Latinx Children’s Literature
A selection of books by Latinx authors and illustrators for children from birth to 12, to listen to and read.
Audiobooks
Audiobooks
The Other Half of Happy
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. Twelve-year-old Quijana is a biracial girl, desperately trying to understand the changes that are going on in her life; her mother rarely gets home before bedtime, her father suddenly seems to be trying to get in touch with his Guatemalan roots (even though he never bothered to teach Quijana Spanish), she is about to start seventh grade in the Texas town where they live and she is worried about fitting in--and Quijana suspects that her parents are keeping secrets, because she is sure there is something wrong with her little brother, Memito, who is becoming increasingly hard to reach. Age: 10+
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Lucky Broken Girl
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. 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. Age: 10+
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish
Child fiction book, and e-audiobook. 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. Age: 10+
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. This is the vibrant story of a family, a striking portrait of a town, and one boy's quest to save both. Age: 10+
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Efrén Divided
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. 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. Age: 9+
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Last Stop on Market Street
Child picture book in English and Spanish, e-book, audiobook on CD, e-audiobook, video on DVD, and e-video. A young boy rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things. Age: 3-7.
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Islandborn
Child picture book, Wonderbook with print and audio, e-book in English and in Spanish, and e-audiobook. Lola was just a baby when her family left the Island, so when she has to draw it for a school assignment, she asks her family, friends, and neighbors about their memories of her homeland...and in the process, comes up with a new way of understanding her own heritage. Age: 5-8.
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Dancing Hands : How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln
E-book, and e-audiobook. Looks at the life and accomplishments of Teresa Carreño, one of the most famous pianists who, by age nine, performed for President Abraham Lincoln at the White House. Age: 3-8.
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Drum Dream Girl : How One Girl's Courage Changed Music
Child picture book, Wonderbook with audio and print, and e-book. A girl in the 1920s strives to become a drummer, despite being continually reminded that only boys play the drums, and that there has never been a female drummer in Cuba. Includes note about Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, who inspired the story, and Anacaona, the all-girl dance band she formed with her sisters. Age: 4-8.
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. How did a raw chicken get inside Yasmany's locker? When Sal Vidon meets Gabi Real for the first time, it isn't under the best of circumstances. Sal prides himself on being an excellent magician, but for this sleight of hand, he relied on a talent no one would guess except maybe Gabi, whose sharp eyes never miss a trick. When Gabi learns that he's capable of conjuring things much bigger than a chicken--including his dead mother--and she takes it all in stride, Sal knows that she is someone he can work with. There's only one slight problem: their manipulation of time and space could put the entire universe at risk. Age: 8-12.
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Mango, Abuela, and Me
Child picture book in English, and e-audiobook in Spanish. Mia's abuela has left her sunny house with parrots and palm trees to live with Mia and her parents in the city. The night she arrives, Mia tries to share her favorite book with Abuela before they go to sleep and discovers that Abuela can't read the words inside. So while they cook, Mia helps Abuela learn English ("Dough. Masa"), and Mia learns some Spanish too, but it's still hard for Abuela to learn the words she needs to tell Mia all her stories. Then Mia sees a parrot in the pet-shop window and has the perfect idea for how to help them all communicate a little better. Age: 4-8.
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Dreamers
Child picture book, e-book, e-audiobook, Wonderbook, and e-video. Available in Spanish and English. In 1994, Yuyi Morales left her home in Xalapa, Mexico and came to the US with her infant son. She left behind nearly everything she owned, but she didn't come empty-handed. Dreamers is a celebration of what migrants bring with them when they leave their homes. It's a story about family. And it's a story to remind us that we are all dreamers, bringing our own gifts wherever we roam. Age: 3-8.
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
My Papi Has a Motorcycle
Child picture book, e-book, e-audiobook, and e-video. Available in Spanish and English. A celebration of a vibrant immigrant neighborhood and the love between a father and daughter. Age: 3-8.
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Becoming Naomi León
Child fiction book, English e-book and Spanish e-book, and e-audiobook. 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. Age: 7-11.
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Echo
Child fiction book, e-book, audiobook on CD, and e-audiobook. Lost in the Black Forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and finds himself entwined in a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica--and decades later three children, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California find themselves caught up in the same thread of destiny in the darkest days of the twentieth century, struggling to keep their families intact, and tied together by the music of the same harmonica. Age: 9+
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Esperanza Rising
Child fiction English e-book and Spanish e-book, audiobook on CD, and e-audiobook. Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm workers on the eve of the Great Depression. Age: 8-12.
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
The Dreamer
Child fiction book, and e-audiobook. A fictionalized biography of the Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who grew up a painfully shy child, ridiculed by his overbearing father, but who became one of the most widely-read poets in the world. Age: 9+
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Chato’s Kitchen
Child audiobook on CD with read-along book. Chato, the coolest cat in East L.A., couldn't be happier when a family of mice move into the "barrio". When Chato gets out the pots and pans to prepare a feast in honor of their new neighbors, he gets more than he can handle with the surprise guest the mice bring along. Age: 3-8.
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Too Many Tamales
Child audiobook on CD with read-along picture book. Maria tries on her mother's wedding ring while helping make tamales for a Christmas family get-together. Panic ensues when, hours later, she realizes the ring is missing. Age: 3-8.
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation
Child nonfiction book, e-book, video on DVD, e-video, and e-audiobook. Years before the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez, an eight-year-old girl of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, played an instrumental role in Mendez v. Westminster, the landmark desegregation case of 1946 in California. Age: 6-9.
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
Soldier for Equality : José de la Luz Saénz and the Great War
Child nonfiction picture book, e-book, e-audiobook, and e-video. The story of a Mexican-American war hero brought to life. Age: 6-8.
Where to Find:
Audiobooks
The Princess and the Warrior
Child nonfiction book, e-book, video on DVD, e-video, and e-audiobook. In one of Mexico's cherished legends, Princess Izta had many wealthy suitors, but dismissed them all. When a mere warrior, Popoca, promised to be true to her and stay always by her side, Izta fell in love. The emperor promised Popoca if he could defeat their enemy Jaguar Claw, then Popoca and Izta could wed. Age: 6-9.
Where to Find:
eBooks
eBooks
Across the Bay
Child picture book, and e-book. Carlitos lives in a happy home with his mother, his abuela, and Coco the cat. Life in his hometown is cozy as can be, but the call of the capital city pulls Carlitos across the bay in search of his father. Jolly piragüeros, mischievous cats, and costumed musicians color this tale of love, family, and the true meaning of home. Age: 3-7.
Where to Find:
eBooks
The Other Half of Happy
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. Twelve-year-old Quijana is a biracial girl, desperately trying to understand the changes that are going on in her life; her mother rarely gets home before bedtime, her father suddenly seems to be trying to get in touch with his Guatemalan roots (even though he never bothered to teach Quijana Spanish), she is about to start seventh grade in the Texas town where they live and she is worried about fitting in--and Quijana suspects that her parents are keeping secrets, because she is sure there is something wrong with her little brother, Memito, who is becoming increasingly hard to reach. Age: 10+
Where to Find:
eBooks
Lucky Broken Girl
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. 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. Age: 10+
Where to Find:
eBooks
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. This is the vibrant story of a family, a striking portrait of a town, and one boy's quest to save both. Age: 10+
Where to Find:
eBooks
Lety Out Loud
Child fiction book, and e-book in Spanish and English. Lety Muñoz's first language is Spanish, and she likes to take her time putting her words together. She loves volunteering at the Furry Friends Animal Shelter because the dogs and cats there don't care if she can't always find the right word. When the shelter needs a volunteer to write animal profiles, Lety jumps at the chance! Age: 8-12.
Where to Find:
eBooks
Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring
Child fiction book in English, and e-book in Spanish. When Lizzie and Gael share an irresistible challenge, to find the peacock ring that once belonged to artist Frida Kahlo, Paloma decides it is the perfect way to honor her father. Age: 8-12.
Where to Find:
eBooks
Efrén Divided
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. 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. Age: 9+
Where to Find:
eBooks
Mango Moon
Child picture book, and e-book in Spanish. Ten-year-old Maricela, her brother Manuel, and her mother face many challenges when her father is taken away to face deportation, but love binds them close. Age: 3-5.
Where to Find:
eBooks
Last Stop on Market Street
Child picture book in English and Spanish, e-book, audiobook on CD, e-audiobook, video on DVD, and e-video. A young boy rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things. Age: 3-7.
Where to Find:
eBooks
Planting Stories : The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré
Child picture book, and e-book. When she came to America in 1921, Pura carried the cuentos folklóricos of her Puerto Rican homeland. Finding a new home at the New York Public Library as a bilingual assistant, she turned her popular retellings into libros and spread story seeds across the land. Age: 4-8.
Where to Find:
eBooks
Islandborn
Child picture book, Wonderbook with print and audio, e-book in English and in Spanish, and e-audiobook. Lola was just a baby when her family left the Island, so when she has to draw it for a school assignment, she asks her family, friends, and neighbors about their memories of her homeland...and in the process, comes up with a new way of understanding her own heritage. Age: 5-8.
Where to Find:
eBooks
All the Way to Havana
Child picture book, and e-book. A boy helps his father keep their very old car running as they make a trip to Havana for his newborn cousin's zero-year birthday. Includes author's note about cars in Cuba. Age: 4-8.
Where to Find:
eBooks
Dancing Hands : How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln
E-book, and e-audiobook. Looks at the life and accomplishments of Teresa Carreño, one of the most famous pianists who, by age nine, performed for President Abraham Lincoln at the White House. Age: 3-8.
Where to Find:
eBooks
Drum Dream Girl : How One Girl's Courage Changed Music
Child picture book, Wonderbook with audio and print, and e-book. A girl in the 1920s strives to become a drummer, despite being continually reminded that only boys play the drums, and that there has never been a female drummer in Cuba. Includes note about Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, who inspired the story, and Anacaona, the all-girl dance band she formed with her sisters. Age: 4-8.
Where to Find:
eBooks
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe
Child fiction book, e-book, and e-audiobook. How did a raw chicken get inside Yasmany's locker? When Sal Vidon meets Gabi Real for the first time, it isn't under the best of circumstances. Sal prides himself on being an excellent magician, but for this sleight of hand, he relied on a talent no one would guess except maybe Gabi, whose sharp eyes never miss a trick. When Gabi learns that he's capable of conjuring things much bigger than a chicken--including his dead mother--and she takes it all in stride, Sal knows that she is someone he can work with. There's only one slight problem: their manipulation of time and space could put the entire universe at risk. Age: 8-12.
Where to Find:
eBooks
When Angels Sing : The Story of Carlos Santana
Child nonfiction book, and e-book. Illustrated by José Ramírez. Celebrate music icon Carlos Santana in this vibrant, rhythmic picture book. Age: 5-11.
Where to Find:
eBooks
Alma and How She Got Her Name
Child picture book, e-book in Spanish and English, and e-video. When Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela asks her father why she has so many names, she hears the story of her name and learns about her grandparents. Age: 3-8.
Where to Find:
eBooks
Dreamers
Child picture book, e-book, e-audiobook, Wonderbook, and e-video. Available in Spanish and English. In 1994, Yuyi Morales left her home in Xalapa, Mexico and came to the US with her infant son. She left behind nearly everything she owned, but she didn't come empty-handed. Dreamers is a celebration of what migrants bring with them when they leave their homes. It's a story about family. And it's a story to remind us that we are all dreamers, bringing our own gifts wherever we roam. Age: 3-8.
Where to Find: