The Best Kids’ Books Featuring Awesome Latinx Characters
Whether you’re a Latinx parent looking for representative board books for baby, cool chapter books for your kids, or an ally seeking more diverse kids’ books, we have you covered. These stories are kid-tested and summer-approved. Scroll down for a list of epic books for kids.
Board Books & Books for Babies and Toddlers
Be Bold, Baby: Sonia Sotomayor by Alison Oliver
This installment of the ‘Be Bold Baby’ kids’ book series will introduce small fry to Sonia Sotomayor. Celebrate pivotal moments in the career of the first Latina Supreme Court Justice in US history.
Ages: Baby-3 years
Available on Amazon for $9.99
The Life of—La Vida de Selena by Patty Rodriguez, Ariana Stein
Singer/Songwriter Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers in the late 20th century. In this kid’s book, you little will learn about Selena’s contributions to the music and fashion industry, interspersed with fun facts about her everyday life.
Ages: Baby-4 years
Available on Amazon for $4.19
Hello Friend/ Hola Amigo by Andrés Salguero
Join Latin Grammy Award-winning 123 Andrés in this celebration of friendship. Based off of the hit song from the duo, this bilingual, diverse book will get little hands clapping along to the bouncy rhythms.
Ages: 2-4 years
Available on Amazon for $8.99
Pin Pon by Susie Jaramillo
Part of the Canticos Nursery Rhymes collection. Susie Jaramillo brings the classic Mexican nursery rhyme of Pin Pon to life in this sturdy book about manners and hygiene.
Ages: Baby-5 years
Available from Amazon for $10.55
Epic Picture Books
Where Are You From? by Yamile Saied Méndez
In this award-winning diverse picture book, a girl and her Abuelo explore the answer to the deceptively simple question, ‘Where are you from?’ Parents will love the lyrical language and themes of self-acceptance. Children will be pulled into a vibrant imaginary world of hurricanes and tiny singing frogs.
Ages: 4-8 years
Available from Amazon for $16.19
Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
What’s in a name? For Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela, her name is a gateway to family history. The warm images and lovable character provide a jumping-off point to discuss your children’s names and the names of those around them.
Ages: 4-8 years
Available from Amazon for $12.41
Julian Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
Julian’s life is forever changed on the day he sees the brilliant costumes and colorful hair of Coney Island Mermaid Parade participants riding home on the subway. This epic book for kids proves that anyone can be a mermaid.
Ages: 4-8 years
Available from Amazon for $18.57
Starring Carmen! by Anika Denise and Lorena Alvarez Gomez
Every night Carmen puts on performances for her adoring family. Just one production has seventeen songs. Her parents find it exhausting, while her brother would like to be part of the show. Is the family stage really big enough for two? Carmen isn’t so sure.
Ages: 5-7 years
Available from Amazon for $9.99
Tia Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina
Tia Isla wants to take the whole family to the beach. In this tale of family love and reunification, Medina weaves an easy-going tale of a family working toward a long-range goal.
Ages: 3-7 years
Available from Amazon for $9.58
Ode to an Onion: Pablo Neruda and his Muse by Alexandria Giardino
A celebratory story inspired by poet Pablo Neruda’s poem “Ode to the Onion.” This kids’ book takes young readers through diverse emotions with the help of Matilde Urrutia (Neruda’s muse) and her garden.
Ages: 4 - 8 years
Available from Amazon for $8.57
Islandborn by Junot Díaz
Lola’s abuela tells her “Just because you don’t remember a place doesn’t mean it’s not in you.” In this lyrical tale from Pulitzer Prize-winner Junot Díaz, Lola learns what it means to belong to a place even if “you left before you could start remembering.”
Ages: 5 - 8 years
Available on Amazon for $12.89
I Know the River Loves Me (Yo Se Que El Rio Me Ama) by Maya Christina Gonzalez
See the beauty in the world through the eyes of Maya, a person with a deep connection to a river and the ecosystem around it. A gentle story filled with love and respect for the environment.
Ages: 5-8 years
Available from Amazon for $9.99
Separate Is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
Seven years before Brown vs. Board of Education, the Mendez family sued the California school board for the right to send their children to the neighborhood school. Incorporating interviews with Sylvia Mendez and court documents, Tonatiuh tells the riveting tale of the family that helped end segregation in California schools.
Ages: 6-9 years
Available from Amazon for $14.99
Galapagos Girl by Marsha Diane Arnold
Discover the beauty of the Galapagos Islands through the eyes of Valentina. Inspired by the life of biologist Valentina Cruz, whose family was among the first to permanently inhabit the islands, this picture book lovingly depicts the plants and animals she has sworn to protect.
Ages: 4-8 years
Available from Amazon for $15.99
Chapter Books
Lola Levine Is Not Mean! by Monica Brown
In this diverse first book in a series, soccer-loving Lola Levine tackles friendship and peer conflict with warmth and honesty. Parents will love Lola for handling conflict through writing. Tweens will relate to Lola’s real-world problems.
Ages: 6-10 years
Available from Amazon for $5.99
What If a Fish by Anika Fajardo
Eddie Aguado has never left Minnesota. With his father deceased and his mother unwilling to talk about him, young Eddie has a hard time feeling connected to his half-Colombian heritage. In this whimsical story about intergenerational family, Eddie discovers that building an identity is a bit more complicated than he thought.
Ages: 8-12 years
Available from Amazon for $17.99
Jorge, the Trumpeter: The Spanglish Tale of a Boy and a Pig on a Terrific Journey to Return Their Friends Back Home by José Potter
When Sheriff Queen Baldwin deports all the animals from the town of Neither Here nor There, Jorge knows he has to help his friends get back home. This terrific chapter book for kids highlights how even ordinary people can make a difference.
Ages: 8-12 year
Available from Amazon for $7.99
The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
Celi Rivera's mother wants her to have a moon ceremony when her first period arrives. Celi promises she will NOT participate. A sensitive, empowering exploration of what it means to teeter on the cusp of puberty by a diverse Latinx cast.
Ages: 8-12 years
Available from Amazon for $7.99
Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez
This is the story of 14-year-old Lucía Álvarez. Her parents, afraid of Fidel Castro’s revolution, send her to Nebraska, accompanied only by her little brother. Based on historical events, this chapter book touches on family and the true meaning of home.
Ages: 8-12 years
Available from Amazon for $6.99
Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres
More than anything else in the world, Stef Soto wants her father to get a normal job and quit working the family taco truck. But when circumstances threaten the family business, Stef discovers that being known as the Taco Queen isn’t so bad after all. An epic chapter book about identity and what’s truly important.
Ages: 8-12 years
Available from Amazon for $6.99
Gabby Garcia’s Ultimate Playbook by Iva-Marie Palmer
When baseball all-star Gabby Garcia moves to another school, it looks like her championship streak is headed for a strikeout. But Gabby has a play-by-play plan to save the day. What could possibly go wrong? A humorous chapter book filled with fun sports facts and a lot of heart.
Ages:8-12 years
Available from Amazon for $19.99
Red Panda and Moon Bear By Jarod Roselló
Villains beware: RP and MB fight crime and look for adventure all before their parents get home from work. A graphic novel with siblings that love each other? Yes, please!
Ages: 9-12 years
Available from Amazon for $10.99
Merci Suarez Changes Gears, by Meg Medina
Winner of the 2019 Newbery Medal. Sixth-grader Merci Suarez isn’t like the other kids in her private school in Florida. She’s a scholarship student. Instead of spending her weekends on a boat like the other kids, she performs community service to help pay for her free tuition. A sensitive coming of age chapter book that perfectly encapsulates the joy and uncertainty of the middle school years.
Ages: 9-12 years
Available from Amazon for $7
Running by Natalia Sylvester
When 15-year-old Mariana Ruiz’s father runs for president, the added media scrutiny of her Cuban-American family causes her to notice that he isn’t the man she thought he was. What do you do when you don’t agree with your parents’ political views, and the world is watching you?
Ages: 12 & up
Available from Amazon for $16.99
Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza & Abby Sher
By a co-founder of the Women’s March. 16-year-old Vali is an undocumented immigrant on the run in a near-future America where everybody is microchipped and tracked. Her goal: to reach the sanctuary state of California before it’s walled off from the rest of the country.
Ages: 12 & up
Available for pre-order (Available Sept. 1) from Amazon for $17.99
—Teresa Douglas
Featured image: iStock
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