Books for Hispanic Heritage Month: Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors for Every Reader in Your House
Hispanic Heritage Month, from September 15 through October 15, is a celebration of the cultures, histories, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. It is also one of the best moments of the year to pause and ask: whose stories are on our bookshelves? Whose stories are we putting in the hands of the children in our lives?
On Sunday I wrote about Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s framework of mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors — the idea that every child needs books that reflect their own life, books that show them lives different from their own, and books that invite them to step fully inside another world. Every book on this list does at least one of those things. Several do all three.
Here are ten books that celebrate Hispanic culture and deserve a place in children's hands every month of the year.
Picture Books
These six books are perfect for your youngest readers. All of them are wonderful read-alouds.
El Cucuy Is Scared, Too! by Donna Barba Higuera
Ramón can’t sleep the night before his first day at a new school. Neither can El Cucuy, the monster who lives in his cactus pot. In this heartwarming story rooted in Mexican folklore, two unlikely friends discover they are more alike than different. Spanish words are woven throughout the text. From a Newbery Medal and Pura Belpré Award-winning author.
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
An autobiographical picture book about a mother and her baby son arriving in America from Mexico with nothing but hope and each other — and finding a place in a library. Filled with beautiful art and touching prose. Dreamers is one of the most moving and inspirational stories in children’s literature. Pura Belpré Award winner.
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldamuy Denise
The story of Pura Belpré, New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, who brought the folktales of her homeland to America. This is a book about a librarian, a storyteller, a puppeteer, and a trailblazer. Belpré became the inspiration for the Pura Belpré Award, which recognizes the best in Latino children’s literature every year. Pura Belpré Honor.
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle
The true story of Teresa Carreño, a Venezuelan piano prodigy who fled to America during a civil war and played for President Lincoln at age nine. A story about music, courage, and finding your place in a new country. From a Newbery Honor and Pura Belpré Award-winning poet.
Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
Alma has a very long name and wonders why. Her father tells her the story behind each one and in doing so, tells her the story of her family. A beautiful book about identity, heritage, and belonging. 2019 Caldecott Honor and Pura Belpré Honor.
My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero
While Daisy Ramona rides through her California town on the back of her father’s motorcycle, she notices the neighborhood she loves changing around her. It is a love letter to a community and a father-daughter relationship. Pura Belpré Honor.
Chapter Books
Four books (including one graphic novel) for your Grades 3–5 readers.
Miss Quinces by Kat Fajardo
Sue just wants to spend the summer making comics with her friends at camp. Instead, she goes to Honduras to visit family. And then her mother announces a surprise quinceañera — a traditional celebration of a girl’s fifteenth birthday! A funny and warm graphic novel about cultural tradition, family expectations, and being true to yourself. Pura Belpré Honor.
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Esperanza has everything she could ever want until tragedy strikes. Forced to flee Mexico, she and her mother make their way to the farmworker camps of California during the Great Depression. Pura Belpré Award winner. Considered by many to be an essential read.
The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez
Marisol starts at a new school where she feels like she doesn’t fit until she starts a punk band and discovers that being exactly who she is might be her superpower. Funny, fierce, and full of heart. A book about identity, belonging, and the courage to be exactly who you are. Pura Belpré Honor.
Stella Díaz Has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez
Stella is a Mexican American girl struggling to find her voice in a new school where she doesn’t feel like she belongs. A quiet, honest, deeply relatable story about language, friendship, and speaking up. Perfect for the child who is navigating something similar and for every child who has ever felt like an outsider. Part of the Stella Díaz series.
Where to Find These Books
Many of these titles may be available at your local library — and Hispanic Heritage Month is a wonderful time to make a library trip part of your family’s routine. If you’d like to own a copy, your local independent bookstore will know these books well. Both your local library and your local independent bookstore will almost certainly have a recommendation or two to add to this list.
Your Turn
Is there a Hispanic or Latino book that belongs on this list? I’d love to keep building it.
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