Book Finder

“A young girl laments that her wiggly tooth will not fall out soon enough to enable her to collect tooth fairy money to buy a birthday gift for Papá. The rhyming story includes a mix of Spanish words within the English-language context — ‘I needed that tooth out/today, not mañana./But yanking? Too painful./I tried a manzana.’ The cheerful illustrations rendered in oil using a palette with shades of orange and rust show a delightful extended family willing to help the child with her problem.” — School Library Journal

Tooth on the Loose

Susan Middleton Elya

Illustrator:

Jennifer Mattheson

Age Level:

3-6

Product Description: Everyone in Gustavo’s family is in a mariachi bandEveryone except Gustavo, that is. They all play violines, trompetas and guitarrones. They all make wonderful music in restaurants and at wedding parties. Gustavo would love to join the band, but he can’t play any of the instruments. What’s a wannabe mariachi to do? Follow Gustavo as he finds his place in the family mariachi band.

The Best Mariachi in the World

J. D. Smith

Illustrator:

Dani Jones

Age Level:

3-6

“ ‘After Papa died, Mama stopped dancing,’ opens this affecting tale narrated by a Cuban child who misses the evenings of the pastNow men line up in the courtyard in hopes of becoming Mama’s dance partner, but “her heart is not in it. Her skirts stay in the closet, her feet, bare.” Mama’s favorite suitor is Eduardo, a kind fellow who displays his cooking talents in the kitchen but demonstrates little skill on the dance floorRodriguez lights up the spreads and spot art, moving easily from cozy indoor scenes to the vibrant Havana streets and festival mood of carnival.” — Publishers Weekly

Mama Does the Mambo

Katherine Leiner

Illustrator:

Edel Rodriguez

Age Level:

6-9

The Frog Was Singing

Rita Rosa Ruesga

Age Level:

0-3

Tortillitas para Mama and Other Nursery Rhymes

Margot C. Griego, Betsy L. Bucks, Sharon S. Gilbert, Laurel H. Kimball

Illustrator:

Barbara Cooney

Age Level:

3-6

Genre:

Fiction

Product Description: Napí is a young Mazateca girl who lives with her family in a village on the bank of a river in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Each afternoon the family sits beneath the shade of a huge ceiba tree and listens to the grandfather’s stories. As Napí listens, she imagines different colors — orange, purple, violet, and green. When night comes, the trees fill with white herons settling on their branches. Domi’s vibrant palette and magical illustrations perfectly complement this imaginative story.

Napí

Antonio Ramírez

Illustrator:

Domi

Age Level:

6-9

Product Description: Maximilian acts like any other eleven-year-old aficionado of lucha libre: he worships all the players. But in the summer just before sixth grade, he tumbles over the railing at a match in San Antonio and makes a connection to the world of Mexican wrestling that will ultimately connect him — maybe by blood! — to the greatest hero of all time: the Guardian Angel. A 2012 Pura Belpré Author Honor Award winner.

Maximilian & the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller

Xavier Garza

Age Level:

9-12

Product Description: Rosalba is going on an imaginary journey to the Caribbean island where her grandmother grew up. Through her abuela’s eyes, Rosalba visits with relatives who still live on la isla and sees the beautiful terrain of the island, from the lush, tropical rain forest to the bustling old city. Along the way Rosalba and her grandmother visit a busy fruit market, then cool off with a swim in the turquoise sea filled with colorful fish. Their magical trip is brought to life by Elisa Kleven’s shimmering collage artwork.

Isla

Arthur Dorros

Illustrator:

Elisa Kleven

Age Level:

3-6

Product Description: When both the Tooth Fairy and El Ratón Pérez arrive to claim Miguelito’s tooth, sparks fly under the Mexican-American boy’s pillow. Who will rightfully claim his tooth? This magical tale introduces a legendary Latino character to a new audience and provides a fresh take on the familiar childhood experience of losing one’s tooth.

The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez

René Colato Laínez

Illustrator:

Tom Lintern

Age Level:

3-6

“After winning a sweepstakes cruise for two, Chato invites his best friend, Novio Boy, along. The two “home cats” find themselves the only felines on a dog-oriented cruise, and the partying canines keep the cats up all night. Then all the pooches become ill, the radio breaks, and the captain sends Chato and Novio Boy out in a small boat to find help Most noteworthy are Guevara’s brilliantly colored paintings, as winsome as ever, and the humorous black-and-white comic-strip insets that extend the fun.” — Booklist

Chato Goes Cruisin’

Gary Soto

Illustrator:

Susan Guevara

Age Level:

6-9

Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia

Jeanette Winter

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Fiction

Product Description: Chato, the coolest cat in el barrio, loves to party — but not his best buddy, Novio Boy. Birthday parties always make him blue. “I’m from the pound,” he tells Chato. “I don’t know when I was born.” So Chato plans the coolest surprise party for Novio Boy, inviting all of el barrio, and cooking up a storm. But he forgets the most important thing — inviting Novio Boy! An entertaining sequel to Chato’s Kitchen.

Chato and the Party Animals

Gary Soto

Illustrator:

Susan Guevara

Age Level:

6-9

Product Description: Young Jorgito lives in San Francisco’s Mission District, but he hasn’t forgotten his native El Salvador. He recalls the volcanoes, the tasty cornmeal pupusas, and his grandmother’s stories. As he changes from timid newcomer to seasoned city dweller, Jorgito’s memories and new adventures form a patchwork of dreams — the movie in his pillow — that is perfectly suited to his new bicultural identity.

A Movie in My Pillow: Poems

Jorge Argueta

Illustrator:

Elizabeth Gomez

Age Level:

6-9

“Sensitive, soft but bright illustrations in pencil over watercolor depict Mexican scenes in 16 double-page spreads. Printed over the backgrounds are 18 poems in both English and SpanishThe poems are mostly free verse, although there is some use of rhyme. They deal with everyday subjects such as cockroaches or corn, or historical topics such as the Nahuatl language or the disappearance of the Aztecs.” — School Library Journal

My Mexico

Tony Johnston

Illustrator:

F. John Sierra

Age Level:

6-9

Product Description: Isabel Allende: Memories for a Story gives readers a glimpse of Isabel Allende’s childhood influences. Benatar offers a vivid picture of a unique childhood: bewitched by the séances of her grandmother, enlivened by her own adventurous spirit, and haunted by the silence that descended upon the house after the death of a loved one. With the passage of time, Isabel became the keeper of the family memories, memories that come alive in her writing.

Isabel Allende: Memories for a Story

Raquel Benatar

Illustrator:

Fernando Molina

Age Level:

9-12

Product Description: Every summer, Eric goes to live with his grandmother in El Barrio (Spanish Harlem) while his parents work. Through the long hot days, Grandma fills her apartment with the blaring horns and conga drums of Bomba y Plena, salsa, and merengüe — the music she grew up with in Puerto Rico — sharing her memories and passions with Eric. Join Eric Velasquez on a magical journey through time and across cultures, as a young boy’s passion for music and art is forged by a powerful bond between generations.

Grandma’s Records

Eric Velasquez

Age Level:

6-9

Product Description: Though Xochitl and her family have put down new roots in the United States, Xochitl still misses the garden and flower shop they left behind in El Salvador. But when Xochitl’s family decides to start a nursery and sell their flowers on the street, the sense of community they find makes them feel connected to their neighbors, and their decision to start a nursery and flower shop in their backyard helps the Flores family finally feels at home in its adopted country.

Xochitl and the Flowers

Jorge Argueta

Illustrator:

Carl Angel

Age Level:

6-9

“Nine-year-old América Soliz is an undocumented immigrant of Mexican-Indian heritage living in the violence-ravaged Pilsen barrio of Chicago. Feeling unwelcome in her new country, she yearns to return to her native Oaxaca. Then one day, a Puerto Rican poet visits America’s ESL class and tells the students that ‘There’s poetry in everyone…and poets belong to the whole world.’ Soon, America begins to express herself through poetry, eventually coming to realize that as a poet, she is a citizen of the world with a bright future ahead of her.” — School Library Journal

América Is Her Name

Luis J. Rodríguez

Illustrator:

Carlos Vazquez

Age Level:

9-12

Genre:

Fiction

Marisol is rushing home from school to see to her cat, but on the way she’s stopped by adult family members and neighbors who need her to translate from Spanish for them so that they can communicate with shopkeepers and officials in English. Whether she’s helping Uncle Tomas bargain with the poultry man, showing her neighbor how to fill out an application form, or speaking for Mama about a problem with the telephone bureaucracy, Marisol translates the words and also interprets the messages across cultures. — Booklist

Speak English for Us, Marisol!

Karen English

Illustrator:

Enrique O. Sanchez

Age Level:

6-9

Dominic and Victor are friends who share stories, jokes, and games and cheer each other on. At the end of the book, readers discover something special — the boys don’t let the fact that Victor is in a wheelchair get in their way of having fun! Colorful illustrations bring this simple yet thoughtful story to life. Winner of ALA’s 2004 Schneider Family Award.

My Pal, Victor

Diane Gonzales Bertrand

Illustrator:

Robert Sweetland

Age Level:

6-9

Product Description: “Let me help! Let me help!” Perico learns this phrase from little Martita, who’s been saying it a lot lately. When the whole family scrambles to prepare for Cinco de Mayo, Perico knows there must be some way he can help — even if he is just a parrot. But at every turn Perico is shooed away, until he finally figures out how he can add to the Cinco de Mayo fun.

Let Me Help!

Alma Flor Ada

Illustrator:

Angela Domínguez

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Fiction

Product Description: Join a young boy as he explores his vibrant neighborhood. El Barrio is his sister preparing for her quinceañera, his grandfather singing about the past, and his cousins’ stories from other lands. The city is alive with the rhythms of the street. Told in lyrical language and through bold, colorful illustrations, this celebration of Hispanic culture and urban life is sure to fire children’s curiosity about where they live and what they can discover in their own neighborhoods.

El Barrio

Debbi Chocolate

Illustrator:

David Diaz

Age Level:

3-6

I Am Latino: The Beauty in Me

Sandra Pinkney

Illustrator:

Myles Pinkney

Age Level:

3-6

Genre:

Nonfiction

Product Description: Little Maya longs to find brilliant, beautiful, inspiring color in her worldbut Maya’s world, the Mojave Desert, seems to be filled with nothing but sand. With the help of a feathered friend, she searches everywhere to discover color in her world. In the brilliant purple of her mother’s flowers, the cool green of a cactus, the hot pink sunset, and the shiny black of Papi’s hair, Maya finally finds what she was looking for. Also available as a board book.

My Colors, My World

Maya Christina Gonzalez

Age Level:

3-6

Reading 101

In the Classroom

Helping All Readers

Books & Authors

Literacy at Home

Book Finder

Tooth on the Loose

The Best Mariachi in the World

Mama Does the Mambo

The Frog Was Singing

Tortillitas para Mama and Other Nursery Rhymes

Napí

Maximilian & the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller

Isla

The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez

Chato Goes Cruisin’

Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia

Chato and the Party Animals

A Movie in My Pillow: Poems

My Mexico

Isabel Allende: Memories for a Story

Grandma’s Records

Xochitl and the Flowers

América Is Her Name

Speak English for Us, Marisol!

My Pal, Victor

Let Me Help!

El Barrio

I Am Latino: The Beauty in Me

My Colors, My World

Book Finder

Liked it? Share it!