judge orders him to write in a journal.
Resources: Matt Le Pena Reader’s Guides