City Library Staff Book Recommendations for Latin American Heritage Month

Booklist: Latin American Heritage Month

This booklist focuses on the histories, cultures, and contributions of those with ancestry from Latin America — including Mexico, South America, Central America, and islands of the Caribbean. You’ll find books, biographies, movies, music, and even a cookbook or two! Browse the list here.

Highlighted Recommendations

Quick book reviews from City Library staff members.

Loteria,
by Karla Arenas Valenti
(Middle-Grade Fiction)
“11 year old Carla is a girl like any other in Oaxaca City, that is until she is marked for the la Lotería. While she tries to rescue her cousin, Life and Death deal cards and play to determine whether Carla will live another day, or pass into Death’s arms. This book will have everyone on the edge of their seat waiting with bated breath to find out what will happen next!”
Book

Undocumented: A Worker’s Fight,
by Duncan Tonatiuh
(Graphic Novel)
“Undocumented: A Worker’s Fight is the story of immigrant workers who have come to the United States without papers. Every day, these men and women join the work force and contribute positively to society. The story is told via the ancient Mixtec codex, accordion-fold format. (It’s such a cool way to present a graphic novel and the story is very good).”
Book | DVD

Mexican Gothic,
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
(Fiction)
“Trust me, this book is worth the hype. Prepare to be hooked along with Noemi Taboada into a tangled web of mystery as she tries to save her newly-wed cousin from impending doom.”
Book | eBook | Audiobook | Large Print

Isla to Island,
by Alexis Castellanos
(Graphic Novel)
“This incredible, wordless graphic novel will take you by the hand and bring you into the life of Marisol, a young girl who is sent to the United States to keep her safe during Castro’s regime in Cuba in the 1960s.”
Book

The Last Cuentista,
by Donna Barba Higuera
(Sci-Fi)
“This Newbery Medal winner takes place in 2061. It’s about how important storytelling is for young protagonist Petra Peña, and how it ends up saving her and her companions on a long voyage through space. Storytelling is such a rich cultural phenomenon and I loved how the author wove it into the fantastical setting. It’s a middle-grade book but I think adults will enjoy it too.”
Book | eBook | Audiobook

The Carrying,
by Ada Limón
(Poetry)
The Carrying is an exquisite and heart wrenching collection of personal poetry from the first Latina Poet Laureate of the United States. She writes, “Every song of this country / has an unsung third stanza, something brutal.”
Book