YA Hispanic Heritage Highlight

Fiction & non-fiction titles celebrating the lives and stories of Hispanic Americans.

Updated January 27, 2024
H
Huntington Beach Public Library
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Abuela, don't forget me
Ogle, Rex
Paper Book
In his award-winning memoir Free Lunch, Rex Ogle's abuela features as a source of love and support. In this companion-in-verse, Rex captures and celebrates the powerful presence a woman he could always count on-to give him warm hugs and ear kisses, to teach him precious words in Spanish, to bring...
I am not your perfect Mexican daughter
Sánchez, Erika L.
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A "stunning" (America Ferrera) YA novel about a teenager coming to terms with losing her sister and finding herself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican American home. "Alive and crackling--a...
Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe
Sáenz, Benjamin Alire.
Paper Book
Now a major motion picture starring Max Pelayo, Reese Gonzales, and Eva Longoria! A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) This Printz Honor Book is a "tender, honest exploration of identity" (Publishers Weekly) that distills lyrical truths about...
Ballad & dagger
Older, Daniel Jose?
Paper Book
Almost 16 years ago, Mateo's island homeland disappeared into the sea, the survivors escaping to New York. Mateo - now a teenage piano prodigy living with his two aunts (one alive, the other not so much) - is focused on getting the attention of local musical legend Gerval. He finally gets his chance...
Before the devil knows you're here
Krause, Autumn
Paper Book
Part dark gothic fantasy, part journey into the bizarre, this delicious blending of tall tales and Latin American surrealism will haunt you as you devour it! "Highly imaginative and powerfully affecting."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review 1836,...
Blazewrath games
Ortiz, Amparo
Paper Book
Dragons and their riders compete in an international sports tournament in this alternate contemporary world fantasy Lana Torres has always preferred dragons to people. In a few weeks, sixteen countries will compete in the Blazewrath World Cup, a tournament where dragons and...
Breathe and count back from ten
Sylvester, Natalia
Paper Book
A Pura Belpré Honor Book * A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book for Teens In this gorgeously written and authentic novel, Verónica, a Peruvian-American teen with hip dysplasia, auditions to become a mermaid at a Central Florida theme park in the summer before her senior year, all while...
Café con lychee
Lee, Emery
Paper Book
Featured title in HarperStacks' Pride on Every Page campaign
Cemetery boys
Thomas, Aiden
Paper Book
Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature! A New York Times Bestseller! A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten pick! "Goundbreaking." -Entertainment Weekly A trans boy determined to prove his gender to...
Clap when you land
Acevedo, Elizabeth
Paper Book
Standalone BMM and REFORMA ARE mailing with letter YALSA Teens' Top 10 ARE mailing Announcement and review advertising in key s&l media, such as Booklist and SLJ Launch and lead promotion at all teacher and librarian conferences "Elizabeth Acevedo Guide...
A Cuban girl's guide to tea and tomorrow
Namey, Laura Taylor
Paper Book
A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club YA Pick "A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is an absolute delight. Cozier than a hand-knit gray cardigan and richer than Abuela's pastelito recipe, Namey takes you from Miami to Winchester, and leaves your heart...
Don't date Rosa Santos
Moreno, Nina
Paper Book
Rosa is cursed by the sea - at least, that's what they say. Dating her is bad news. But Rosa feels more caught than cursed. Caught between cultures and choices. Between her abuela, a beloved healer and pillar of their community, and her mother, an artist who crashes in and out of her life like a...
Don't hate the player
Nedd, Alexis
Paper Book
"Refreshingly voice-y, wildly smart, and genuinely hilarious." - Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue From an exciting new voice comes a funny and heartfelt YA romance set in the world of competitive gaming, perfect for...
Each of us a desert
Oshiro, Mark
Paper Book
From award-winning author Mark Oshiro comes a powerful coming-of-age fantasy novel about finding home and falling in love amidst the dangers of a desert where stories come to life Xochitl is destined to wander the desert alone, speaking her troubled village's stories into its...
Enchanted air : two cultures, two wings : a memoir
Engle, Margarita
Paper Book
In this poetic memoir, which won the Pura Belpré Author Award, was a YALSA Nonfiction Finalist, and was named a Walter Dean Myers Award Honoree, acclaimed author Margarita Engle tells of growing up as a child of two cultures during the Cold War. Margarita is a girl from two...
The far away brothers : two teenage immigrants making a life in America
Markham, Lauren
Paper Book
The inspiring true story about identical twin teenage brothers who escape El Salvador's violence to build new lives in California as undocumented immigrants, perfect for fans of Enrique's Journey and anyone interested in learning about the issues that underlie today's conversations about...
Fat chance, Charlie Vega
Maldonado, Crystal
Paper Book
Coming of age as a Fat brown girl in a white Connecticut suburb is hard. Harder when your whole life is on fire, though. A NEW ENGLAND BOOK AWARD WINNER! Charlie Vega is a lot of things. Smart. Funny. Artistic. Ambitious. Fat. People sometimes have a...
A fierce and subtle poison
Mabry, Samantha
Paper Book
In this stunning debut, legends collide with reality when a boy is swept into the magical, dangerous world of a girl filled with poison.   Everyone knows the legends about the cursed girl--Isabel, the one the senoras whisper about. They say she has green...
Food-related stories
Melian, Gaby
Paper Book
"Gaby Melian tells so many stories through her relationship with food-about love, about loss, about hard work, and about finding her passion. The pages are dripping with delicious smells and tastes, and will give you a new way to look at both cooking and what it means to have a plan." -Molly...
Furia
Me?ndez, Yamile Saied
Paper Book
A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB YA PICK Recipient of the 2021 Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Medal One of BuzzFeed's Must-Read YA Books of 2020 A Best Book of the Year: Cosmopolitan * Kirkus...
Heartbreak symphony
Kemp, Laekan Zea
Paper Book
Clap When You Land meets On the Come Up in this heart-gripping story about navigating first love and overcoming grief through the power of music. Aarón Medrano has been haunted by the onstage persona of his favorite DJ ever since his mother passed...
Home. Vol. 1
Anta, Julio
Paper Book
After being separated from his mother at the USborder, a young Guatemalan immigrant must learn to harness emerging superhumanabilities while being hunted by the Federal Government. JULIO ANTA andANNA WIESZCZYK debut with a deeply...
How Moon Fuentez fell in love with the universe
Vasquez Gilliland, Raquel
Paper Book
"Breathlessly atmospheric...A gorgeous, hopeful book." --Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of Today Tonight Tomorrow The Hating Game meets I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter in this Pura Belpré Award-winning novel that's an irresistible romance starring a...
Infested : an MTV fear novel
Colo?n, Angel Luis
Paper Book
"A thrilling, I-can't-stop-reading page-turner. If Infested doesn't make your skin crawl, check your pulse." --Paul Tremblay, bestselling author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts There's something in the dark...watching.....
It's all love : reflections for your heart & soul
Ortega, Jenna
Paper Book
An empowering collection written by Jenna Ortega, the award-winning actress starring in thehit Netflix series WEDNESDAY.These deeply personal stories and quotes are accompanied bybeautiful illustrations thatexplore Jenna's struggles with depression, experiences falling in-and out of-love, the...
Juliet takes a breath
Rivera, Gabby
Paper Book
"F***ing outstanding."--Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author Juliet Milagros Palante is a self-proclaimed closeted Puerto Rican baby dyke from the Bronx. Only, she's not so closeted anymore. Not after coming out to her family the night before flying to Portland,...
Labyrinth lost
Córdova, Zoraida
Paper Book
The first book in the Latinx-infused Queer fantasy series from Zoraida Córdova, highly acclaimed author of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, that follows three sisters--and teen witches--as they develop their powers and battle magic through epic questing in the realms beyond. Alex is a...
Lakelore
McLemore, Anna-Marie
Paper Book
In this young adult novel by award-winning author Anna-Marie McLemore, two non-binary teens are pulled into a magical world under a lake - but can they keep their worlds above water intact? Everyone who lives near the lake knows the stories about the world underneath it, an...
Living beyond borders : growing up Mexican in America
Longoria, Margarita
Paper Book
*"This superb anthology of short stories, comics, and poems is fresh, funny, and full of authentic YA voices revealing what it means to be Mexican American . . . Not to be missed."--SLC, starred review *"Superlative . . . A memorable collection." --Booklist, starred...
Mañana: Latinx Comics from the 25th Century
Gil, Joamette
Paper Book
Miles Morales : Spider-man
Reynolds, Jason
Paper Book
"Everyone gets mad at hustlers, especially if you're on the victim side of the hustle. And Miles knew hustling was in his veins." Miles Morales is just your average teenager. Dinner every Sunday with his parents, chilling out playing old-school video games with his best...
Miles Morales : suspended
Reynolds, Jason
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds comes the "action-packed...banter-filled" (School Library Journal, starred review) sequel to his groundbreaking young adult novel Miles Morales: Spider-Man about the adventures of the unassuming, everyday kid who just...
Miles Morales shock waves : a Spider-Man graphic novel
Reynolds, Justin A.
Paper Book
An original middle-grade graphic novel from Graphix starring Brooklyn's Spider-Man, Miles Morales, by bestselling author Justin A. Reynolds and Eisner nominee Pablo Leon!Miles Morales is a normal kid who happens to juggle school at Brooklyn Visions Academy while swinging through the streets of...
Miss Meteor
Mejia, Tehlor Kay
Paper Book
Big Mouth ARE mailing to a curated list of influential librarians and educators  Teens' Top 10/YALSA ARE mailing to 15 teen reading groups across the country Featured title at national school & library conferences and preview events  Pitch both authors...
The new David Espinoza
Aceves, Fred
Paper Book
Galley distribution at teacher and librarian conferences and preview events Online content at harperstacks.com, the school & library marketing social media hub State and national award outreach
Nocturna
Motayne, Maya
Paper Book
Extensive galley distribution at conferences and previews YALSA galley mailing HarperStacks feature
The Other Side
Villalobos, Juan Pablo.
Paper Book
Award-winning Mexican author Juan Pablo Villalobos explores illegal immigration with this emotionally raw and timely nonfiction book about ten Central American teens and their journeys to the United States. You can't really tell what time it is when you're in the freezer.<...
Our shadows have claws : 15 Latin American monster stories
Me?ndez, Yamile Saied
Paper Book
From zombies to cannibals to star-crossed, shapeshifting lovers, this cross-genre anthology written by superstar YA authors from across the Latin American diaspora offers bold new thrills for every monster fan. In these fifteen original short stories, bloodthirsty vampires are hunted...
The poet X
Acevedo, Elizabeth
Paper Book
* Extensive promotion at School & Library conferences, including lead book placement and substantial distribution of ARCs * Special Standalone Advertising and author feature pitches in leading school & library media such as School Library Journal, Booklist  *...
Reclaim the stars : 17 tales across realms & space
Córdova, Zoraida
Paper Book
From stories that take you to the stars, to stories that span into other times and realms, to stories set in the magical now, Reclaim the Stars takes the Latin American diaspora to places fantastical and out of this world. Follow princesses warring in space, haunting...
Sanctuary
Mendoza, Paola
Paper Book
Co-founder of the Women's March makes her YA debut in a near future dystopian where a young girl and her brother must escape a xenophobic government to find sanctuary. It's 2032, and in this near-future America, all citizens are chipped and everyone is tracked--from buses to...
Season of the bruja
Duran, Aaron
Paper Book
A 2024 YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens Season of the Bruja follows a young woman as she comes into her magical abilities and faces reemergent threats from the past. From a young age, Althalia knew she would someday be the last of her kind--a bruja,...
Sia Martinez and the moonlit beginning of everything
Vasquez Gilliland, Raquel
Paper Book
"In a world where we are so often dividing ourselves into us and them, this book feels like a kind of magic, celebrating all beliefs, ethnicities, and unknowns." --The New York Times Book Review Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe meets Roswell...
Somewhere between bitter and sweet
Kemp, Laekan Zea
Paper Book
I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter meets Emergency Contact in this stunning Pura Belpré Honor Book about first love, familial expectations, the power of food, and finding where you belong. Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening...
Suncatcher
Pimienta, Jose
Paper Book
Filled with music, passion, supernatural secrets, and family, Jose Pimienta's Suncatcher brings to life a contemporary story of a girl growng up in Mexicali, with a supernatural twist and a lot of music. Beatriz loves music. More than her school -- more than...
They both die at the end
Silvera, Adam
Paper Book
o Launch and lead promotion in the HarperCollins Children's Books booth at national teacher and librarian conferences and preview events o Big Mouth galley mailing to 175 key educators and librarians o Extensive galley distribution at national school & library conferences o ARC distribution at SLJ...
Thirty talks weird love
Narváez-Varela, Alessandra
Paper Book
A 13-year-old girl growing up in Mexico is visited by her 30-year-old future self in this powerful YA novel in verse about handling depression. Out of nowhere, a lady comes up to Anamaria and says she's her, from the future. But Anamaria's thirteen, she knows better...
Travesía : a migrant girl's cross-border journey = el viaje de una joven migrante
Gerster, Michelle
Paper Book
This compelling young adult graphic memoir, based on real events, tells the story of Gricelda, a fifteen-year-old Mexican girl who attempts to cross the border into America with her mother and younger brother in search of a better life. Their treacherous journey, filled with both heartbreak and hope...
We are here to stay : voices of undocumented young adults
Kuklin, Susan
Paper Book
The Stonewall Honor-winning author of Beyond Magenta shares the intimate, eye-opening stories of nine undocumented young adults living in America. "Maybe next time they hear someone railing about how terrible immigrants are, they'll think about me. I'm a real person."<...
We are not from here
Torres Sanchez, Jenny
Paper Book
A poignant novel of desperation, escape, and survival across the U.S.-Mexico border, inspired by current events. A Pura Belpré 2021 Young Adult Author Honor Book! A BookPage Best Book of 2020! A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best of 2020! A...
We light up the sky
Rivera, Lilliam
Paper Book
Should you save a world that doesn't want to save you? Award-winning author Lilliam Rivera explores the haunting story of an alien invasion from the perspective of three Latinx teens. Pedro, Luna, and Rafa may attend Fairfax High School together in...
We set the dark on fire
Mejia, Tehlor Kay
Paper Book
"We Set the Dark on Fire burns bright. It will light the way for a new generation of rebels and lovers." --NPR "Mejia pens a compelling, gripping story that mirrors real world issues of immigration and equality." --Buzzfeed Five starred reviews!! In...
Wild tongues can't be tamed : 15 voices from the Latinx diaspora
Fennell, Saraciea J.
Paper Book
Edited by The Bronx Is Reading founder Saraciea J. Fennell and featuring an all-star cast of Latinx contributors, Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed is a ground-breaking anthology that will spark dialogue and inspire hope In Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed, bestselling and...
With the fire on high
Acevedo, Elizabeth
Paper Book
Great Picks for Teens Book Club Guide Extensive advertising in School & Library media Big Mouth galley mailing YALSA galley mailing Launch and Lead Promotion at national School & Library conferences and previews, including lead booth display and...
Woven in Moonlight
Ibañez, Isabe
Paper Book
One of Time magazine's 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time! A lush tapestry of magic, romance, and revolución, drawing inspiration from Bolivian politics and history. "A vibrant feast of a book." - Margaret Rogerson, NYT bestselling author of...

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