This year, Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 and goes until October 15. According to the Hispanic Heritage Month website, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success.
To help your Gaynor Gator observe the month and learn more about the Hispanic Americans who helped shape our country, Librarian Dionne De Lancy has provided age-appropriate book recommendations for different clusters.
Ms. De Lancy’s Hispanic Heritage Month Book Recommendations:
Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation, Duncan Tonatiuh
Nonfiction – Red-Yellow Cluster
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.
Alma and How She Got Her Name, Juana Martinez-Neal
Fiction – Pink – Orange Cluster
What’s in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be. If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name?
Waiting for Biblioburro, Monica Brown
Fiction – Red – Orange Cluster
When a man brings to a remote village two burros, Alfa and Beto, loaded with books the children can borrow, Ana’s excitement leads her to write a book of her own as she waits for the BibliBurro to return. Includes glossary of Spanish terms and a note on the true story of Columbia’s BiblioBurro and mobile libraries in other countries.
Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Woman with a Great Big Heart, Pat Mora
Fiction – Orange – Silver
Dona Flor, a giant lady with a big heart, sets off to protect her neighbors from what they think is a dangerous animal, but soon discovers the tiny secret behind the huge noise.
Tomas and the Library Lady, Pat Mora
Fiction – Yellow – Silver
While helping his family in their work as migrant laborers far from their home, Tomas finds an entire world to explore in the books at the local public library.
The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisnero
Fiction – Green – Blue
A young girl living in a Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago ponders the advantages and disadvantages of her environment and evaluates her relationships with family and friends.
Baseball in April and Other Stories, Gary Soto
Fiction – Green – Blue
A collection of eleven short stories focusing on the everyday adventures of Hispanic young people growing up in Fresno, California.