Books From Around the World (YA): South America

It’s often interesting to get a different perspective on the world. Here are some books set in some far-flung places – and some places close to home – grouped by continent/large body of water with islands in it. The books on this list are (mostly) written by authors from the countries they are about, and in many cases have been translated into English from their mother tongues (the book we’ve chosen for Madagascar, Return to the enchanted island by Johary Ravaloson, is only the second book to have ever been translated from Malagasy into English!).

Not all of the books are in the Young Adult collection, but we’ve tried to make sure that they all at least feature kids or teens in prominent places in the story. Our eventual goal is to have at least one book for every country in the world! Help us out by sending in recommendations if you’ve found one we’ve missed!

This list contains books written by authors from South America. Check out our lists for authors from Africa, Asia, Europe, North and Central America, and Oceania for even more recommendations!

Updated June 19, 2024
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Affections
Hasbu?n, Rodrigo
Paper Book
La nueva novela de una de las voces bolivianas más prometedoras del panorama literario internacional nos lleva al corazón de una familia de aventureros alemanes que se exiliaron en Bolivia Los afectos aborda la paulatina desintegración de los Ertl, una peculiar familia de aventureros que,...

Bolivia | Bolivian author

The alchemist
Coelho, Paulo
Paper Book
Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world, and this tenth anniversary edition, with a new introduction from the author, will only increase that following. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy...

Brazil | Brazilian author

Two brothers
Moon, Fa?bio
Paper Book
Twin brothers Omar and Yaqub may share the same features, but they could not be more different from one another. And the possessive love of their mother, Zana, stirs the troubled waters between them even more. After a brutally violent exchange between the young boys, Yaqub, "the good son," is sent...

Brazil | Brazilian author-illustrator

Oblivion : a memoir
Abad Faciolince, He?ctor Joaqui?n.
Paper Book
Ahora con película de Fernando Trueba. La obra maestra de Héctor Abad Faciolince, uno de los libros fundamentales de la literatura contemporánea en español. El 25 de agosto de 1987 Héctor Abad Gómez, médico y activista en pro de los derechos humanos, es asesinado en...

Colombia | Colombian author

The inheritance of Orqui?dea Divina : a novel
Co?rdova, Zoraida
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER Perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman, Isabel Allende, and Sarah Addison Allen, a family searches for the truth hidden in their past in this "expertly woven tale of family power, threaded with as much mystery as magic" (V.E. Schwab, #1 New York Times...

Ecuador | Ecuadorian-American author

I the supreme
Roa Bastos, Augusto
Paper Book
I the Supremeimagines a dialogue between the nineteenth-century Paraguayan dictator known as Dr. Francia and Policarpo Patino, his secretary and only companion. The opening pages present a sign that they had found nailed to the wall of a cathedral, purportedly written by Dr. Francia himself...

Paraguay | Paraguayan author


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