Latino Fiction and Non-Fiction

Fiction

• Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez - Anita learns her family is in the underground movement to end the bloody rule of the dictator of the Dominican Republic. (YA FIC ALVAREZ, J)
• The Afterlife by Gary Soto - A senior at East Fresno High School lives on as a ghost after his brutal murder in the restroom of a club where he had gone to dance. (YA FIC SOTO, G)
• CrashBoomLove by Juan Felipe Herrera - After his father leaves home, sixteen-year-old Cesar Garcia lives with his mother and struggles through the painful experiences of growing up as a Mexican American high school student. (YA FIC HERRERA, J)
• Cuba 15 by Nancy Osa - Violet Paz, a Chicago high school student, reluctantly prepares for her upcoming "quince," a Spanish nickname for the celebration of a Hispanic girl's fifteenth birthday. (YA FIC OSA, N)
• Drift by Manuel Luis Martinez - Abandoned by his parents and living with his grandmother, sixteen-year-old Robert dreams of somehow keeping himself out of trouble, saving his money, and heading for California to put his family back together. (YA FIC, MARTINEZ, M)
• Finding Our Way by René Saldaña - This powerful collection of stories focus on young adults living on the border of Texas and Mexico, with touching moments of family closeness, lighthearted stories of love, and poignant tales of teens in trouble. (YA FIC SALDANA, R)
• Flight to Freedom by Ana Veciana-Suarez - Writing in the diary which her father gave her, teenage Yara describes life with her family in Cuba as well as her experiences as an immigrant to Florida. (YA FIC VECIANA-SUAREZ, A)
• Frida by Barbara Mujica - Frida Kahlo’s younger sister narrates the colorful novel of the contentious, exciting painter who married Diego Rivera and helped define 20th century art. (YA FIC MUJICA, B)
• A Girl Like Che Guevara by Teresa de la Caridad Doval - Superstition, adolescence and social revolution clash in this Cuban coming-of-age story. (YA FIC DOVAL, T)
• The Meaning of Consuelo by Judith Ortiz Cofer - Book-loving Consuelo notices disturbing changes happening to her beautiful little sister Mili. (YA FIC COFER, J)
• Once Upon a Cuento edited by Lyn Miller-Lachmann - Presents a collection of short stories that explore Latino life and culture in America, including the perspectives of Dominican American, Mexican American, Cuban American, Puerto Rican and other Latino writers. (YA FIC ONC)
• Parrot in the Oven, Mi Vida by Victor Martinez - Manny relates his coming of age experiences as a member of a poor Mexican American family in which the alcoholic father only adds to everyone's struggle. (YA FIC MARTINEZ, V)
• Red Palms by Cara Haycak - After her farther loses his fortune, 14 year old Benita moves from wealth to poverty, from a grand house to a shack on the beach, and from going to school to working in the fields. The only good thing in her life seems to be older, handsome Raul. So when he asks her to run away with him, she decides to leave her family. (YA FIC HAYCAK, C)
• Roosevelt High School (series) by Gloria Velásquez - The students of Roosevelt High tackle tough issues, including divorce, racism, gay and lesbian issues, and alcoholism in this acclaimed series. (YA FIC VELASQUEZ, G)
• Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood by Benjamin Alire Sáenz - Sammy Santos faces the challenges of "gringo" racism, unpopular dress codes, barrio violence, and poverty. (YA FIC SAENZ, B)
• So Hard To Say by Alex Sanchez - Xio and Frederick become close friends, but when Xio starts thinking of Frederick as her boyfriend, he must confront his feelings of confusion and face the fear that he might be gay. (YA FIC SANCHEZ, A)

Poetry

• City of a Hundred Fires by Richard Blanco (ADULT 811.54 BLA)
• Cool Salsa edited by Lori M. Carlson (J 811.54 COO)
• Fiesta In Aztlan by Toni Empringham (ADULT 811.08 EMP)
• Latin Deli: Prose and Poetry by Judith Ortiz Cofer (ADULT 810.8 ORT)
• Latino Rainbow by Carlos Cumpian (J 811.54 CUM)
• Laughing Out Loud, I Fly by Juan Felipe Herrera (J SP 811.54 HER)
• Neighborhood Odes by Gary Soto (J 811.54 SOT)
• Poems, Protest and a Dream by Juana Ines de la Cruz (ADULT 861 JUANA)
• Touching the Fire by Ray Gonzalez (ADULT 811.5408 TOU)
• Wachale! Poetry and Prose About Growing Up Latino In America by Ilan Stevens (J 810.80928 WAC)

Non-Fiction and Biographies

• Home is Everything: The Latino Baseball Story by Marcos Bretón - Explores the unique experiences of Latin American baseball players in the Major Leagues, including Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda, and Jose Santana; their struggles, disapointments, and sometimes enormous successes. (YA 927.96357 BRE)
• Latino USA: A Cartoon History by Ilan Stavens - What does it mean to be Latino? This cartoon history of the Latino experience in America tries to answer that question through irreverent, hard-hitting, humorous commentary on everything from Manifest Destiny to Selena. (YA 973.0468 STA)
• The Monkey Box by Art Rodriguez - A family history and a love story. In the 1800's, two young lovers in Chiapas, Mexico struggle to be together, despite the efforts of their families. (92 RODRIGUEZ, A)
• Latino Visions: Contemporary Chicano, Puerto Rican, and Cuban American Artists by James D. Cockcroft - Describes the evolution of Latino art in America through discussion of various artistic movements and important Latino artists. (YA 704.0368 COC)
• Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail by Rubén Martínez - A powerful account of migrant culture traces the Chavez family as they leave their southern-Mexican town and embark on a perilous journey through the underground railroad to the tomato farms of Missouri, the strawberry fields of California, and the slaughterhouses of Wisconsin. (YA 306.85089 MAR)
• Julian Nava : My Mexican-American Journey by Julian Nava - Julian Nava recounts his rise from a childhood in the barrio to become the first Mexican American to serve as United States Ambassador to Mexico. (YA 92 NAVA)
• Always Running: La Vida Loca, gang days in L.A. by Luis J. Rodríguez - A former L.A. gang member describes his experiences in that world, recounting the sense of security and power found in a gang and the grim reality of violence and poverty. (YA 92 RODRIGUEZ)
• The Devil's Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea - Describes the attempt of twenty-six men to cross the Mexican border into the desert of southern Arizona, a region known as the Devil's Highway, detailing their harrowing ordeal and battle for survival against impossible odds. (YA 304.8 URR)
• Riding Low on Streets of Gold by Judith Ortiz Cofer - This extraordinary collection gathers a wealth of stories and poems that explore the challenges of negotiating identity and relationships with others, struggling with authority, learning to love oneself and challenging the roles society demands of teenagers and adults. (YA 860.8 RID)

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