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Latin American Heritage Month Fiction

Chapter books for middle grade readers.

Behar, Ruth, 1956- author.
J FICTION BEH
In 1960s New York, fifth-grader Ruthie, a Cuban-Jewish immigrant, must rely on books, art, her family, and friends in her multicultural neighborhood when an accident puts her in a body cast.

Torres, Jennifer, 1980- author.
J FICTION TOR
"Seventh grader Estefania "Stef" Soto is itching to shake off the onion-and-cilantro embrace of Tia Perla, her family's taco truck. She wants nothing more than for her dad to get a normal job and for Tia Perla to be put out to pasture. It's no fun being known as the "Taco Queen" at school. But just when it looks like Stef is going to get exactly what she wants, and her family's livelihood is threatened, she will have to become the truck's unlikely champion. In this fun and multicultural middle grade novel, Stef will discover what matters the most, and ultimately embrace an identity that even includes old Tia Perla."--Publisher's website.

Cartaya, Pablo, author.
J FICTION CAR
After a fight at school leaves Marcus facing suspension, Marcus's mother takes him and his younger brother, who has Down syndrome, to Puerto Rico to visit relatives they do not remember or have never met, and while there Marcus starts searching for his father, who left their family ten years ago and is somewhere on the island.

Dominguez, Angela, author, illustrator.
J FICTION DOM
Stella Díaz wants to be friends with the new boy in class, but sometimes she accidentally speaks Spanish instead of English and pronounces words wrong, which makes her turn roja. In addition, she has to get over her fear of speaking in front of the class.

Meriano, Anna, author.
J FICTION MER
Wanting to be a part of her family's Dia de los Muertos preparations, Leonora sneaks out of school to discover her mother, aunt, and older sisters have been keeping a secret.

Cartaya, Pablo, author.
J FICTION CAR
When his family's restaurant and Cuban American neighborhood in Miami are threatened by a greedy land developer, thirteen-year-old Arturo, joined by Carmen, a cute poetry enthusiast, fight back, discovering the power of poetry and protest through untold family stories and the work of José Martí.

Scaletta, Kurtis, author.
J FICTION SCA
In the Dominican Republic, a boy who dreams of playing professional baseball in the United States crosses paths with a young environmentalist from Minneapolis who is passionate about saving bees.

Pérez, Celia C., 1972- author.
J FICTION PER
Twelve-year-old María Luisa O'Neill-Morales (who really prefers to be called Malú) reluctantly moves with her Mexican-American mother to Chicago and starts seventh grade with a bang--violating the dress code with her punk rock aesthetic and spurning the middle school's most popular girl in favor of starting a band with a group of like-minded weirdos.

Pérez, Celia C., 1972- author.
J SP FICTION PER
After María Luisa O'Neill-Morales moves with her Mexican-American mother to Chicago, she violates her school's dress code with her punk rock aesthetic and spurns the school's most popular girl to start a band with like-minded friends.

Delacre, Lulu, author.
J FICTION DEL
A collection of short stories featuring Latin Americans allows readers to experience life through their eyes, celebrate their victories, and see their hardships.

Delacre, Lulu
"Beautifully written with candor, honesty, and perfect brevity. A collection not to be missed." (Booklist starred review) This middle grade novel is an excellent choice for tween readers in grades 7 to 8, especially during homeschooling. It's a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom. Acclaimed author and Pura Belpré Award honoree Lulu Delacre's beautifully illustrated collection of twelve short stories is a groundbreaking look at the diverse Latinos who live in the United States. In this book, you will meet many young Latinos living in the United States, from a young girl whose day at her father's burrito truck surprises her to two sisters working together to change the older sister's immigration status, and more. Turn the pages to experience life through the eyes of these boys and girls whose families originally hail from many different countries; see their hardships, celebrate their victories, and come away with a better understanding of what it means to be Latino in the U.S. today. A Kirkus Best Book of 2017 * A New York Public Library Best Book of 2017 * A Los Angeles Public Library Best Book of 2017 * A 2017 Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature Honor Book * A Booklist Top 10 Diverse Fiction for Older and Middle Readers * CCBC Choices Pick of 2018 * CBC Notable in Social Studies
This electronic resource is available through the SCPL catalog.
View on SCPL catalog

Medina, Meg, author.
J SP FICTION MED
Merci Suárez sabía que el sexto grado sería diferente, pero no tenía idea alguna lo diferente que resultaría. En primer lugar, Merci nunca se ha parecido a los otros niños de su escuela privada en la Florida, porque tanto ella como Roli, su hermano mayor, son estudiantes becados. Ellos no tienen ni una casa grande ni un yate elegante, y tienen que desempeñar servicios comunitarios adicionales para compensar por su matricula gratis. Así que cuando la mandona de Edna Santos se fija en el nuevo niño que la escuela le ha asignado a Merci como su "amigos de arco iris," Merci se convierte en el foco de los celos de Edna. Las cosas no andan muy bien en su casa tampoco: Lolo, el abuelo de Merci, su aliado de mayor confianza, ha estado actuando un poco raro últimamente: se le olvida cosas importantes, se cae de la bicicleta y se enoja por cualquier cosa. Nadie en la familia le ha dicho a Merci qué es lo que le aflige, así que Merci tiene que lidiar sola con sus preocupaciones, a la vez que se siente aislada en la escuela. En una historia sobre los ritos de la pre-adolescencia, llena de humor y sabiduría, la galardonada autora Meg Medina llega al fondo del desconcierto y del cambio continuo que caracterizan el último año de la escuela elemental, así como de los lazos inquebrantables de la familia.

Medina, Meg, author.
LARGE TYPE J FICTION MED
Merci Suárez relies on her close, extended family as she goes through many changes during her sixth-grade year at Florida's Seaward Pines Academy.

Cisneros, Ernesto, author.
J FICTION CIS
While his father works two jobs, seventh-grader Efrén Nava must take care of his twin siblings, kindergartners Max and Mia, after their mother is deported to Mexico. Includes glossary of Spanish words.

Diaz, Alexandra, author.
J FICTION DIA
Fleeing abusive relatives and extreme poverty in Mexico, young Santiago endures being detained by ICE while crossing the border into the United States.

Ryan, Pam Muñoz, author.
J SP FICTION RYA
A Maximiliano Córdoba le encantan las historias, especialmente la leyenda que le cuenta Buelo sobre un mítico guardián que ayuda a los viajeros valientes de corazón puro en un viaje a la tierra del mañana. Si Max pudiera ver el mañana, sabría si lo aceptarán en el famoso club de fútbol de Santa María y si alguna vez encontrará a su madre, quien desapareció cuando él era bebé. Quiere saber más de ella, pero su papá no quiere hablar; así que cuando Max descubre un secreto familiar que involucra una red subterránea de guardianes que ayudan a la gente a huir a la seguridad del país vecino, decide buscar las respuestas por su cuenta.

Calejo, Ryan, author.
J FICTION CAL
Steeped in Hispanic folklore since childhood, middle schooler Charlie Hernández learns the stories are true when, shortly after his parents disappearance, he grows horns and feathers and finds himself at the heart of a battle to save the world.

Calejo, Ryan, author.
J FICTION CAL
"A young calaca's appearance at school sends Charlie on a quest to investigate suspicious activity in Miami and learn the truth behind the Golden Dooms"--Provided by publisher.

Cartaya, Pablo, author.
J FICTION CAR
Sixth-grader Emilia Torres struggles with ADHD, her controlling abuela, her mother's work commitments, her father's distance after returning from deployment, evolving friendships, and a conflict over school redistricting.

González, Saraí, 2005- author.
J FICTION GON
Fourth grader Saraí Gonzalez can do anything. She can bake, dance, and run her own cupcake business. But when Saraí's grandparents are forced to move, even Saraí's not sure what to do. So she hatches a super-awesome plan with her younger sisters and cousin to buy back the house. Will Saraí find a way to save the day?

Hernandez, Carlos Alberto, author.
J FICTION HER
In order to heal after his mother's death, Sal learned how to meditate. But no one expected him to be able to take it further and 'relax' things into existence. Turns out he can reach into time and space to retrieve things from other universes,

Córdova, Zoraida, author.
J FICTION COR
Eleven-year-old Danny Monteverde believes in magic, he believes that the enchanted land of Rio Luna in his older sister's favorite book is real, and most of all he believes that if he can find the way to Rio Luna he will find his sister Pili there, because he does not believe that his sister would run away from the group home where they lived and leave him behind; but after years of being passed from one foster family to another his faith begins to fade--until one day he finds a mysterious book in the library that contains a map to Rio Luna...and a way to find Pili.

Burgos, Hilda Eunice, author.
J FICTION BUR
"With a new sibling (her fourth) on the way and a big piano recital on the horizon, Dominican-American Ana María Reyes tries to win a scholarship to a New York City private school"-- Provided by publisher.

Resau, Laura, author.
J FICTION RES
Twelve-year-old Coco Hidden has grown up in her mother's chocolate shop in Colorado, along with her friend Leo de la Cueva, but recently things have not been going well; the shop is failing, and Leo is hanging out with the other boys, and barely wants to talk to her--but when they both win a culinary contest, the two children and their mothers find themselves on a trip to the Amazon in Ecuador, where Coco hopes to find the rare ceiba tree, and where the plight of the native people and their jungle gives her a new perspective and purpose in life.

Méndez, Yamile Saied, author.
J FICTION MEN
The outgoing First Daughters play a prank on their incoming counterparts, sparking an epic prank war.

Dobbs, Alda P., author.
J FICTION DOB
"Based on a true story, the tale of one girl's perilous journey to cross the U.S. border and lead her family to safety during the Mexican Revolution"-- Provided by publisher.

Sanchez, Alex, 1957- author.
J FICTION SAN
Thirteen-year-old Jorge Fuerte struggles to deal his parents announcing thier divorce and with his father coming out as transgender, his twin brother's anger, and trying to keep the secret from his comic-loving friends and cool, confident, quirky new neighbor Zoey.

Torres, Jennifer, 1980- author.
J FICTION TOR
The Romero twins have always ruled David's school. But when a set of trickster triplets moves to town, David gets stuck in the middle of a full-on prank war! Can he stop the scuffle before the playground becomes off-limits for the whole year?

Mercado, Yehudi, author, illustrations.
J GN BIO MERCADO
"Hudi needs to lose weight, according to his doctors. Concerned about the serious medical issue Hudi had when he was younger, his parents push him to try out for sports. Hudi would rather do anything else, but then he meets Chunky, his imaginary friend and mascot. Together, they decide to give baseball a shot. As the only Mexican and Jewish kid in his neighborhood, Hudi has found the cheerleader he never had. Baseball doesn't go well (unless getting hit by the ball counts), but the two friends have a great time drawing and making jokes. While Hudi's parents keep trying to find the right sport for Hudi, Chunky encourages him to pursue his true love--comedy. But when Hudi's dad loses his job, it gets harder for Hudi to chart his own course, even with Chunky's guidance. Can Chunky help Hudi stay true to himself or will this friendship strike out?" -- Jacket flap.

Oshiro, Mark, author.
J FICTION OSH
Twelve-year-old Héctor Muñoz, fleeing from bullies, discovers a magical closet that not only provides him sanctuary, but also unites him with two other kids facing similar problems at their own schools, helping them find friendship and strength in each other.

Torres, Jennifer, 1980- author.
J FICTION TOR
Twins Raquel and Lucinda Mendoza used to be inseparable, but since their parents divorced Raquel has become bossy and obsessive, while Lucinda has immersed herself in her ice skating lessons, and the pandemic and its enforced isolation has only made things worse; but then they are sent to their father's ranch in central California and while Raquel thinks that this is a chance to get their parents back together by driving his girlfriend away, Lucinda discovers she likes his new family, and wonders if trying to bring the Mendoza family back together is really worth the struggle.

Pérez, Celia C., 1972- author.
J FICTION PER
Before she decides whether to accept her stepfather's proposal of adoption, twelve-year-old Adela Ramírez reaches out to her estranged biological father--who is in the midst of a career comeback as a luchador--and the eccentric extended family of wrestlers she has never met, bringing Adela closer to understanding the expansive definition of family.

Méndez, Jasminne, author.
J FICTION MEN
A novel-in-verse about a 12-year-old Dominican American girl who must keep her love of swimming a secret from her mother, is diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis, and is forced to reimagine the person she is to become.