Hispanic Heritage Month: Home

Testifying to the tragedy unfolding on the southern border of the U.S., Zamora's debut collection expresses harrowing beauty and private heartbreak. His strong and compassionate poems of courage counter the noise and inaccuracies of political punditry and newspeak. Zamora has lived the experiences he writes about, most precisely in "Prayer," in which a nine-year-old boy about to set out alone on a long, dangerous trek to the U.S., as the poet did, tells himself, "¡I'm going to see my parents!" Zamora contrasts a child's emphatic declaration with the unending consequences of imperialism, of racism, of oppression. The struggles of people seeking a better life in another land is not a matter of statistics or politics but of mothers and fathers, dreams and hopes, valor and risk. Zamora's poems bare truths that can be difficult to face, but they are necessary, artistically rendered, and memorable. If poetry can make a difference, this compelling volume by a promising new poet and Wallace Stegner Fellow is a powerful contribution. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.

"A variety of Latino poets, both familiar names and new voices, illuminate the difficulty of straddling cultures, languages, and identities, while celebrating food, family, love, and triumph." (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription service)

"Gathers Hispanic paintings, drawings, photographs, sculpture, poetry, songs, and writings." (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription service)

"A thought-provoking anthology of Hispanic writing in the United States ranges from the age of Spanish exploration to the present day and incorporates works by Isabel Allende, Oscar Hijuelos, Reinaldo Arenas, Piri Thomas, Louis Valdez, and other distinguished Chicano, Nuyorican, Cuban American, and Latino authors." (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription service)

A collection of poems written in English by a Hispanic American woman, reflecting her experiences as a young girl and as a middle-aged woman. The collection includes the twenty-one-part title poem El Otro Lado which deals with the poet's return to her native Dominican Republic.

Alvarez's celebrated fiction, clarion essays, and welcoming poetry all flow from her fascination with sisterhood, mother-daughter relationships, and the angst of exile. Charming and intense at the same time, Alvarez writes candidly of epic concerns and everyday realities in this unfailingly lucid collection of autobiographical poems, each comprising three 10-line stanzas, a formal consistency that showcases both her directness and her sophistication. Cycling through her life, she remembers her Dominican Republic childhood, the nasty taunts of American children, her attempts to train herself to "show / genuine feeling in a borrowed tongue," and how her mother's instruction, "Keep it to yourself," led to the habit of writing: "And so, / Through many drafts, I became the woman / I kept to myself." Alvarez ponders unhappy marriages, late-blooming love, writer's block, love for animals and earth, spiritual conundrums, and "deathdays" instead of birthdays. "I don't know I'm alive unless / I'm writing," she confesses. Just as readers wouldn't know what to make of life without the sort of literature Alvarez creates: generous, illuminating, and inspiriting. ((Reviewed March 1, 2004)) Copyright 2004 Booklist Reviews.

Presents a collection of short stories that explore Hispanic American life and culture.

Highlighting the lives and careers of writers whose cultural roots are embedded in a variety of racial, ethnic, regional, and religious traditions, the book not only makes it easier to locate their work - it provides insights into their writing styles, motivations, and points of view. (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription service)

"A humorous play in which Martin, a Chicano nerd, undergoes a transformation with the help of his friends and experiences true love." (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription service)

A compassionate, delicate rendering of Puerto Rican life in America-told in poetry and 15 short stories-as Cofer continues to explore territory first described in her debut novel, The Line of The Sun (1989). In ``El Building,'' a noisy barrio tenement teeming with life in Paterson, New Jersey, the joys and tragedies of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood unfold in separate vignettes. Young love is nipped in the bud by mothers protecting their studious sons from dark-skinned neighbors (``American History'' and ``Advanced Biology''), while the fragile relationship between a girl and her father appears in several variations, as in ``Not for Sale,'' where parental tyranny over a 16-year-old's willfulness is transformed by a disturbing encounter with Middle Eastern traditions. Grandparents and siblings are portrayed from the same forgiving perspective, but in addition to loving family portraits, sharply etched sketches of women in crisis also emerge. In ``Coraz n Caf ,'' the young widow of a deli owner mourns his sudden death by recalling the innocent romance the two of them had on ``the Island,'' finding in the recollection-and realization that she has become a vital member of the Paterson community-the strength to carry on without him. A darker side of immigrant life surfaces in ``Nada,'' however, when a mother's loss of her only son in Vietnam, shortly after the death of her husband, unhinges her: she gives away all she owns, throwing the remainder out the window in a frenzy, before killing herself. With the poetry accenting and enhancing themes revealed in the prose: a remarkably cohesive, moving collection-a tribute both to Cofer's considerable talent and her heritage. Copyright 1999 Kirkus Reviews

*Starred Review* As in The Poet Slave of Cuba (2006), Engle's new book is written in clear, short lines of stirring free verse. This time she draws on her own Cuban American roots, including stories from her grandmother, to describe those who fought in the nineteenth-century Cuban struggle for independence. At the center is Rosa, a traditional healer, who nurses runaway slaves and deserters in caves and other secret hideaways. Her husband, José, a freed slave, also speaks, and so does a refugee child, whom Rosa teaches to be a healer. Then there is the vicious slave hunter known as Lieutenant Death; his collection of ears is an unforgettable image of brutality ("shown as proof that the runaway slave / died fighting, resisting capture"). The switching perspectives personalize the dramatic political history, including the establishment of the world's first "reconcentration camps" to hold prisoners, as well as the role of slave owners who freed their slaves and joined the resistance against Spain. Many readers will be caught by the compelling narrative voices and want to pursue the historical accounts in Engle's bibliography. Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.

Julia's older sister, Olga, was always polite, respected her parents, and eagerly took up the Mexican traditions her mother insisted upon. After Olga dies in a car accident, Julia is thrust into a spotlight she's not ready for. She's too angry, too unappreciative, too American, which results in her mother shutting out her social and love life. Then Julia discovers Olga's trove of secrets, which hint at a hidden life. As Julia pursues the mystery of the real Olga, she begins to find out that more than one of her family members has secrets. This bildungsroman immigrant story captures the chaotic life of a young person trying to navigate two worlds while trying to follow her own path. Julia wants to leave Chicago and attend college, while a "perfect Mexican daughter" would stay put, get a job, and contribute to the family. Sánchez weaves these threads along with a tragic story of distant sisters to create an earnest and heartfelt tale that will resonate with teens. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.

It is 1911 and 13-year-old Evangelina loves her life in northern Mexico, from her daily chores to her adoring family and the beauty of her surroundings. As her family celebrates her sister Elsa's quinceañera, news arrives that revolutionaries are due to turn up in their town any day now. To escape the violence, Evangelina and her family travel to Texas, leaving their home and some of their loved ones behind. When they arrive, they are met with hostility from people who erroneously believe they lack hygiene or the ability to learn arithmetic or science. When a meeting is organized to discuss preventing any more Mexicans to continue settling in Seneca, it seems as if the situation will become more hostile for Evangelina's family. With the help of a kindhearted doctor and her new friends Alfonso and Selim, Evangelina finds the strength to hope for a new life in an unfamiliar and unwelcoming place. Written in Evangelina's conscientious voice and containing parallels to some of today's current events, this hopeful, yet sometimes heartbreaking, novel is a fast and important read. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.

*Starred Review* In ramshackle Colonia de Anapra, near the Mexican border town of Juárez, people's lives are governed by extreme poverty, fear, and gang violence. Arturo scrapes together a living hauling junk and playing cards, and it is the latter talent that brings his best friend, Faustino, to his door after a year's absence. Now a gang member, Faustino confesses to "borrowing" $1,000 from his boss, which must be returned by the next day or he'll be killed. He begs Arturo to win the money in a high-stakes card game. Angry at being drawn into such a dangerous situation, Arturo begrudgingly agrees to help after learning the money was used to send Faustino's girlfriend and baby over the U.S. border. Sedgwick crafts a provocative and unsettling story, as he immerses readers in the violence of Anapra-a place where women regularly go missing, cops turn a blind eye to crime, and residents revere Santa Muerte, Saint Death. Plot threads buzz with tension-Arturo's card game being among the story's most intense scenes-and characters are redefined as their pasts are gradually revealed. Preceding most chapters are fragments of a wider conversation-message boards, statistics, inner monologues-largely on illegal immigration and the exploitation of poor countries. Uncomfortable and at times accusatory, Sedgwick's unflinching narrative is timely and guaranteed to incite discussion, if not debate. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.

When Sierra's grandfather warns her to finish her mural because "the paintings are fading," she is puzzled, but the only person willing to help her find answers is talented artist Robbie, and even he is reticent. Determined, Sierra finally learns the truth: her grandfather was a powerful shadowshaper, able to animate art with the spirit of a departed soul, and now an interloper, anthropologist Dr. Wick, is trying to steal these powers for himself. As Sierra investigates the shadowshapers, she discovers her own shockingly powerful role in the disappearing community. Apart from being an awesome power, shadowshaping becomes a resonant metaphor for the importance of cultural heritage, as Puerto Rican Sierra and Haitian Robbie draw on and amplify their ancestors' spirits, and their primary concern is keeping their honorable tradition alive in their community. Older's world building echoes that, too, weaving in timely commentary on gentrification, cultural appropriation, and even the shifting social mores of immigrant communities (especially evident in Sierra chafing against her grandfather's machismo). Even if readers don't recognize Older's crafty commentary, they will find plenty to like in the unique fantasy elements, entertainingly well-wrought characters, and cinematic pacing. Smart writing with a powerful message that never overwhelms the terrific storytelling. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Like the mesquite tree of the title, Lupita is sturdy and able to survive harsh climates with great potential for recovering from stress. Told in verse sprinkled with Spanish terms (a glossary is included), this story of Lupita's high-school years details her increasing responsibility within her large Mexican American family after Mami is diagnosed with cancer. Caring for seven younger siblings, keeping up with schoolwork and her drama roles, and staying connected with her classmates and friends while the worries gnaw at her take their toll, but she is strong. There are also moments of intense vulnerability. As high-school graduation nears, Lupita sees that her mother may not be there for it: "Suddenly I realize / how much I can't control, how much / I am not promised." The close-knit family relationships, especially Mami and Lupita's, are vividly portrayed, as is the healing comfort Lupita finds in words, whether written in her notebooks or performed onstage. Copyright 2011 Booklist Reviews.

Forced to flee their native Caribbean island after an attempted coup, the Garcias-Carlos, Laura, and their four daughters-must learn a new way of life in the Bronx, while trying to cling to the old ways that they loved. (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription)

*Starred Review* After Griffin and Theo break up, after Theo moves to California for college, and even after Theo finds a new boyfriend in Jackson, Griffin continues to believe that they'll end up together. Then Theo drowns, and all that's left for Griffin is their fugitive history together. Griffin's affecting account of that history is told partly in flashbacks that are simultaneously elegiac and melancholy. The present, meanwhile, finds him bereft, grieving but discovering, perhaps, a weird sort of comfort in continuing to speak to Theo, reliving their past while sharing what is happening in the here and now. But will Griffin, who is so stuck in the past, find a future? Silvera's splendid sophomore novel is filled with tantalizing questions about lies and honesty, love and loss, and past and present, with answers gradually metered out through Griffin's growth as well as that of the other characters populating this beautifully realized, character-driven work of literary fiction. Silvera leaves his readers enriched and challenged, inviting them to join Griffin in questioning the meaning of life and love. In those questions, they will find an unsparing honesty that brings closure to the novel and to Griffin's quest to let go of the past and embrace the future. Copyright 2016 Booklist Reviews.

Move over Peter Parker, a new Spidey's in town! Spider-Man is forced to confront girls, evil, and identity crises, all while trying to survive junior year. In his latest work, Reynolds (Ghost, 2016, etc.)—a Kirkus Prize and Coretta Scott King Award winner—crafts an enjoyable piece of superhero fiction that completely transcends its genre. The result is an engrossing novel for teens boasting familiar and timely themes that add flavor and complexity to the Spider-Man mythos. In 2017, Miles Morales—a half-black/half-Puerto Rican teen on scholarship at an elite prep school—wears the famous mask and is a contemporary Everykid burdened by a family past that defines him as much as his powers do. Hailing from the Brooklyn projects, he represents countless teens whose life struggles are radically different from those Parker endured in the relative comforts of 1960s suburbia. In the author's capable hands, Brooklyn's sensory details, from the performers on the s ubway to the smells of Mrs. Morales' fried chicken, practically pop off of the page. The narrative is anchored by strong, nuanced characters, particularly Miles' tough-but-loving parents, Ganke, his Korean-American best friend, and his uncle Aaron, whose criminal past led to the development of Miles' powers. Miles' struggle to balance his superhero calling with familial pressure to make it out of the projects renders him all the more sympathetic. A page-turner with a heart and a soul. (Fantasy. 12-18) Copyright Kirkus 2017 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

With quiet drama, Alvarez tells a contemporary immigration story through the alternating viewpoints of two young people in Vermont. After 11-year-old Tyler's father is injured in a tractor accident, the family is in danger of losing their dairy farm. Desperate for help, Tyler s family employs Mari s family, who are illegal migrant Mexican workers. Mari writes heartrending letters and diary entries, especially about Mamá, who has disappeared during a trip to Mexico to visit Mari's dying abuelita. Is Mamá in the hands of the border-crossing "coyotes"? Have they hurt her? Will Homeland Security (la migra) raid the farm? The plot is purposive, with messages about the historical connections between migrant workers today and the Indians displacement, the Underground Railroad, and earlier immigrants seeking refuge. But the young people s voices make for a fast read; the characters, including the adults, are drawn with real complexity; and the questions raised about the meaning of patriotism will spark debate. Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.

During her family's annual car trip from Chicago to Mexico City, Lala Reyes listens to stories about her family, including her grandmother, the descendant of a renowned dynasty of shawl makers, whose magnificent striped (or caramelo) shawl has come into Lala's possession, in a multi-generational saga of a Mexican-American family. (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription)

Biracial Danny Lopez doesn't think he fits anywhere. He feels like an outsider with his Mexican father's family, with whom he is staying for the summer, and at his mostly white school, and he wonders if his confusion drove his father away. He also struggles with his obsession for baseball; a gifted player with a blazing fastball, he lacks control of his game. With the support of a new friend and his caring cousins, Danny begins to deal with the multitude of problems in his life, which include his tendency to cut himself, an unusual characteristic in a male YA protagonist. The author juggles his many plotlines well, and the portrayal of Danny's friends and neighborhood is rich and lively. Where the story really lights up is in the baseball scenes, which sizzle like Danny's fastball. A violent scene, left somewhat unresolved, is the catalyst for him to confront the truth about his father. Danny's struggle to find his place will speak strongly to all teens but especially to those of mixed race. Copyright 2006 Booklist Reviews.

Pérez's latest-following The Knife and the Butterfly (2012)-is a powerful work of historical fiction set in New London, Texas, that revolves around events leading up to the horrific 1937 school explosion that killed close to 300 people. This gripping story centers on high-school senior Naomi, a Mexican American girl who recently arrived from San Antonio with her half siblings, twins Beto and Cari, and their father, oil-field worker Henry. Naomi's struggle to learn how to take care of the household chores is complicated by her dark past with Henry and the overt racism she faces in the segregated town. She reluctantly befriends and then falls in love with an African American boy, Wash, who is both brilliant and kind to her younger brother and sister. Pérez's skillful use of multiple perspectives creates a full and well-rounded sense of place and story. Elegant prose and gently escalating action will leave readers gasping for breath at the tragic climax and moving conclusion. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Reading Quintero's debut is like attending a large family fiesta: it's overpopulated with people, noise, and emotion, but the overall effect is joyous. Presented as the diary of 17-year-old Mexican American Gabi, it covers a senior year ostensibly filled with travail, from a first kiss to first sex; from dealing with a meth-head father to a constantly shaming mother; from the pregnancies of two classmates to Gabi's own fear of becoming "Hispanic Teen Mom #3,789,258." But that makes the book sound pedantic, and it's anything but. Unlike most diary-format novels, this truly feels like the product of a teenager used to dealing with a lot of life's b.s. Sure, she is depressed at times, but just as often she is giddy with excitement about her new boyfriend (and then the one after that), or shrugging at the weight she just doesn't feel like losing. If there is a structuring element, it's the confidence-building poems Gabi writes for composition class, which read just like the uncertain early work of a nonetheless talented fledgling writer. Quintero, on the other hand, is utterly confident, gifting us with a messy, complicated protagonist who isn't defined by ethnicity, class, weight, or lifestyle. Gabi is purely herself-and that's what makes her universal. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Moving from a Mexican ranch to the company labor camps of California, Ryan's lyrical novel manages the contradictory: a story of migration and movement deeply rooted in the earth. When 14-year-old Esperanza's father is killed, she and her mother must emigrate to the U.S., where a family of former ranch workers has helped them find jobs in the agricultural labor camps. Coming from such privilege, Esperanza is ill prepared for the hard work and difficult conditions she now faces. She quickly learns household chores, though, and when her mother falls ill, she works packing produce until she makes enough money to bring her beloved abuelita to the U.S.. Set during the Great Depression, the story weaves cultural, economic, and political unrest into Esperanza's poignant tale of growing up: she witnesses strikes, government sweeps, and deep injustice while finding strength and love in her family and romance with a childhood friend. The symbolism is heavy-handed, as when Esperanza ominously pricks her finger on a rose thorne just before her father is killed. But Ryan writes movingly in clear, poetic language that children will sink into, and the books offers excellent opportunities for discussion and curriculum support. -Gillian Engberg Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews

Seventeen-year-old Sal has had both bad luck and great luck with family. His mother died when he was three, but she ensured he would be adopted by her best friend, Vicente, a loving gay man who brings with him a large, welcoming Mexican American family. He has also been blessed with his best friend, Sam, a girl with mother issues. Sal has mostly led a tranquil life, but his senior year turns out to contain unexpected upsets and sorrows, though also deeper chances to understand love. Sáenz presents readers with several beautifully drawn relationships, especially that of Sal and his grandmother, who is dying of cancer-there is richness even in their silences. There are also some wonderful moments between father and son, though Vicente's perfection as a parent can defy belief (not surprisingly, he's compared to Atticus Finch). There are times when the story is weighed down by repetitive conversations, but there are numerous heartfelt moments as well. Sal is one of those characters you wonder about after the book is closed. Maybe Sáenz will tell us more. Copyright 2016 Booklist Reviews.

"When Maddie Diaz witnesses the murder of a homeless man by members of a gang, she tells the cops what she saw without thinking about the repercussions of snitching, but a mysterious guy named Lobo comes to her defense and is determined to take down the gang and protect her" (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription service)

"It is November 25, 1960, and three beautiful sisters have been found dead near their wrecked Jeep at the bottom of a 150-foot cliff on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. The official state newspaper reports their death as accidental. It does notmention that a fourth sister lives. Nor does it explain that the sisters were among the leading opponents of Gen. Rafael Leonidas Trujillo's dictatorship. It doesn't have to. Everybody knows of Las Mariposas-the Butterflies. In this extraordinary novel,the voices of all four sisters-Minerva, Patria, Marâia Teresa, and the survivor, Dedâe-speak across the decades to tell their own stories, from hair ribbons and secret crushes to gunrunning and prison torture, and to describe the everyday horrors of life under Trujillo's rule. Through the art and magic of Julia Alvarez's imagination, the martyred Butterflies live again in this novel of courage, love, and the human cost of political oppression" (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription service)

The House on Mango Street is the remarkable story of Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. Told in a series of vignettes—sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous—Sandra Cisneros’ masterpiece is a classic story of childhood and self-discovery. Few other books in our time have touched so many readers. (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription service)

Marcus Mendoza, aka Nub because of a severed index finger, narrates this hard-hitting and profane novel about parental abuse. From the opening sentence, the writing shocks, then mesmerizes readers, making its title an apt choice. Hernandez powerfully describes the harsh life of working poor families and their children as victims. Marcus imagines there are others like him, a "whole dissatisfied throng, T-shirted and disheveled and angry at the world." As readers ride with the brothers on their journey of vengeance, Enrique, Marcus's younger brother, steps into the spotlight. Enrique has suffered years of physical beatings from their father, a man who bolted to Monterey, Calif., a year before the story opens. The journey to hunt down their father is fueled by hits of acid and "gourmet marijuana," as Hernandez skillfully produces sobering descriptions of prior tragedies. The climax crackles with suspense, but the last 20 pages have a tacked-on vibe that's a slight letdown. Nevertheless, Hernandez's solid first YA effort will have readers clamoring for his next work. (Fiction. YA) Copyright Kirkus 2008 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Pura Belpré Award winner McCall (Under the Mesquite, 2011) chooses the tumultuous borderlands of Texas and Mexico at the time of the Mexican Revolution as the setting for her latest. Loosely based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, this story's lovestruck, but not quite so ill-fated, teens face opposition from their families and the growing unrest in their community. Eighteen-year-old Joaquín del Toro can think of nothing but Dulceña Villa, though a feud between their families means that the pair's interactions are limited to secret notes and meetings. Their romance is but a framework for the violence erupting in their Texas county between Tejanos (Texans) and Anglo Rangers, who are practicing their own brand of racism-driven vigilante justice. Though the dialogue doesn't always ring true, the historical aspects of the narrative are eye-opening. McCall infuses the little-discussed uprising in South Texas with Spanish (defined in a glossary) and primary-source newspaper clippings, and gives women a vital role in the Tejano fight for justice. A powerful story of love in the face of great odds. Copyright 2016 Booklist Reviews.

When Aristotle and Dante meet, in the summer of 1987, they are 15-year-olds existing in "the universe between boys and men." The two are opposites in most ways: Dante is sure of his place in the world, while Ari feels he may never know who he is or what he wants. But both are thoughtful about their feelings and interactions with others, and this title is primarily focused on the back-and-forth in their relationship over the course of a year. Family issues take center stage, as well as issues of Mexican identity, but the heart of the novel is Dante's openness about his homosexuality and Ari's suppression of his. Sáenz (Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood, 2004) writes toward the end of the novel that "to be careful with people and words was a rare and beautiful thing." And that's exactly what Sáenz does-he treats his characters carefully, giving them space and time to find their place in the world, and to find each other. This moves at a slower pace than many YA novels, but patient readers, and those struggling with their own sexuality, may find it to be a thought-provoking read. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

*Starred Review* Díaz continues to keep company with his alter ego, Yunior, a Dominican turned New Jerseyan, in his second short story collection. Drown (1996), his first, introduced Yunior and established Díaz as a writer of promise. His first novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2007), won the Pulitzer Prize and galvanized a world of new readers. Díaz's standout fiction remains pinpoint, sinuous, gutsy, and imaginative. Yunior kicks things off by stating, "I'm not a bad guy." The women in his life would caustically disagree. We see Yunior as a boy new to America and his long-absent father's temper, a teenager and college student forever infatuated and forever cheating, and a lonely adult confronted by aggressive racism. Each taut tale of unrequited and betrayed love and family crises is electric with passionate observations and off-the-charts emotional and social intelligence. Díaz's involving, diverse characters include Yunior's combative brother Rafa, Magda the coldhearted, Nilda the young man-magnet, and a sexy older woman. Fast paced, unflinching, complexly funny, street-talking tough, perfectly made, and deeply sensitive, Díaz's gripping stories unveil lives shadowed by prejudice and poverty and bereft of reliable love and trust. These are precarious, unappreciated, precious lives in which intimacy is a lost art, masculinity a parody, and kindness, reason, and hope struggle to survive like seedlings in a war zone. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Díaz, as compelling in person as on the page, will connect with his large and loyal readership via a national author tour, extensive media interviews, and a social media campaign. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

*Starred Review* It's 1977 in New York, and almost-18-year-old Nora is about to graduate high school and is saving up for her own place. Of course, it's not as easy as just moving out. Her Cuban immigrant mother, who only speaks Spanish, relies on her to navigate everyday life. Meanwhile, she coddles Nora's firebug younger brother, Hector, whose short temper is getting more violent by the day. No matter what Nora tells her mother, she does nothing about Hector and faults Nora for his delinquency, and, before long, his terrifying, uncontrollable rages become too scary to handle on her own. Medina artfully links Nora's escalating domestic turmoil with the infamous summer of 1977, marked by blackouts, sweltering heat, racial tensions, arson, and the Son of Sam killings, all of which simmer menacingly in the background. Medina weaves historical context throughout Nora's first-person narrative, expertly cultivating a rich sense of atmosphere while still keeping her characters sharply in the foreground. Nora herself is wonderfully multifaceted-hardened by responsibility, delighted by disco, crazy about the handsome boy at her job, and, all the while, stalwart and determined to make her life on her own terms. Powerfully moving, this stellar piece of historical fiction emphasizes the timeless concerns of family loyalty and personal strength while highlighting important issues that still resonate today. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

"'Just Like Us' offers a powerful account of four young Mexican women coming of age in Denver-two of whom have legal documentation, two of whom who don't-and the challenges they face as they attempt to pursue the American dream." (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription service)

"In ten oral histories recorded by Martin, Mexican American women of the Southwest reach as far back as the turn of the century to recall family history and genealogy, secular and religious traditions, work and leisure, living conditions, and personal values. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or." (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription service)

Award-winning journalist Wides-Muñoz's essential primer on the DREAM Act exposes the toll the U.S.'s broken immigration system takes on real people. As this legislation remains in hostage to political paralysis on Capitol Hill, the lives of undocumented young people brought to the U.S. as children, the so-called DREAMers, are left suspended in excruciating limbo. Wides-Muñoz weaves the experiences and life stories of a handful of these exceptional young people into her informative account of the tortuously frustrating and heartbreaking attempts at achieving immigration reform in the twenty-first century. Besides the DREAMers and their families, her well-developed cast of characters includes key legislators, young immigration activists, advocates, and organizations. Wides-Muñoz's sometimes-wonky prose can intermittently belie the passionate story she tells, yet this is a valuable and detailed look at lawmaking and policy that affect people and communities across the nation and around the world as well as portraits of heroic youth willing to put their own status in jeopardy to advocate for fair treatment, not only for themselves and their families but for all immigrants. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.

A look at the integral relationship between baseball and the Latin American world describes how thousands of Latinos have attempted to make their childhood dreams of success as big-league baseball players into reality. (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription service)

When actress Guerrero landed a role on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, it marked the first time in her life that she could breathe easy. While this memoir charts her road to success, it is, above all, an account of being born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants, who-despite their desperate attempts to gain citizenship-were deported to Colombia when Guerrero was just 14. Hers is an all-too-common story, yet one that is rarely heard. Left to fend for herself, Guerrero relates her struggle to hold her life together, get through high school and college, and find her feet in the world-challenges that will resonate with many readers, particularly young adults. She begins each chapter with a personal photo and writes with humor and heartbreaking honesty. Offering readers the story she needed to hear as a child, Guerrero shines a light on this country's flawed immigration system, eloquently calling for reform without diminishing her appreciation for the opportunities U.S. citizenship has afforded her. A timely and enlightening read. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

*Starred Review* Santiago opens his dazzlingly drawn comics biography of the pioneering Puerto Rican ballplayer on the final game of the 1972 season, with Clemente just one hit shy of joining the 3,000-hit club. Fans will know, of course, that 3,000 would also be his final tally, as he would die in a plane crash delivering relief supplies to the earthquake-rocked Nicaragua that winter. Santiago skitters around formative scenes from Clemente's childhood-striking a complex chord of family, homeland, and a driving passion for baseball-before tracing significant moments from his professional career: staring down racism with the same resolute demeanor with which he faced a high heater, snagging batting championships and fans' hearts many times over, and always looking for ways to honor his heritage. Nearly every page brings a new compositional marvel, setting energetic, limber figures against stylized photographic backgrounds washed in sepia tones and Pirate-yellow highlights. The in-game sequences, though, are showstoppers, taking advantage of dizzying perspective shifts to capture the fluid, whirling nature of the game as it moves in fits and starts through huge moments of pause into cracking shots of sizzling drama. It's not a comprehensive biography by any means, nor does it try to be one. But for a book that matches the pure athleticism, unshakable compassion, and towering legacy of its subject, look no further. Copyright 2011 Booklist Reviews.

The first Hispanic American on the U.S. Supreme Court shares the story of her life before becoming a judge, describing her youth in a Bronx housing project, the ambition that fueled her ivy league education, and the individuals who helped shape her career. (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription)

Presents the life and career of the Mexican poet. (excerpted from Follett's TitlePeek subscription service)

Reviewed with Dan Elish's The Trail of Tears.Gr. 6-9. The Great Journeys series is a well-designed package that uses top-notch authors to tell the stories of groups who had to leave their homelands and make a place in new physical and emotional territory. The story of the Cherokees' forced relocation from Georgia to Oklahoma is particularly moving. Elish does a fine job introducing the Cherokee nation in The Trail of Tears. Using straightforward, effective language, he describes the many broken treaties, the Cherokee's assimilation into white society, and their removal from their homes, which were taken over by whites. In North across the Border, Perl makes clear that lost lands and broken promises were also the fate of the native peoples south of the border. She begins by describing the monumental effect the arrival of Europeans had on Mexican civilizations. She then discusses the impact, on both countries, of the great migration to the U.S., which began in the twentieth century. There is also an honest look at how economics has affected it. Both books are filled with crisp, well-selected photographs and historical illustrations. Notes, a bibliography, and a list of films and books for further reading complete these useful, thought-provoking volumes. ((Reviewed January 1 & 15, 2002)) Copyright 2002 Booklist Reviews

Though many adults may recognize Manzano as Maria from Sesame Street, she's likely more well known among today's teens as the author of the Pura Belpré-winning The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano (2012). In her present-tense memoir, Manzano, who grew up in 1950s South Bronx, examines her community, her family, and her ever-changing self with a wide-eyed curiosity. She struggles to make sense of her mother's decisions, such as staying with an abusive husband and trading in a hardscrabble existence in Puerto Rico for an equally challenging life in the U.S. It's Manzano's gift for theater that provides her the opportunity of a lifetime, and thanks to her talent, she attends a performing-arts high school and then Carnegie Mellon. This beautifully rendered coming-of-age story calls to mind Betty Smith's classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Though it's a bit slow moving at times and would have benefited from a time line to help ground readers, this is nevertheless an inspiring portrait of resiliency and a time capsule for a New York that now feels like a distant memory. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews

Growing up in Brownsville, Texas, Martinez felt like a giraffe in a community of mules. Smart and sensitive (he sheds gallons of tears), he was an outsider. So, in a larger sense, were the other members of his family, who identified as Mexican but was regarded by the community as being American. As a result, Domingo felt he belonged in neither culture, which is a theme that unites his otherwise episodic coming-of-age memoir. Another, more visceral theme is machismo, a tradition in Mexican culture and that Martinez finds repugnant and that separates him from his overbearing father. Such experiences and others-children were regarded as a commodity to be swapped or traded-make the book an informal exercise in sociology as well as a memoir. Weighing in at more than 450 pages, the book extends from Martinez's preschool years to his thirties. Though too long, it nevertheless coheres and offers experiences that readers will find informative and emotionally engaging. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

In this adaptation of a 2006 adult title of the same name, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nazario offers young readers a compelling account of a modern-day immigration odyssey. Retracing 17-year-old Enrique's trek on foot from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, through Central America atop freight trains, to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and across the Rio Grande on an inner tube, Nazario illuminates the plight of thousands of children who desperately seek to reunite with parents who have come to the U.S. seeking higher wages. Nazario's narrative chronicles the profound dangers from gangs and smugglers, extreme kindnesses from clergy and generous souls, and Enrique's enduring courage. Comprehensive background notes document Nazario's own journey throughout the trek and her current contact with Enrique, his mother, and additional family members. This powerfully written survival story personalizes the complicated, pervasive, and heart-wrenching debates about immigration and immigrants' rights and will certainly spark discussion in the classroom and at home. Copyright 2013 Booklist Reviews.

Was Che Guevara a romantic, selfless revolutionary? This lively biography explores the guerilla leader's public image, and readers will be held by the personal politics as well as by the political history of the cold war and 1960s revolution. After a privileged youth, Guevara became politically active after his motorcycle trip across Latin America, where he witnessed poverty and despair in a continent rich in resources. This volume's focus is on Guevara's role with Castro in guerilla war and the Cuban revolution, as well as his call for a united Latin America, until finally he was assassinated with the cooperation of the CIA. Interspersed with quotes from his diary entries and from CIA files and newspaper reports over the years, Kallen's narrative is objective and clear, and the accessible design includes numerous photos and screened inserts, which are fully documented in the extensive back matter. Teens reading for research or personal interest will be drawn to the icon, the action, and the issues. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.