Latine Read in Color Recommended Reads

Béisbol Begins: How Nemesio Guilló Brought Baseball to Cuba by Ramon Olivera (40 pp, Millbrook Press, 2026). Nemesio and his older brother came to Alabama in 1858 to attend school. While there, they encountered a new sport that was sweeping the country–baseball. Back in Cuba, Spanish colonizers expected Cubans to follow Spanish customs, including bullfighting. Nemesio believed that baseball better reflected the spirit of the Cuban people, and when he returned home, he brought along a baseball bat so he could introduce the game to his friends. The Spanish governor eventually banned béisbol, as it became known, from being played in Cuba, but by that point it had already caught on. In time, the Cubans gained their independence, and baseball became the national sport! Ages 6 – 10.

Best Believe: The Tres Hermanas, a Sisterhood for the Common Good by Nonieqa Ramos, illustrated by Nicole Medina (32 pp, Carolrhoda Books, 2024). They moved from Puerto Rico to New York City as children and grew up to become leaders in their Bronx community. Evelina, an activist for social causes, founded United Bronx Parents. Lillian became a librarian and administrator who fought for Spanish and bilingual books and Spanish-speaking library staff. Elba worked closely with Evelina and became an ambassador and advocate for the arts. Ages 6 – 10. En español.

The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio (60 pp, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2025). There’s a party tonight, but Cala doesn’t want to go. While her family prepares for the celebration, Cala grieves her grandfather and tries to pretend she’s not afraid.

But when she is separated from her family at the cemetery, Cala encounters four mysterious riders who will show her she is actually quite brave after all. Ages 5 – 12.

Just Right by Torrey Maldonado, illustrated by Teresa Martínez (32 pp, Nancy Paulsen Books, 2026). Toby’s mom always says there are people that make you feel just right. And while his dad can be hard to please, it’s a different story with his amazing uncle. Uncle showers Toby with smiles, hugs, and kind words, and his garage is like a second home to Toby—there’s even a chair with Toby’s name on it next to Uncle’s desk! Yes, Toby can always count on Uncle to step up and make him feel just right. Ages 4 – 8.

Nana and Abuela by Monica Rojas, illustrated by Emiko Rainbow (32 pp, Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2023). Luna lives with her two grown-ups in a small home next to a river. She has “two pets, two pillows on her bed, and two languages in her head.”

Luna also has two grandmothers: Nana and Abuela. They are her two favorite people, and they are very different from each other. When her grown-ups are away, Nana and Abuela visit for a “date night” with Luna. Together they plan a delicious meal: pizza with olives.

But when Luna adds something to the menu, she blends her Spanish and her English. Her request for this special treat confuses her grandmothers. They ask, “¿Luna, qué dijiste?” and “Luna, what are you saying?”
As the three of them work together to understand each other, Abuela and Nana offer comfort, each in their own way, and Luna figures out how to make herself heard. Ages 3 – 7.

The Passover Pet Surprise by Ana María Shua, illustrated by Ángeles Ruiz (40 pp, NorthSouth Books, 2026). This Passover, Jordanita’s family is leaving their Miami apartment and flying to Argentina to spend the holiday with their cousin. Visiting their cousin is the best, since he not only has a giant yard—he also has two dogs, a cat, two turtles, and two parrots called Tic and Toc! But when Jordanita hears the Passover story this year, she can’t help but notice that Tic and Toc are in a cage. If the point of Passover is to celebrate freedom, shouldn’t that apply to all creatures? Ages 4 – 8. En español.

Remembering by Xelena González, illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia (40 pp, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023). A child and their family observe the customs of Día de los Angelitos, one of the ritual celebrations of Día de Muertos, to celebrate the life of their beloved dog who passed away. They build a thoughtful ofrenda to help lead the pet’s soul home and help the little one process their grief in this moving reminder that loved ones are never really gone if we take the time to remember them. Ages 4 – 8. En español.

The Secret of the Plátano by Luz Maria Mack, illustrated by Stephany Mesa (32 pp, Soaring Kite Books, 2022). At first his tiny ears couldn’t hear it, but Abuela shares that she can’t teach something that only her heart knows. This loving and tender story of the magical union between a grandmother and her grandson was penned by Dominican author, Luz Maria Mack, and inspired by a dream where she and her Abuela met again to dance and share the secrets of the plátanos. Sometimes the secrets of life are written in nature, under the stars, and in the sounds of the whispering leaves. Ages 5 – 9.

Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar (372 pp, Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025). In 1492, during the Spanish Inquisition, Benvenida and her family are banished from Spain for being Jewish. They journey by foot and by sea, eventually settling in Istanbul. Over four centuries later, in 1923, shortly after the Turkish war of independence, Reina’s father disowns her for a small act of disobedience. He ships her away to live with an aunt in Cuba. In 1961, Reina’s daughter, Alegra, is proud to be a brigadista, teaching literacy in the countryside. But soon Fidel Castro’s crackdowns force her to flee to Miami, leaving her parents behind. In 2003, Alegra’s daughter, Paloma, is fascinated by all the journeys that had to happen before she could be born. A keeper of memories, she’s thrilled to learn more about her heritage on a trip to Spain, where she makes a momentous discovery. Ages 10 and up. En español.

Choir Grrrl by Ashley Granillo (336 pp, Carolrhoda Books, 2026). Her dad, the former frontman of a famous alt-rock band, expects her and her sisters to follow in his footsteps. The girls have formed their own band, which will open for their dad during his comeback tour.

Despite secretly liking quieter music, Alondra is committed to preparing for the tour. She’ll do whatever it takes: Change the sound of her voice. Suppress her discomfort with some fans’ behavior. Act the part of a hardcore riot grrrl.

But when a classmate invites her to join a choir club, Alondra discovers a new way of making music. Choir lets her express herself in ways that the band doesn’t.

Afraid to upset the delicate balance in her family, Alondra secretly practices with the choir between shows with her sisters’ band―until her secrets are exposed. Will she be forced to choose between her two voices, or can she bring the different parts of her life into harmony? Ages 10 – 14.

Gabby Torres Is the Best Winner Ever by Angela Dominguez (160 pp, Roaring Brook Press, 2025). Gabby has a new idea: now that she’s finally learned how to not burn her cookies, she will become the best baker the world has ever seen!

The local grocery store’s baking competition is the perfect opportunity to show everyone what she’s made of… winner material!

All she needs to do is buy books for research and baking supplies… and more baking supplies… and more baking supplies… oh dear.

What will happen when her money, and her parents’ patience, runs out? Ages 6 – 9.

Graciela in the Abyss by Meg Medina, illustrated by Anna and Elena Balbusso,  (256 pp, Candlewick, 2025). In the deepest recesses of the ocean, Graciela—once an ordinary girl—now makes sea glass and assists her friend, Amina, as she welcomes newly awakened sea ghosts from their death sleep. Though Graciela’s spirit is young, she has lived at the bottom of the ocean for more than a hundred years. Meanwhile, in the mortal world on land, twelve-year-old Jorge Leon works in his family’s forge. He’s heard of the supernatural spirits living beneath the ocean’s waves—tales that do nothing to quell his fear of the water. But when Jorge discovers a hand-wrought harpoon with the power to spear a sea ghost, he knows he must destroy it any way he can. Ages 10 – 14.

Lola by Karla Arenas Valenti (256 pp, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2024). Ten-year-old Lola has always been touched by magic. In her Mexico City home, built around a towering tree, she is accustomed to enchanted blooms that change with the seasons, a sandbox that spits out mysterious treasures, and mischievous chaneques that scuttle about unseen by all but her. Magic has always been a part of her life, but now she must embrace the extraordinary as never before. Ages 8 – 12. En español.

Quince: The Definitive Bilingual Edition by Kit Steinkellner, illustrated by Emma Steinkellner (Fanbase Press, 2020). Lupe is just your average, insecure, well-meaning, occasionally cranky teenage girl whose life is completely turned upside down when she discovers she has superpowers at her quinceañera. Her quince powers only last as long as she’s fifteen, so over the course of this rollercoaster year, we follow the adventures of Lupe as she figures out what it really means to be a hero. Ages 8 and up.

Red Stones: A Graphic Account of the Salvadoran Civil War by Ernesto Saade (216 pp, Graphic Universe, 2026). In 1981, the Salvadoran Civil War reached Miriam’s village of Santa Marta. After spending her days bringing tortillas to the guerilla fighters nearby, she watched government soldiers encroach on her town. Military intimidation turned to violence, and violence turned to the threat of a massacre. Miriam and the women of her town began a forced and desperate exodus.

In 2021, Ernesto Saade visited Santa Marta to hear Miriam’s story. The result of that in-depth conversation is this graphic account of conflict, displacement, and the Red Stones massacre. This event, not known by all even within El Salvador, is one part of the scar its civil war left behind–a moment of tragedy and resilience seen through the eyes of someone who lived it. Ages 14 and up.

Speak Up, Santiago!: A Hillside Valley Graphic Novel by Angela Dominguez (224 pp, Random House Graphic, 2025). Santi is excited to spend the summer in Hillside Valley, meeting the local kids, eating his Abuela’s delicious food, exploring! There’s just one problem—Santi doesn’t speak Spanish that well and it feels like everyone he meets in Hillside does. There’s Sol (she’s a soccer player who really loves books), Willie, (the artist), Alejandro (Santi’s unofficial tour guide!), and Nico (Alejandro’s brother and blue belt in karate). In between all of their adventures in Hillside, Santi can’t help but worry about his Spanish-what if he can’t keep up?! Does that mean he’s not Colombian enough? Will Santi find his confidence and his voice? Or will his worries cost him his new friendships…and the chance to play in Hillside’s summer soccer tournament?! Ages 8 – 12.

The Kissing Bug by Daisy Hernández (336 pp, Tin House, 2022). Growing up in a New Jersey factory town in the 1980s, Daisy Hernández believed that her aunt had become deathly ill from eating an apple. No one in her family, in either the United States or Colombia, spoke of infectious diseases. Even into her thirties, she only knew that her aunt had died of Chagas, a rare and devastating illness that affects the heart and digestive system. But as Hernández dug deeper, she discovered that Chagas—or the kissing bug disease—is more prevalent in the United States than the Zika virus.

The Many Mothers of Dolores Moore by Anika Fajardo (384 pp, Gallery Books, 2025). In the span of a year, Dolores Moore has become a thirty-five-year-old orphan. After the funeral of the last living member of her family, Dorrie has never felt more lost and alone. That is, except for a Greek chorus of deceased relatives whose voices follow her around giving unsolicited advice and opinions. And they’re only amplifying Dorrie’s doubts about keeping the deathbed promise she made to return to her birthplace in Colombia.

The Witches of El Paso: A Novel by Luis Jaramillo (288 pp, Atria/Primero Sueno Press, 2025). If you call to the witches, they will come. 1943, El Paso, Texas: teenager Nena spends her days caring for the small children of her older sisters and longing for a life of adventure. The premonitions and fainting spells she has endured since childhood are getting worse, and Nena worries she’ll end up like the scary old curandera down the street. Nena prays for help, and when the mysterious Sister Benedicta arrives late one night, Nena follows her across the borders of space and time. In colonial Mexico, Nena grows into her power, finding love and learning that magic always comes with a price.