My parents are Cuban, and I grew up in a Latino community in Miami, but it wasn’t until I had kids of my own that I truly came to appreciate the significance of Hispanic Heritage Month.
When my son, Javier, was a toddler and preschooler, I read to him every night. One evening we’d choose a book in Spanish, and the next we’d choose one in English. Thanks to abuelos who insisted my brother and I speak, write, and read in Spanish when we were young, I am fluent in both languages, and I wanted to pass that tradition on to my son.
I had amassed the “Spanglish” library during my baby shower, when I asked friends and familia to gift me with their favorite children’s books in both English and Spanish. Even when he was too young to understand what I was saying, I would read to Javier on our rocking chair, the same one his Colombian grandmother used to sit on to read to his own father when he was a little boy.
Now that my son is turning ten, he obviously reads on his own, in English, but I still do what I can to read books in Spanish together. He’s not fluent in Spanish, nor can he read it very well, but he can understand just about everything. I figure the more I expose him to it, the more connected he will feel to our heritage, and the better the chances that he may one day choose to become fluent.
In the meantime, I take advantage of Hispanic Heritage Month and make a trip to the bookstore each year to pick up new Spanish books we can read together. This year we were thrilled to discover that one of his favorite series, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, is available in Spanish, so we piled up on those. While the stories themselves don’t necessarily have a cultural connection to our community, at least they’re in our native language, which connects him to our heritage.
If you’re thinking of starting a Spanish reading tradition with your kids, or you’re simply looking to give your kids books that have Hispanic themes, check out this great crop of tomes in the slideshow.
This post is sponsored by American Family Insurance. All opinions are my own.
Must-Read Children's Books That Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
-
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
(From $6.22; amazon.com)
This book changed my life. I read it in high school as it’s not exactly a children’s book, but there is nothing in it you couldn’t read to a first grader. The story is told through a series of vignettes depicting young Esperanza Cordero, a young girl growing up in one of Chicago’s Latino neighborhoods. Reading these stories was like seeing my life in print for the first time, and I can remember feeling a true connection to this Latina writer. I loved it so much I have read this libro multiple times since, including once with my son!
-
My Name Is Maria Isabel by Alma Flor Ada
(From $4.42, amazon.com)
Ideal for ages 7--10. Named after her beloved Puerto Rican grandmother, Maria tries to get everyone at her new school to understand the importance of saying her name in Spanish instead of translating it to English, even if there is another Maria in the same class.
-
Abuela by Arthur Dorros
(From $7.99, amazon.com)
Ages 3--7. A young girl's imagination runs wild as she pretends she’s flying with her beloved grandmother over the city of New York, each landmark and stop evoking a vivid memory for her abuela. The journey fills the little girl's mind with images and stories of her ethnic background.
-
¡Si, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can!: Janitor Strike in L.A. by Diana Cohn
(From $7.95, amazon.com)
Ages 5--7. Based on a true story, this picture-filled book is about a young boy named Carlos who leads his classmates in support of his janitor mother and her coworkers fighting for living wages, joining the picket line. This is a touching, sweet tale that will educate kids about the Latino working class.
-
In My Family: En Mi Familia (English and Spanish Edition) by Carmen Garza
(From $9.16, amazon.com)
Ages 6 and up. This children’s book is filled with pictures and touching personal stories of what it’s like to grow up Mexican-American in Texas—from eating empanadas to listening to conjunto bands at neighborhood restaurants.
-
Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh
(From $15.11 at amazon.com)
Ages 6--9. It may be a picture-packed book for the lower grade levels, but it manages to beautifully explain how being banned from enrolling in a California school inspired Sylvia Mendez’s family to fight for integration.
-
La Isla by Arthur Durros
(From $6.99, amazon.com)
Ages 3--7. In this follow-up to Abuela, little Rosalba takes a trip with her grandmother to the Caribbean island where she grew up. This book is great for introducing preschoolers and early readers to the concept of having a native land, even if you can't visit.
-
Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match: Marisol McDonald No Combina
(From $14.64, amazon.com)
Ages 4--8. This is a great story about a little girl with a mixed background—she’s part Peruvian and Scottish but was born in America. It tells the story of her penchant for unlikely combos, including PB&J burritos. Even her looks seem contradictory; her brown Hispanic skin is an unlikely pairing for her flaming red hair. This is a delightful book that shows kids that it’s okay to be all mixed up.
-
The Tooth Fairy Meets El Raton Perez by Rene Colato Lainez
(From $12.09, amazon.com)
Ages 3--7. What happens when the American tooth fairy comes face to face with El Raton Perez, the adventurous mouse who collects teeth in Spain and Latin America? Kids will love finding out in this tale of the ultimate culture clash.
-
I Love Saturdays y domingos by Alma Flor Ada
(From $7.99, amazon.com)
Ages 5--8. I love this story about a little girl who spends Saturdays with her European grandparents and Sundays with her Mexican abuelos. It’s the perfect choice for bicultural children.
