Tag Archives: Latinx

Elem. – Dream for the Land

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Kemp, Laekan Zea. Dream for the Land. Illustrated by Leo Espinosa. Anne Schwartz Books, 2025. 978-0-593-71030-2. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-3.

Environmental issues encroach on a modest-sized ranch in a nonspecific area of the southwest. The Latinx family who own the farm and grow crops suffer from drought. When the little girl finds a horned toad, her father tenderly tells her the superstition that if one kisses the toad, a wish will come true. The family is hanging on to their legacy, the land, though the once life-giving river is now dry. At the story’s end, the little girl searches out another horned toad to kiss and wish for rain. Pale yellows and browns evoke the heat and aridness of the failing farm with the one spot of green surrounding the horned toad, the symbol of hope. The expressions on the characters’ faces in close-up illustrations tell of their strain and sorrow, even without the text. Dream for the Land is a cautionary tale of what happens when the land and its resources are taken for granted and neglected.

THOUGHTS: The illustrations in Dream for the Land can stand alone to tell a heart-breaking story of a farm on the brink of failure, with no fault of the farmer but because of elements outside of his control. The young girl and the horned toad keep the hope alive that allows the family to persevere against all odds. This book can be used to introduce or conclude a lesson on the environment. Rural communities will relate to the pressure of maintaining a working farm at the mercy of climate changes. All students will understand the importance of being an environmental activist.

Picture Book
Realistic Fiction 

Elem. – This Moment is Special: A Dia De Muertos Story

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Parra, John. This Moment is Special: A Dia De Muertos Story. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. 978-1-665-94824-1. $19.99. Unpaged. Grades K-3. 

This Moment is Special follows a young boy on Dia De Muertos as he prepares and observes this special day’s traditions. The narrative moves through the boy’s routine–from dawn to dusk–highlighting both ordinary and meaningful moments throughout the day and reminding readers that each moment holds importance. Throughout his day, the boy engages in simple acts: painting, reading, gardening, and playing music. Each small moment contributes to the tapestry of his experience. The story ends with a sense of togetherness and remembrance connecting to the book’s theme of the importance of special moments. 

THOUGHTS: I thought this book was going to be an informational text about Dia De Muertos. This book is more about the many special moments one encounters throughout each day, and the development of an appreciation and gratitude for those small moments. The illustrations are beautiful and iconic. Young readers would need background information about Dia De Muertos to understand how the illustrations found within the book connect to the story’s message. 

Picture Book 

YA – Build a Girlfriend

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Luz, Elba. Build a Girlfriend. Simon and Schuster, 2025. 978-1-665-94253-9. $19.99. 357 p. Grades 9-12.

Amelia Hernandez just graduated from high school and finds herself single – again. She blames it on her family curse – her mom, aunts, and sisters are all destined to be alone and while they have accepted their fate, Amelia has not. Determined to figure out why her relationships keep failing, she embarks on the “Hernandez Romance Boot Camp” with the help of her invasive family. Amelia’s plan is to contact her exes to see where she went wrong and how she can use that information to improve her future relationships. When she unexpectedly runs across Leon, the one ex that got away, she decides to implement a little revenge plot against him, but her complicated feelings start to get in the way. Combine that with the fact that she plans on leaving her family and their new bakery business to complete a gap year program (but hasn’t broken the news to them yet), Amelia has a lot to deal with and just wants to make it through the summer. 

THOUGHTS: Luz does a great job of creating a book that focuses on a women-centric Puerto Rican family and the love and humor they bring to each other’s lives, even if they can drive each other crazy. YA readers will enjoy reading about Amelia and how she navigates these interesting familial relationships and how she develops throughout the book to the point where she finally is able to decide what she really wants and is able to communicate her needs to her family.

Romance

YA – The Summer I Remembered Everything

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Morse, Catherine Con. The Summer I Remembered Everything. Crown, 2025. 978-1-593-71142-2. 290 p. $19.99. Grades 7-10.

When sixteen-year old Emily Chen-Sanchez’s parents ground her for the C+ she got in psychology class, she knows she has to find a way to spend the summer away from her doom-speaker dad, critical mom, and perfect older sister, Tessa. She takes a job being a weekend companion to an eccentric old lady who lives in a beautiful Spanish-style mansion in their sleepy, Southern town. An outlier in her family of overachievers, Emily finds acceptance, nonjudgement, and fun with Mrs. Granucci (Mrs. G) as the older woman introduces her to Eggs Benedict, a wax George Harrison figure, and a lovely pair of blue leather shoes. Emily has a flirtation with Mrs. G’s handsome, preppy nephew, Ezra, who keeps an eye out on his beloved aunt and swears Emily to secrecy about the old woman’s increasing forgetfulness. During the week, Emily keeps busy with swimming practice and sporadic conversations with her best friend and secret crush Matt–who now is dating another girl–and face timing pal Heather who is working in London for the summer. Refuge at Mrs. G’s become more precious once Emily’s mother is diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Her feelings of being second best increase as she sees Tessa dealing with her mother’s illness efficiently, and she realizes Matt has moved on and her chance to be with him has past. At Mrs. G’s, Emily feel valued and important; the old woman appreciates Emily’s art and straightforwardness. As the summer weeks progress, however, Mrs. G’s behavior becomes erratic. She accuses Emily of stealing her engagement ring; she runs a red light and gets in a car accident. Emily is faced with the dilemma of betraying her senior friend or risking Mrs. G’s safety. With the help of her dad, Emily makes the choice to inform Mrs. G’s son about his mother’s failing mental state. Emily discovers she has resources of courage that will help her have honest discussions with her parents and even the ability to admit she loves Matt. The Summer I Remembered Everything deals with a young mixed race (Asian American and Latinx) girl’s growing pains familiar to many teen readers. Author Catherine Con Morse constructs a comfortable setting, free of violence, crime, sex, and foul language, making this a cozy read, despite Emily’s angst. Readers who like the Jenny Han series will like this book.

THOUGHTS: This cozy book will find fans who relate to Emily’s struggle to find her place in her family, her attempts to meet challenges, and her realization that she loves her bff, Matt. Some of the author’s choices in plot seem not so believable to me. In point, Emily’s charge, Mrs. Grannuci says she was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York; but the reader is told time and again that the older woman is the consummate Southern lady with a deeply Southern accent (Watt Moose for White Moose). My family moved from New York to Philadelphia when I was in high school, and even my younger sister–who was six months old at the time–retains some vestiges of a New York accent just from growing up in a household where r’s were dropped and a’s were drawn out. I couldn’t get past this detail; it would have been so easy to have let the reader assume Mrs. G was born and raised in South Carolina.

Realistic Fiction

MG -The Bluest Sky

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Gonzalez, Christina Diaz. The Bluest Sky. Alfred A. Knopf, 2022. 978-0-593-37279-1. 314 p. $17.99. Grades 5-8.

Political unrest in the Communist government of 1980s Cuba made life in Havana a delicate balancing act. In public, people must support all government decisions or face retribution from friends and family through the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution, but in private, people are secretly becoming disenfranchised with the Communist Party and the lack of freedom and opportunity in Communist Cuba. Hector’s father, a political dissenter who was jailed for speaking out against the government, was sent to the United States after serving time in prison, and now Hector’s mother is also considering leaving Cuba to reunite their family and build a new life away from Communism. When Hector’s grandmother, a fierce supporter of the Communist regime, finds out that his family may be leaving Cuba, she does everything in her power to make the family stay, and the terrible consequences of her actions spur Hector, his mother, and his brother Rodrigo to try to leave Cuba once and for all.

THOUGHTS: This book is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of people in Cuba during the Mariel Boatlift, a time in Cuban history that was marked by economic problems, widespread protests, and political unrest throughout many segments of Cuban life. Hector and his family give context to the general upheaval of this time period and provide an emotional window into the plight of people who live under oppressive governments. Fans of popular historical fiction authors such as Alan Gratz and Jennifer Nielsen will love this exploration of a little-known period of Cuban and American history.

Historical Fiction          Erin Faulkner, Cumberland Valley SD

MG – The Supernatural Society

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Ogle, Rex. The Supernatural Society. Inkyard Press, 2022. 978-1-335-42487-7. 281 p. $16.99. Grades 4-7.

Will moves with his mom and his dog, Fitz, from New York City to a new school in East Emerson because his parents have recently divorced, and he is not pleased. Will deals with quite a bit of culture shock as he acclimates to small-town life and realizes that East Emerson isn’t just a sleepy, boring town; his new home is also overrun with monsters! Eventually, though, he befriends Linus and Ivy, two siblings from his neighborhood who help him deal with the monsters and make him feel as though he has found a “tribe” among all the upheaval and heartbreak in his life.

THOUGHTS: Good for students who want more scary stories, those who are fans of Stranger Things and groups of smart, multicultural kids finding monsters and solving mysteries. Linus is unapologetically smart, Ivy is strong, and Will is the glue that holds the band together. Students will be waiting with excitement for future books as well! This story will also serve as an unusual but interesting way to lead students to Free Lunch, Rex Ogle’s gritty and fascinating memoir.

Mystery Fiction          Erin Faulkner, Cumberland Valley SD
Supernatural Fiction

MG – Twin Cities

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Pimienta, Jose. Twin Cities. RH Graphic, 2022. 978-0-593-18062-4. 248 p. $12.99. Grades 4-7.

Sibling dynamics are at the heart of Jose Pimienta’s cleverly titled middle grade graphic novel, Twin Cities. Fraternal “Lu-Lu” twins Louisa Teresa and Luis Fernando Sosa opt to attend different middle schools, on different sides of the U.S. / Mexico border that divides Mexicali and Calexico. Teresa, who is very focused on her education and future opportunities, gets up extra early and spends long hours on homework in order to succeed at her Catholic school in Calexico, California. Fernando prefers the familiarity of his local school in Mexicali. The siblings grow apart as Teresa establishes her own identity with a new set of school friends. Fernando, meanwhile, is befriended by another boy who may lead him down a dangerous path of dealing illegal drugs. Bickering between siblings gets serious when Teresa discovers her brother’s secret, and he accuses her of being a “pocha” (abandoning her culture to assimilate on the U.S. side). Author/illustrator Pimienta employs side-by-side page spreads to portray the daily experiences of each twin. It’s also a great tool for depicting the varying characteristics of a city divided by an international border. Pimienta’s “Notes on a Particular Word” provide background on their decision to use the pejorative term “pocha” in the book.

THOUGHTS: Twin Cities is full of vibrant colors, authentic details, and relatable sibling tension. It’s one of many recent, outstanding graphic novels for middle grade readers that is not to be missed!

Graphic Novel          Amy V. Pickett, Ridley SD

Twin siblings Fernando and Teresa choose to go to two different schools for 7th grade, with Fernando staying in Mexicali, the Mexican town where the family lives, and Teresa choosing to commute with a classmate across the border each day and attend school in Calexico, California. The new school year does not go as smoothly as the twins hoped; Fernando feels alone without his sister and struggles to find healthy friendships, while Teresa strives for academic excellence but feels like her family doesn’t understand how hard she works to maintain both her American school life and her Mexican home life. Eventually they both realize that the family bond they share is stronger and more important than any individual problems they experience, and they begin to support each other in this new stage of their lives.

THOUGHTS: The twins in this graphic novel cope with all the difficulties of adolescence in middle school throughout this compelling graphic novel. Issues such as making new friends, bullying, exposure to drug use (although neither sibling uses drugs personally), and tensions with parents are all part of the story, but the overarching message is very positive and the twins learn and grow from the problems they face throughout the school year. The illustrations are bright, engaging, and really evoke the range of emotions the characters experience during the story. This is an excellent addition to collections where graphic novels and realistic fiction, especially with Latinx characters, are popular.

Graphic Novel          Erin Faulkner, Cumberland Valley SD

MG – Falling Short

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Cisneros, Ernesto. Falling Short. Quill Tree Books, 2022. 978-0-062-88172-4. 292 p. $16.99. Grades 6-8.

Sixth graders, Isaac Castillo and Marco Honeyman, are best friends, next door neighbors, and complete opposites. Isaac is a tall, basketball star who struggles in school; smart as a whip, Marco gets mistaken for a kindergartner because of his short stature. What both of them share is mutual love and care and problematic fathers. Unable to cope with his alcoholism, the loving but troubled Mr. Castillo is estranged from his wife and son. On the other hand, Marco’s parents are divorced, and his father would rather write an alimony check than visit his son. The boys’ warm friendship stands up to the pressure when the pair start Mendez Middle School in California. Marco classifies the different students like fish, some are aggressives and some are community minded. In Falling Short, author Ernesto Cisneros makes a solid case that being community minded is possible and preferable. Having almost failed fifth grade, Latinx Isaac has to prove that he can make the mark, and perhaps ease some of his parents’ stress. Mexican-American and Jewish Marco, too, wishes to impress his neglectful father, a jock, who dismisses Marco’s scholastic achievements. The basketball team is a choice that fits both boys’ needs: Isaac can coach Marco in baller moves; Marco can be Isaac’s loyal study buddy. Determined to escape the taunts of the school bullies–especially basketball eighth grade standout, the looming Byron–Marco takes on becoming a basketball player as an intellectual pursuit. Motivated by Marco’s relentless efforts to learn how to play ball, Isaac disciplines himself to complete all homework assignments. Their bro’mance gets them through their respective feelings of inadequacy in either sports or studies and their family issues. Marco skips an elective course and completes Isaac’s missed homework assignment. Isaac convinces Coach Chavez that Marco will be a valuable player on the team. Told in alternating voices that mix feeling with humor, the story reaches a climax when Isaac’s dad suffers a car accident while driving drunk right before the big basketball tournament. To add to the tension, Marco’s errant dad comes to see him play at the tournament. Reading how these true friends push each other to achieve their goals and affirm themselves in the process imitates the deft moves of a satisfying game and does not fall short.

THOUGHTS: Author Ernesto Cisneros mixes lots of details in Falling Short that cater to the typical middle school student: description of basketball plays, mention of well-known basketball players, team spirit, an explosive farting episode. It also touches on the awkwardness and helplessness kids can feel when dealing with parental flaws. The book includes some nice touches that point to a better world: Coach Chavez throws Byron, the bully, off the team when he finds out Byron humiliated Marco; Marco has a short teacher who can be both self-deprecating and inspirational; there is a girl on the basketball team; some of the other team members also look past Marco’s lack of height and see his kindness. Spanish phrases are scattered throughout the book.

Realistic Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia

Elem. – Join the Club, Maggie Diaz

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Moreno, Nina. Join the Club, Maggie Diaz. Illustrated by Courtney Lovett. Scholastic, 2022. 978-1-338-83281-5. 229 p. $7.99 (pbk.). Grades 3-6.

Reminiscent of Frazzled by Booki Vivat, Join the Club, Maggie Diaz by Nina Moreno has as its protagonist a Cuban-American girl ready to start seventh grade in middle school whose friends seem to have found their niches while she is still searching for hers. As the short, sweetly illustrated novel opens, Maggie’s mother is finishing her accounting degree, the Diaz family has welcomed a new baby brother, and their grandmother has come to live with the family in Miami after their grandfather’s death. Until her tiny house is completed in the family’s backyard, Abuela has become Maggie’s roommate. She is not shy about providing Maggie with unsolicited direction and advice (in Spanish). Maggie’s aim to be independent and grown up is thwarted by her lack of a cell phone, her busy parents’ strict rules, and the overshadowing of her seemingly perfect older sister, Caro. Intertwined seamlessly in the plot is Caro’s LBGTQ+ relationship with her tutoring buddy, Alex, and Mrs. Diaz’s positive acceptance of their relationship. Pressured to appear like she is fitting in, Maggie tells little white lies and tries joining every club she can. The one catch to admission to a club, however, is good grades. Maggie finds herself overextended and in over her head and her grades are slipping. If that happens, her prize of a cell phone and more freedom go out the window. With humor and pathos, Maggie muddles through and finds strength in unexpected people. Young readers will identify with Maggie’s struggles to find her special thing and keep up with her schoolwork in an unfamiliar environment of both a new school and a new stage in life.

THOUGHTS: Fitting in and finding one’s place in middle school is not an easy task. Books that have characters failing and trying at the same thing can be encouraging. It helps that Join the Club, Maggie Diaz is a quick read. Maggie’s up and down relationship with her grandmother is also a connection with real life. A fun and relatable read, especially for reluctant or struggling readers.

Realistic Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia

YA – Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet

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Kemp, Laekan Zea. Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet. Little, Brown and Company, 2021. 978-0-316-46027-9, 343 p. $17.99. Grades 8-12.

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet hits all the right notes for a young person’s fantasy romance. In alternating narratives, the reader follows the growing romance between talented Mexican-American chef, Penelope (Pen) Parado, and undocumented restaurant worker, Xander Amaro. Nachos Tacos is Pen’s father’s restaurant in Austin, Texas, and the salvation of the neighborhood, providing a handout or employment to many, despite the glaring threat of a ruthless loan shark, J.P. Martello. The restaurant is dear to Pen’s heart–not only because it is there she can express her culinary skills–but also because of the sense of family it represents. She is devastated when she is banished from the restaurant after confessing to her parents that she has not attended a full semester of nursing school. Traditional Mr. Parado expects his older son, Angel, to carry on the business despite Angel’s disinterest. New employee, Xander, enters the wait staff on Pen’s last day, and though some point out her brash, bossy manner, he is smitten. Eighteen-year old, independent Pen finds a cheap apartment with the help of bff Chloe and a wretched job at a Taco Bell-like establishment. In spite of her take-charge personality, Pen suffers from self esteem issues and the narrative alludes to some self-harming; she does take medication for her low moods. In addition to being undocumented, Xander is actively searching for his father who left the family when Xander was a toddler and has never attempted contact with either Xander or his own father, Xander’s guardian. As the narration asserts, each has their own scars. The chapters develop with Pen dealing positively with her complicated love-hate relationship with her father and Xander’s appreciation of his feelings of belonging to the ragtag Nacho crew. Their days revolve around working in their respective restaurants, hanging out with the other Nacho workers, food, and their romance until the restaurant’s future is in jeopardy from the menacing loan shark. This antagonist brings the needed friction for the story, culminating in a predictable conclusion that leaves the reader with admiration for the resiliency of Pen and Xander and their Latinx neighborhood.

THOUGHTS: There is nothing too deep here or too risky (Pen and Xander have some deep kisses and smoldering feelings, but nothing more; some foul language and drinking). Latinx author Kemp tells an old-fashioned love story with the typical tropes but with more interesting words and the addition of some mental health and immigration issues. Her major and minor characters are likeable and developed. One unexpected relationship is Xander’s friendship with the local police officers, despite his undocumented status. Younger teens wanting a romance or older ones looking for an escape novel will be hooked.

Realistic Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia