By Aracelli Astorga LatinaLista Papi’s Gift, by Karen Stanton and illustrated by René King Moreno, tells the story of Graciela, a young girl who lives in a small, Latin American village with her mother and two brothers. Because it…
By Pam Burrell LatinaLista “As I crouched only a few feet from him, Kingo crouched in front of the camera, feeding on vegetation, seemingly undisturbed. I looked at him and then turned to Andy’s lens and said, ‘Clearly,…
By Sarah Dahlen LatinaLista Picture a city in the United States with a thriving, vibrant Latino community. Is Allentown, Pennsylvania what comes to mind? If not, it may be time to read Edgar Sandoval’s book, The New Face of…
By Elizabeth Lopez LatinaLista What can be more exciting than a surprise? How about a surprise that happens right in the middle of a celebration? In the delightful Memorial Day Surprise by Theresa Martin Golding and published by Boyds…
By Sarah Dahlen LatinaLista Ciudad Juarez has become an unfortunate symbol of all that is wrong at the U.S./Mexico border: violence, poverty, exploitation, lawlessness. With an average homicide rate of 200 people per month in recent years, this reputation…
By Martha Rico LatinaLista In the Latino culture, El Dia de los Muertos holds a special significance for families who have loved ones who have died. In Uncle Monarch and the Day of the Dead, by Judy Goldman and…
By Pam Burrell LatinaLista Woodburn, Oregon’s population is 51 percent Hispanic and 49 percent Anglo. It has the highest concentration of taquerias in the state and on Saturday afternoons the parks are crowded with Hispanic men’s soccer league games…
By Elizabeth Lopez LatinaLista My Shoes and I by René Colato Laínez, and published by Boyds Mills Press, is an inspiring story about a boy named Mario and the journey he makes with his father across three borders to…
By Sarah Dahlen LatinaLista Writing poetry is an intimate endeavor. Reading it can feel equally intimate when a poem is well written and resonates with its reader. Many poetry fans may never pick up Mariposas: A Modern Anthology of…
By Lisa Lopez LatinaLista The book “My Name is Jorge: On Both Sides of the River” by Jane Medina is a vivid portrait of a young boy’s personal experience in a new country. Through bilingual poetic prose, the author…
By Lisa Lopez LatinaLista Jane Medina’s “The Dream on Blanca’s Wall” is an outstanding bilingual collection of poems from Blanca’s point of view. Similarly to Medina’s previous notable book “My Name is Jorge”, this poetic collection presents the female…
By Martha Rico LatinaLista Benjamin, Daniel and Alejandra love spending time with their abuelos at their farm on the weekends. They especially look forward to Grandpa’s special breakfasts and working together outdoors doing chores. On one particular visit, Benjamin…
By Alma Ramos-McDermott LatinaLista How does a poor Mexican-American kid pull himself out of the slums to win a 2006 Beijing Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling? In bold, descriptive language, Henry Cejudo tells his story in the book…
By Lisa Lopez LatinaLista The world of flamenco performance is beautifully depicted in this illustrative photo essay entitled ¡OLÉ! Flamenco by George Ancona and published by Lee & Low Books. Ancona manages to convey a true love of…
By Alma Ramos-McDermott LatinaLista What will Beto do now that he has walked away from the only home he’s ever known? It’s a question that will keep readers engaged as they follow Beto’s journey in the young adult novel…
By Sarah Dahlen LatinaLista The Mexican-American experience is widely considered to be a worthwhile field of academic inquiry, to the extent that today’s college student may not be aware of the struggles involved in arriving at such widespread recognition….
By Aracelli Astorga LatinaLista In the Spanish-language book, Con mis oidos, by Mariana I. Pellegrino, with illustrations by Mariana Nemitz, children are introduced to the many wonderful things people can hear by using our ears — school bells ringing,…
By Martha Rico LatinaLista “But a monster might take me away forever!” is the line Roberto uses each time his mother asks him to do a specific chore in the bilingual tale titled No Time for Monsters/No Hay Tiempo…
By Lisa Lopez LatinaLista On a scorching hot day, somewhere in a small town in Texas, extreme thirst and competitive snow cone sales lead readers to a colorful adventure in the bilingual tale of The Battle of the Snow…
By Jo Ann Hernandez LatinaLista — Beautiful Moon/Bella Luna, written by Dawn Jeffers, is an evoking, beautifully illustrated bilingual children’s picture book about a little girl who wants the day to last forever so that she may play and play. She…
