Contemporary Hispanic-American Fiction for Young Readers
Explore top Contemporary Hispanic-American Fiction for young readers! Discover engaging books by Hispanic authors that celebrate culture, identity, and modern storytelling.
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Becoming Naomi LeĂłn
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
When Naomi's absent mother resurfaces to claim her, Naomi runs away to Mexico with her great-grandmother and younger brother in search of her father.
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The Skirt
by Gary Soto
For fans of Gary Soto and Matt de la Peña comes a tale of a contemporary Mexican-American family with a "spunky and imaginative heroine" (Publishers Weekly). Miata Ramirez is scared and upset. The skirt she brought to show off at school is gone. She brought her forklorico skirt to show off at school and left it on the bus. It’s not just any skirt. This skirt belonged to Miata’s mother when she was a child in Mexico. On Sunday, Miata and her dance group are supposedgoing to dance forklorico, or traditional Mexican folk dances; and that kind of dancing requires a skirt like the one Miata lost. It’s Friday afternoon. Miata doesn’ t want her parents to know she’s lost something again. Can she find a way to rescue the precious skirt in time? With its focus on family ties, friendship, and ethnic pride and Includes an afterword from its acclaimedthe author, The Skirt is a story that children everywhere will relate to and be inspired by, no matter their background. "A light, engaging narrative that successfully combines information on Hispanic culture with familiar and recognizable childhood themes....A fine read-aloud and discussion starter, this story blends cultural differences with human similarities to create both interest and understanding."—SLJ “Light, easy reading . . . offering readers a cast and situations with which to identify, whatever their own ethnic origins.”—The Bulletin "Soto's light tale offers a pleasant blend of family ties, friendship and ethnic pride...[and Miata is] a spunky and imaginative heroine."—Publishers Weekly
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The Cat's Meow
by Gary Soto
Eight-year-old Nicole, who is part Mexican, is amazed when her cat Pip starts speaking in Spanish.
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Fourth-Grade Fuss
by Johanna Hurwitz
Yard sales, ice-skating, and surprise parties are just a few of the things that make fourth grade fun. But Julio and his friends know it’s time to get serious when the class begins preparing for the big statewide test at the end of the year. Just thinking about it is enough to give anybody a stomachache! Julio and his best friend, Lucas, are going to try every superstition in the book to make sure they pass. They’ll wear their underwear inside out, use brand-new pencils, and even—gulp—study. But when test day comes, Julio finds out there are some surprises no one can prepare for! Whether one has read about Julio and Lucas and their other classmates before in class clown and class president or this is the first meeting, here is a story that will strike a familiar chord. With the warmth and realism she is known for, beloved author Johanna Hurwitz brings us the hardships and humor of Julio Sanchez’s fourth-grade year.
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How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay
by Julia Alvarez
An endearing family story from the international bestselling author of How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies "This twist on a classic story demonstrates that difficult transitions can be eased by new connections. Or a possibly magical aunt." —The New York Times Book Review Moving to Vermont after his parents split, Miguel has plenty to worry about! TĂa Lola, his quirky, carismática, and maybe magical aunt makes his life even more unpredictable when she arrives from the Dominican Republic to help out his Mami. Like her stories for adults, Julia Alvarez’s first middle-grade book sparkles with magic as it illuminates a child’s experiences living in two cultures.
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Felita
by Nicholasa Mohr
Felita's parents promise she will love their new neighborhood. Only Abuelita, her grandmother, understands how much Felita will miss her old block, and her best friend Gigi. But her new neighbors taunt and tease Felita and her family because they are from Puerto Rico. First published twenty years ago, Felita's compelling story has resonance for kids today. "An honest, realistic view of an important aspect of contemporary American life." --The Horn Book
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The Music Thief
by Peni R. Griffin
Living in San Antonio, Texas, eleven-year-old Alma tries to cope with the drive-by shooting death of her favorite Latina singer, as well as deal with the struggles of her various family members, and finds herself doing something she knows is wrong.
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Journey of the Sparrows
by Fran Leeper Buss
Nailed into a crate in the back of a truck, fifteen-year-old Maria, her older sister, Julia, their little brother, Oscar, and a boy named Tomas endure a terrifying and torturous journey across the U.S. border and then north to Chicago. There they struggle to find work-cleaning, sewing, washing dishes-always fearful of arrest and deportation back to the cruelties of El Salvador. By turns heartbreaking and hopeful, this moving story of the secret lives of immigrants is not to be missed. A gripping, lyrical portrayal of a continuing American dilemma." (Kirkus Reviews, pointer review)
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Mama Had to Work on Christmas
by Carolyn Marsden
Gloria's Christmas begins with frustration when she is forced to go to work with Mama, but by the end of the day, she appreciates her family and enjoys the holiday.
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So Hard to Say
by Alex Sanchez
New to California, Frederick makes fast friends with Xio, an outgoing girl who develops a crush on him. But Frederick is drawn to Victor, the popular captain of the soccer team. Frederick is confused about what his feelings can mean--and part of him is afraid to find out.
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The Jumping Tree
by Rene Saldana, Jr.
These lively stories follow Rey Castaneda from sixth through eighth grade in Nuevo Penitas, Texas. One side of Rey's family lives nearby in Mexico, the other half in Texas, and Rey fits in on both sides of the border. In Nuevo Penitas, he enjoys fooling around with his pals in the barrio; at school, he's one of the "A list" kids. As Rey begins to cross the border from childhood into manhood, he turns from jokes and games to sense the meaning of work, love, poverty, and grief, and what it means to be a proud Chicano-moments that sometimes propel him to show feelings un hombre should never express. It's a new territory where Rey longs to follow the example his hardworking, loving father has set for him.
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Call Me Consuelo
by Ofelia Dumas Lachtman
After suddenly being orphaned, twelve-year-old Consuelo reluctantly moves in with her American grandmother while hoping to return soon to her Mexican American family.
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Benni & Victoria
by Patricia H. Aust
In residential placement as a result of his mother's substance abuse, ten-year-old Benni travels back in time to befriend a nine-year-old girl during a diphtheria epidemic.
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Any Small Goodness
by Tony Johnston
Filled with hope, love, and warmth, this novel describes a Los Angeles far different from the place of movie stars and very poor people--a place where random acts of generosity improve the lives of the community.
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Marisol and Magdalena
by Veronica Chambers
Marisol and Magdalena are mejores amigas - best friends - who live in Brooklyn. They have grown up with their extended families, a group of colorful, eccentric relatives who are forever trying to reach the girls the ways of Panama, their native land. For Marisol, a Latinegra - a black and a Latina - child, life is especially challenging as she tries to balance several heritages. When Marisol's mother sends her to live in Panama with her abuela, the move puts Marisol's American values to the test, and also tests her friendship with Magdalena. But going to Panama also presents an opportunity for Marisol to search for her father, Lucho, a man she has never met.
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Cuba 15
by Nancy Osa
For fans of Matt de la Peña and Sandra Cisneros comes a novel about family and identity, where Violet Paz prepares for her quinceañero and learns about her Cuban heritage. Violet Paz has just turned fifteen, a pivotal birthday in the eyes of her Cuban grandmother. Fifteen is the age when a girl enters womanhood, traditionally celebrating the occasion with a quinceañero. But while Violet is half Cuban, she’s also half Polish, and more importantly, she feels 100% American. Except for her zany family’s passion for playing dominoes, smoking cigars, and dancing to Latin music, Violet knows little about Cuban culture, nada about quinces, and only tidbits about the history of Cuba. So when Violet begrudgingly accepts Abuela’s plans for a quinceañero–and as she begins to ask questions about her Cuban roots–cultures and feelings collide. The mere mention of Cuba and Fidel Castro elicits her grandparents’sadness and her father’s anger. Only Violet’s aunt Luz remains open-minded. With so many divergent views, it’s not easy to know what to believe. All Violet knows is that she’s got to form her own opinions, even if this jolts her family into unwanted confrontations. After all, a quince girl is supposed to embrace responsibility–and to Violet that includes understanding the Cuban heritage that binds her to a homeland she’s never seen. “Violet’s hilarious cool first-person narrative veers between farce and tenderness, denial and truth.”—Booklist, Starred Review "This funny and tender chronicle of Violet's 15th year...[has] heart and humor."-Kirkus Reviews “Cuba 15 will make readers laugh, whether or not their families are as loco as Violet’s.”—The Horn Book Magazine "Osa's tale about a warmhearted, fun-loving family, a teenager's typical ambivalence about different cultures, the stress of dealing with high school demands and pressures, a budding romance, and how an imaginative, high-spirited young woman handles some thorny issues and does some growing up in the process, rings true and makes for an entertaining story."-VOYA "The characters are so charming that while readers are in their company, the experience is interesting and engaging."-SLJ A Pura Belpré Honor Book An ALA Notable Book An ALA Best Book for Young Adults A Booklist Top Ten Youth First Novels
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My Name Is Maria Isabel
by Alma Flor Ada
Third grader Mara Isabel, born in Puerto Rico and now living in the U.S., wants badly to fit in at school--and the teacher's writing assignment "My Greatest Wish" gives her that opportunity.
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Baseball Flyhawk
by Matt Christopher
Chico Romez is new to the Royals baseball team and the players welcome him and his ability exept String Becker.
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Sofi Mendoza's Guide to Getting Lost in Mexico
by MalĂn AlegrĂa
When Southern California high school senior Sofi Mendoza lies to her parents and crosses the border for a weekend party, she has no idea that she will get stuck in a Mexican village with family she has never met before, unable to return to the United States and the easy life she knew.
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White Bread Competition
by Jo Ann Yolanda Hernández
The picturesque city of San Antonio, Texas, with its rich Mexican-American culture, provides the ideal backdrop for the linked stories in this collection.
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Cubanita
by Gaby Triana
All Isa wants is to be a regular American teenager, something her Cuban immigrant mother most definitely does not understand. After almost eighteen years of constant debate over everything from birthdays to boys, Isa has had enough. She's counting down the days until she leaves for college—and can get as far away from Miami (North Cuba) as possible. But the more Isa tries to detach herself from her roots, the more tangled she becomes. Will she ever find the normal American life she dreams of? Or is she destined to become a cubanita after all?
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In the Break
by Jack LĂłpez
Surfing is Juan Barrela's life, but when his best friend Jamie faces a violent home situation, the tenth-grader steals his mother's car and drives with Jamie's sister Amber to Mexico to help her brother hide until tragedy strikes the trio.
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Free Baseball
by Sue Corbett
Angry with his mother for having too little time for him, eleven-year-old Felix takes advantage of an opportunity to become bat boy for a minor league baseball team, hoping to someday be like his father, a famous Cuban outfielder. Includes glossaries of baseball terms and Spanish words and phrases.
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Under the Baseball Moon
by John H. Ritter
Andy and Glory, two fifteen-year-olds from Ocean Beach, California, pursue their respective dreams of becoming a famous musician and a professional softball player.
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Heat
by Mike Lupica
The #1 Bestseller! Michael Arroyo has a pitching arm that throws serious heat along with aspirations of leading his team all the way to the Little League World Series. But his firepower is nothing compared to the heat Michael faces in his day-to-day life. Newly orphaned after his father led the family’s escape from Cuba, Michael’s only family is his seventeen-yearold brother Carlos. If Social Services hears of their situation, they will be separated in the foster-care system—or worse, sent back to Cuba. Together, the boys carry on alone, dodging bills and anyone who asks too many questions. But then someone wonders how a twelve-year-old boy could possibly throw with as much power as Michael Arroyo throws. With no way to prove his age, no birth certificate, and no parent to fight for his cause, Michael’s secret world is blown wide open, and he discovers that family can come from the most unexpected sources. Perfect for any Little Leaguer with dreams of making it big--as well as for fans of Mike Lupica's other New York Times bestsellers Travel Team, The Big Field, The Underdogs, Million-Dollar Throw, and The Game Changers series, this cheer-worthy baseball story shows that when the game knocks you down, champions stand tall.
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Accidental Love
by Gary Soto
The award-winning author of "Baseball in April and Other Stories" deftly captures all the angst, expectation, and humor that comes with first love in this swift, lighthearted romance.
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The Tequila Worm
by Viola Canales
Sofia comes from a family of storytellers. Here are her tales of growing up in the barrio, full of the magic and mystery of family traditions: making Easter cascarones, celebrating el Dia de los Muertos, preparing for quincea–era, rejoicing in the Christmas nacimiento, and curing homesickness by eating the tequila worm. When Sofia is singled out to receive a scholarship to an elite boarding school, she longs to explore life beyond the barrio, even though it means leaving her family to navigate a strange world of rich, privileged kids. It's a different mundo, but one where Sofia's traditions take on new meaning and illuminate her path.
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DOWN TO BONE
by Mayra Lazara Dole
Here's what it means to be a tortillera. It means you're a girl who loves girls. Which means you get kicked out of Catholic school faster than Mother Superior Sicko can say "immoral." Which means your wacko Mami finds out. Which means you're kicked to the curb with nowhere to go, and the love of your life is shipped off to Puerto Rico to marry a guy. But this is Miami, and if you have a bighearted best friend and a loyal puppy at your side, and if your broken heart is still full of love, you just might land on your feet. In a first novel as crazy, joyful, hilarious, and painful as your first love, Mayra Lazara Dole goes beyond the many meanings of tortillera to paint a vivid picture of a girl who gets kicked out of home only to find a new kind of family.
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No Place
by Kay Haugaard
Having no place to play in their run-down inner city Los Angeles neighborhood, twelve-year-old Arturo and the other students in his sixth-grade class raise money and build a park, in the process learning about hard work, creativity, and teamwork.
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Mercy on These Teenage Chimps
by Gary Soto
At age thirteen, best friends Ronnie and Joey suddenly feel like chimps--long armed, big eared, and gangly--and when the coach humiliates Joey in front of a girl, he climbs up a tree and refuses to come down, forcing Ronnie to court the girl on his behalf. Reprint.
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Behind the Eyes
by Francisco X. Stork
Sixteen-year-old Hector is the hope of his family, but when he seeks revenge after his brother's gang-related death and is sent to a San Antonio reform school, it takes an odd assortment of characters to help him see that hope is still alive.
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The Whole Sky Full of Stars
by René Saldaña
Eighteen-year-old Barry competes in a non-sanctioned boxing match in hopes of helping his recently-widowed mother, unaware that his best friend and manager, Alby, has his own desperate need for a share of the purse that may put their friendship on the line.
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My Father, the Angel of Death
by Ray Villareal
Seventh-grader Jesse Baron not only misses his father, a popular professonal wrestler who is often on the road, he faces simple family outings that turn into fan-frenzy events, teachers who contrive excuses for parent-teacher conferences, and friendships that are all suspect.
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Paco's Perro
by Marion Heller
When twelve-year-old Paco, his widowed mother, and a greyhound puppy arrive in Miami after leaving Cuba, their new life includes an extended family of Cuban immigrants, learning to speak English, and an unexpected involvement in the world of championship dog racing.
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Breakaway
by Kimberley Griffiths Little
Sixth grader Luke, who never got a chance to know his father, is convinced that he can follow in his footsteps as a great soccer player, but he finds that success takes more than good genes.
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Praying to A.L.
by Judith Caseley
Grieving for her beloved father who recently died, 11-year-old Sierra remembers special moments in their lives, including their interest in the life of Abraham Lincoln. Confiding to a portrait of her historical idol seems to offer Sierra the kind of solace her wacky but well-meaning Jewish-Cuban extended family can't quite give her.
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Maria
by Theodore Taylor
Eleven-year-old Maria and her family are the first Mexican Americans to enter a float in the annual Christmas parade in san Lazaro, California.
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Alphabet City Ballet
by Erika Tamar
Living in a poor Puerto Rican family complicates life for ten-year-old Marisol when she realizes that pursuing her love for ballet may expose her brother to danger.
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The Magic Shell
by Nicholasa Mohr
When his family moves from the Dominican Republic to New York City, Jaime uses his uncle's magical shell to call up happy memories.