Mexican American Middle Grade Books for Latine History Month
On Sunday, I reviewed picture books by Latine authors and illustrators for Latine/Hispanic Heritage Month. Today, I’m reviewing middle grade books by Mexican American authors, plus two great new picture book releases.
New Releases
I Want to Read All the Books by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Most Book Riot readers are going to identify with the protagonist in this picture book. One day Hana asks a question about rain, and her mom hands her a book to discover the answer. Hana never realized she could learn so much from a book. She compiles a list of questions and a stack of books to answer them. Then her mom takes her to a small bookstore, and she discovers fiction! She plans to read every single book to learn all the answers and all the stories. But when she visits a large city library, Hana despairs. There’s no way she can read all the books, and if she can’t read all of them, is it worth reading at all? A librarian comes to the rescue. This picture book is such a delight for book lovers of all ages.
Real Siblings by Seamus Kirst, illustrated by Karen Bunting
We first met Harper and her new infant brother Wyatt in Harper Becomes a Big Sister, when her dads adopt a baby. This is a standalone follow-up to that picture book. Now Wyatt is a few years older, and he and Harper are having a fun day at the playground. Harper is helping him down a big curly slide when twins ask them why they don’t look alike. After Harper explains that they’re both adopted, the twins say that they can’t be real siblings then. This makes both Harper and Wyatt sad, but then Harper shows Wyatt how much she loves him, and how they most certainly are real siblings. My daughter really loves both sweet picture books.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Cruzita and the Mariacheros by Ashley Granillo
Cruzita’s great uncle has run a bakery, Lupe’s Bakery, for decades, and after his death, her grandmother, Mamá Vincenta, inherits it. Her grandmother, parents, and Tia Pocha are all trying to keep the once successful bakery running, but none of them are as good a cook as Lupe. Cruzita’s parents are struggling financially, and Cruzita, who wants to be a pop star, believes that if she enters a contest at an amusement park in Nashville (spoiler, I live here, and there have been no amusement parks since Opryland sadly closed), she can save the family business. However, her parents say she can’t travel to Nashville and that, instead, she has to help out at the bakery and take violin lessons at a Mariachi studio. But could Mariachi offer another solution to her family’s financial woes? This is a lovely middle grade novel about a Mexican American family.
Borderlands and the Mexican American Story by David Dorado Romo
I’ve been really enjoying the Race to the Truth middle grade nonfiction series. The latest in the series explores Mexican American history, debunking the white story of Mexicans being border crossers in search of a new life when, in reality, many Mexicans lived in what is now the Southwestern U.S., and the Indigenous people who lived in Mexico and the Southwest U.S. frequently migrated back and forth. Photos are included throughout, and I enjoyed the expansiveness of the history, which tackles topics from 23,000 years ago to today.
Lola by Karla Arenas Valenti
This magical middle grade, steeped in Mexican folklore and set in Mexico City, grapples with grief and depression. Ten-year-old Lola is the only one in her family who can see the chaneques, small magical creatures who live in the beautiful tree in her backyard. After the very bad Thing That Happened, a darkness descends on Lola’s brother Alex, and only when Lola is there does the darkness abate. The tree is mysteriously sick; gray spots are appearing on it. Then, one alarming day, Lola notices a gray spot on Alex’s neck, and he becomes extremely sick. Lola must venture into the world within the tree with her chaneque friend to save not only her brother but the mythic society within the tree as well.
Vega’s Piece of the Sky by Jennifer Torres
Vega Lucero lives in a small desert town called Date City, where her family owns a struggling convenience store. Her abuelo, Tata, recently fell and hurt himself, so the family is also dealing with medical bills. When a meteorite falls, pieces of it scatter everywhere, and tourists descend on the town to find and sell the pieces. Vega decides to find the pieces herself and sneaks out one night, well-provisioned for her wilderness search. She meets up with the son of a tourist named Jasper, who is equally prepared, but then her cousin Mila joins them, who has no idea how to survive in the wilderness. Can the trio find the meteorite and save the family business? This is a fun, quick read, and would be a great addition to my wilderness survival list.
Bookish Good
Latinx Middle School Book Characters Prints by PIYShop
I love this collection of digital prints of Latine characters from middle grade novels. The collection includes characters from Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan, and Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar. $10
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My daughter brought home a collection of cat art she worked on at school last week. She also adds cats to all her worksheets. Thankfully her teacher doesn’t seem to mind!
If you’d like to read more of my kidlit reviews, I’m on Instagram @BabyLibrarians, X @AReaderlyMom, Bluesky @AReaderlyMom, and blog irregularly at Baby Librarians. You can also read my Book Riot posts. If you’d like to drop me a line, my email is kingsbury.margaret@gmail.com.
