Lists of Hispanic American Literature for Children

Organizations

Anansesem- news, Ideas, arts and letters from the world of Caribbean children’s
publishing. I have come to notice that Caribbean literature is underrepresented in many
libraries, so I wanted to be sure to include some lists specifically for this cultural group. I
liked Anasesem because the website is easy to navigate it provides book lists for
children and teens http://www.anansesem.com/p/reading-lists.html

Pragmatic Mom- I liked this list of children’s books compiled by pragmatic mom. The
website also tags #ownvoices, so I know it is fairly recently compiled. The books are
modern and up to date, with a few classics from the last decade or two. One of my
favorite books, The House on Mango Street, was included, as well as Esperanza Rising.
https://www.pragmaticmom.com/2010/09/top-10-best-latino-american-childrens-
books-ages-2-16/

Social Justice Books- “is a project of Teaching for Change, a non-profit organization
whose mission is to provide teachers and parents with the tools to create schools where
students learn to read, write and change the world.” I particularly liked this website
because it has lists for many aspects of Latin heritage. It includes book lists for the
Domincan Republic, Cuba, Afro-LatinX, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, economic class and
more. This website gives homage to the diversity of Latin heritage, as well as other
cultural groups, while also highlighting other hard to discuss topics like incarceration
and disabilities, as well as relatable topics like families and holidays. The lists are
arranged so that the reader can identify the books intended for young children, middle
grades, young adults and adults.
LatinX book lists- https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/latinx/
Domincan Republic- https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/dominican-
republic/
Spanish/bilingual- https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/spanish-bilingual/
Afro-LatinX- https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/afro-latinx/
Cuba- https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/cuba/

Awards

Pura Belpre Award- Pura Belpre was the first Latina librarian at the New York Public
Library. The award was established in 1996 and is presented to a Latino/Latina writer
and illustrator who best portrays and celebrates the Latino cultural experience through
an outstanding work of literature for young people.

Americas Award- The Americas Award was founded by CLASP in 1993 to encourage and
celebrate authors, illustrators and publishers who produce quality children’s and young
adults adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean and Latinos in the United
 States. The award also helps provide teachers with recommendations for books to use
in the classroom.

Chicano/Latino Literary Prize- This awards outstanding Hispanic American writers

annually.

National Book Award- I do not see many awards that are specifically for Latin or
Caribbean- American authors, so I thought it was noteworthy enough to mention that
Erika Sanchez’s book I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter was a National Book
Award finalist for 2018.

Key Authors and Illustrators

Arthur Dorros- An American author and illustrator from Washington D.C. Dorros has
been awarded with the Pura Belpre honor award and an ALA notable Children’s book.

Pam Munoz Ryan- Ryan is am American writer for both children and young adults. She
is of Mexican descent, with Basque, Italian and Oklahoman cultural influences. She has
many children’s book and has been awarded the John Newberry Medal, Jane Addams
Children’s Book Award, Audie Award for Middle Grades and the Pura Belpre Award for
Writing.

Viola Canales- is an American Writer from Texas. Her book Tequila Worm won the Pura
Belpre Award in 2006. She has also won a Notable Book from the American Library
Association and the PEN Center USA Award.

Julia Alvarez- Born in New York City and raised in the Dominican Republic, Alvarez
writes poetry, children’s literature, novels and essays. Perhaps some of her best-known
books are the Tia Lola books for middle graders. Her book How the Gracia Girls Lost
Their Accents was the first major book written by a Dominican-American author.

Gary Soto- is an American poet and children’s book author. In 2014, he was awarded
the Phoenix Award for his book Jesse, about a Mexican-American boy with a focus on
community.

Roseanne Thong- is an American author who has lived in Guatemala, Hong Kong,
Mexico and Taiwan. She has written poetry and children’s books, all of a multi-cultural
theme. Her book Green as a Chili Pepper was a Pura Belpre honor book in 2014, and in
2015, Twas Nochebuena was awarded the Americas Award for Children and Young Adult
Literature.
 Raul Colon- is a prolific Puerto Rican author and illustration for young people. He has
received many awards, among them, a Pura Belpre illustration honor in 2008 for his
book Gabito.

Other Resources

#ownvoices best LatinX American Children’s and Teen Books- pragmatic mom has
several lists of culturally diverse books that been popular or received awards over the
last several years.
https://www.pragmaticmom.com/2010/09/top-10-best-latino-american-childrens-
books-ages-2-16/

15 Children’s books to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month- A list of noteworthy

Hispanic-American books that could be celebrated during Hispanic Heritage month,
which runs from September 15 to October 15 annually.
https://bookriot.com/2017/09/15/childrens-books-hispanic-heritage-month/

22 Contemporary Female Latin-American Authors- In a male-dominated culture, it is

important to honor the women in the writing arena.
http://conversationalreading.com/22-classic-and-contemporary-female-latin-american-
authors-to-read/

Amazon Best Sellers- Best sellers from a major distributor give a representation of what
the general population is interested in.
https://www.pragmaticmom.com/2010/09/top-10-best-latino-american-childrens-
books-ages-2-16/

Multicultural Chldrens Book Day- This website gives extensive lists of Latin-American
children’s books such as bilingual bedtime stories, Hispanic folktales, Puerto Rican
children’s books and more.
https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/multicultural-reading-resources/diversity-
book-lists-for-kids/seeing-yourself-in-childrens-books/hispanic-books-for-kids-of-all-
ages/