Hispanic Heritage Month takes place from September 15 through October 15, 2025. This month recognizes the contributions and influence of generations of Hispanic Americans to our nation’s achievements, culture, and history. As part of Gaynor’s celebration of this month, Gaynor Librarian Dionne De Lancy made a list of books that she recommends to our students and families. This list contains a range of genres and styles, appropriate for a wide variety of ages!
Picture Books
Platános Are Love, by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris
Illustrated by Mariyah Rahman
A delicious picture book about the ways plantains shape Latinx culture, community, and family, told through a young girl’s experiences in the kitchen with her abuela.
“Abuela says, “plátanos are love.”
I thought they were food.
But Abuela says they feed us in more ways than one.“
With every pop of the tostones, mash of the mangú, and sizzle of the maduros, a little girl learns that plátanos are her history, they are her culture, and—most importantly—they are love.
Adela’s Mariachi Band, by Denise Vega
Illustrated by Erika Rodríguez Median
Adela wants nothing more than to be a part of her family’s mariachi band, but when she tries the different instruments, everything comes out wrong. La trompeta fizzles, la vihuela squeaks, and trying to dance makes Adela fall on her face. From watching her family, Adela knows that practice makes perfect, but can she find a way to be part of the band in the meantime?
Where Are You From?, by Yamile Saied Méndez
Illustrated by Jaime Kim
When a girl is asked where she’s from–where she’s really from–none of her answers seems to be the right one. Unsure about how to reply, she turns to her loving abuelo for help. He doesn’t give her the response she expects. She gets an even better one.
Across the Bay, by Carlos Aponte
Written and Illustrated by Carlos Aponte
Text in English with some Spanish.
Carlitos lives in a happy home with his mother, his abuela, and Coco the cat. Life in his hometown is cozy as can be, but the call of the capital city pulls Carlitos across the bay in search of his father. Jolly piragüeros, mischievous cats, and costumed musicians color this tale of love, family, and the true meaning of home.
Informational
“Cantora: Mercedes Sosa, the Voice of Latin America,” by Melisa Fernández Nitsche
Sing out! With a stunning, graphic style and a melodious text, this picture book tells the story of Latin American icon Mercedes Sosa and how she became the voice of a people from exile to triumph.
“What if a voice became a symbol of justice?
I’m here to offer my heart, said that voice.“
Free to Learn: How Alfredo Lopez Fought for the Right to Go to School, by Cynthia Levinson
Illustrated by Mirelle Ortega
From the author of the award-winning The Youngest Marcher comes a picture book about the true story of Alfredo Lopez, an undocumented boy involved in a landmark Supreme Court case that still ensures children’s right to education today.
Barrio Rising: The Protest that Built Chicano Park, by María Delores Águila
Illustrated by Magdalena Mora
A vivid historical fiction account of the community activism behind San Diego’s Chicano Park-home to the largest outdoor mural collection in the U.S.-and just one example of the Mexican American community’s rich history of resistance and resilience.
Middle School
Aniana Del Mar Jumps In, by Jasminne Mendez
A twelve-year-old Dominican American swimmer navigates a new Juvenile Arthritis diagnosis and her mother’s past trauma around water.
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Aniana del Mar belongs in the water like a dolphin belongs to the sea. But she and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago. That is, until the day Ani’s stiffness and swollen joints mean she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal just how important swimming is to her. Mami forbids her from returning to the water but Ani and her doctor believe that swimming along with medication will help Ani manage her disease. What follows is the journey of a girl who must grieve who she once was in order to rise like the tide and become the young woman she is meant to be.