National Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration of Hispanic/Latinx heritage and culture. One of the best ways to immerse yourself in a culture or region is through literature. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, check out this list of books written by Latinx/Hispanic authors designed for all grade levels that explore the rich culture and history of the Latinx/Hispanic community.
Children’s Books: (K-4)
- Mi Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Peña
- Cuando Amamos Cantamos:When We Love Someone We Sing to Them by Ernesto Javier Martínez, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
- Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
- Undocumented: A Worker’s Fight by Duncan Tonatiuh
- I love Saturdays y domingos by Alma Flor Ada
- A Gift from Papá Diego / Un regalo de papá Diego by Benjamin Alire Seanz
- Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle
- Mango Moon by Diane de Anda
- I Am René, the Boy / Soy René, el niño by René Colato Laínez
- Me llamo Celia: la vida de Celia Cruz by Monica Brown
- ¡Qué montón de Tamales! by Gary Soto
Young Adults Books: (5th- 12th Grade)
- The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
- The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera
- Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
- When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago
- The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba’s Greatest Abolitionist by Margarita Engle
- A Thunderous Whisper by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
- The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
- Broken Beautiful Hearts by Kami Garcia
- Pride & Prejudice by Ibi Zoboi
- Dominicana: A Novel by Angie Cruz
Academic Literature
- Latina Outsiders: Remaking Latina Identity by Grisel Y. Acosta
- My Time Among the Whites by Jennine Capó Crucet
- Tell Me How it Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions by Valeria Luiselli
- Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldúa
By: Miranda Genao, B.A., City College of New York and Gianna Baez, Yale University Class of 2021.
Gianna and Miranda are KIPP NYC alumni and KIPP Foundation 2020 interns