Mexico

Santiago’s Road Home

Posted by on Jun 16, 2020 in Ages 08 and up, Mexican, Mexican American, Mexico, North America, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Bilingual Book, Theme: Community, Theme: Detention, Theme: Family Death, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Human Rights, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Separation & Reunion, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, Theme: Undocumented Immigration, United States | Comments Off on Santiago’s Road Home

Santiago’s Road Home

Santiago’s Road Home By Alexandra Diaz Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books ISBN-13: 9781534446236 Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “…a Dickensian tale of children who become “Dreamers” in search of a new life in the United States.”  —School Library Connection Description The coins in Santiago’s hand are meant for the bus fare back to his abusive abuela’s house. Except he refuses to return; he won’t be missed. His future is uncertain until he meets the kind, maternal María Dolores and her young daughter, Alegría,...

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The Everything I Have Lost

Posted by on Mar 27, 2020 in Ages 10 and up, Mexican, Mexico, North America, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Community, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Learning English, Theme: Migrant Life, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, United States | Comments Off on The Everything I Have Lost

The Everything I Have Lost

The Everything I Have Lost By Sylvia Zeleny Published by Cinco Puntos Press ISBN-13: 9781947627178 Age Range: 10+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | “This high-interest, authentic coming-of-age novel adds an important perspective to young adult collections.”  —School Library Journal Description 12-year-old Julia keeps a diary about her life growing up in Juarez, Mexico. Life in Juarez is strange. People say it’s the murder capital of the world. Dad’s gone a lot. They can’t play outside because it isn’t safe. Drug cartels rule the streets. Cars and people...

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Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid

Posted by on Mar 27, 2020 in Ages 05 and up, Mexican American, Mexico, North America, Theme: Bi-racial Identity, Theme: Bilingual Book, Theme: Bilingual Character, United States | Comments Off on Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid

Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid

Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid By Xavier Garza Published by Cinco Puntos Press ISBN-13: 9781933693248 Age Range: 5+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “Vincent, a young Texan, is spending Christmas Eve on his uncle’s farm near the Mexican border.”  —School Library Journal Description Let’s welcome Santa’s newest helper: his cousin Pancho, a farmer living down in South Texas who is so smart he speaks both Spanish and English. Back in the day, Pancho was a mariachi singer with a whole lot of style and a fancy sombrero. But as the years passed, Pancho got,...

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A Sky Without Lines

Posted by on Mar 14, 2020 in Ages 05 and up, Mexican, Mexico, North America, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Human Rights, Theme: Separation & Reunion, Theme: Sibling Relationship | Comments Off on A Sky Without Lines

A Sky Without Lines

A Sky Without Lines By Krystia Basil Illustrated by Laura Borras Published by minedition ISBN-13: 9789888341894 Age Range: 5+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “As children experience more and more forced migration and forbidding borders in their worlds, this book serves a useful look at the human side of geopolitics and an effective discussion opener.”  —School Library Journal Description A moving and timely story of a young boy separated from his beloved brother and father by a border. Arturo loves to look at maps and the lines where different countries...

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From North to South: Del Norte al Sur

Posted by on Feb 6, 2020 in Ages 05 and up, Mexican American, Mexico, North America, Theme: Bi-racial Identity, Theme: Citizenship, Theme: Deportation, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Migrant Life, Theme: Separation & Reunion, United States | Comments Off on From North to South: Del Norte al Sur

From North to South: Del Norte al Sur

From North to South: Del Norte al Sur By Rene Lainez Illustrated by Joe Cepeda Published by Lee & Low Books, Inc ISBN-13: 9780892393046 Age Range: 5+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat What will it be like to visit Mamá in Tijuana? When will Mamá be able to come home? Description Near the border, the cars began to move very slowly. “Papá, go fast. I want to see Mamá,” I said. José loves helping Mamá in the garden outside their home in California. But when Mamá is sent back to Mexico for not having proper papers, José and his Papá face an uncertain future....

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The Other Side: Stories of Central American Teen Refugees Who Dream of Crossing the Border

Posted by on Dec 10, 2019 in Ages 12 and up, Mexico, North America, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Detention, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Migrant Life, Theme: Separation & Reunion, Theme: Survival, Theme: Undocumented Immigration, United States | Comments Off on The Other Side: Stories of Central American Teen Refugees Who Dream of Crossing the Border

The Other Side: Stories of Central American Teen Refugees Who Dream of Crossing the Border

The Other Side: Stories of Central American Teen Refugees Who Dream of Crossing the Border By Juan Pablo Villalobos Published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux ISBN: 9780374305734 Age Range: 12+ Find a copy at Amazon| IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “…this essential volume is deserving of more than one read.”  —Kirkus Reviews Description Every year, thousands of migrant children and teens cross the U.S.-Mexico border. The journey is treacherous and sometimes deadly, but worth the risk for migrants who are escaping gang violence and poverty in their home countries. And for those...

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Lost Children Archive

Posted by on Oct 1, 2019 in Mexico, North America, Theme: Detention, Theme: Education, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Human Rights, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Migrant Life, Theme: Survival, United States | Comments Off on Lost Children Archive

Lost Children Archive

Lost Children Archive By Valeria Luiselli Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group ISBN-13: 9780525520610 Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “A family treks south to the U.S.-Mexico border, bearing tales of broken migrant families all the way down.”  —Kirkus Reviews Description A mother and father set out with their two children, a boy and a girl, driving from New York to Arizona in the heat of summer. Their destination: Apacheria, the place the Apaches once called home. Why Apaches? asks the ten-year-old son. Because they were the last of something,...

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All the Stars Denied

Posted by on Jun 7, 2019 in Ages 12 and up, Mexican, Mexican American, Mexico, North America, Theme: Bi-racial Identity, Theme: Citizenship, Theme: Community, Theme: Deportation, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Race, Theme: Racial Discrimination, Theme: Repression, Theme: Separation & Reunion, United States | Comments Off on All the Stars Denied

All the Stars Denied

All the Stars Denied By Guadalupe Garcia McCall Published by Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN-13: 9781620142813 Age Range: 12+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “A harrowing account of a lesser known episode in the United States’ unseemly history of discriminatory immigration policies.” —School Library Journal Description In the heart of the Great Depression, Rancho Las Moras, like everywhere else in Texas, is gripped by the drought of the Dust Bowl, and resentment is building among white farmers against Mexican Americans. All around town, signs go up...

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Between Us and Abuela

Posted by on Jun 6, 2019 in Ages 03 and up, Mexican, Mexican American, Mexico, North America, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Grandparents & Intergenerational, Theme: Migrant Life, Theme: Separation & Reunion, United States | Comments Off on Between Us and Abuela

Between Us and Abuela

Between Us and Abuela By Mitali Perkins Illustrated by Sara Palacios Published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux ISBN: 9780374303730 Age Range: 3+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “Cartoon drawings emphasize the resilience of Abuela and her family as they navigate the border landscape, the impenetrable wall, and a situation that feels unfathomable—but is, unfortunately, all too based in reality.”  —Publishers Weekly Description It’s almost time for Christmas, and Maria is traveling with her mother and younger brother, Juan, to visit their grandmother on...

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The Only Road & El único destino

Posted by on Dec 1, 2018 in Ages 10 and up, Central America, Guatemala, Guatemalan, Mexico, North America, Theme: Community, Theme: Family Death, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Gangs, Theme: Identity, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Loss of Childhood, Theme: Refugee Life, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, Theme: Undocumented Immigration, United States | Comments Off on The Only Road & El único destino

The Only Road & El único destino

The Only Road By Alexandra Diaz Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books ISBN-13: 9781481457507 (Hardcover) ISBN-13: 9781481457514 (Paperback) Age Range: 10+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat El único destino ISBN-13: 9781481484411 (Hardcover) ISBN-13: 9781481484428 (Paperback) PURA BELPRÉ HONOR BOOK ALA NOTABLE BOOK Description Jaime is sitting on his bed drawing when he hears a scream. Instantly, he knows: Miguel, his cousin and best friend, is dead. Everyone in Jaime’s small town in Guatemala knows someone who has been killed by the Alphas, a powerful...

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Under the Mesquite

Posted by on Oct 7, 2018 in Ages 12 and up, Mexican, Mexican American, Mexico, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Bi-racial Identity, Theme: Bilingual Character, Theme: Community, Theme: Family Death, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Grandparents & Intergenerational, Theme: Identity, Theme: Migrant Life, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, United States | Comments Off on Under the Mesquite

Under the Mesquite

Under the Mesquite By Guadalupe Garcia McCall Published by Lee & Low Books, Inc. Age Range: 12+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “This book will appeal to many teens for different reasons, whether they have dealt with the loss of a loved one, aspire to write and act, are growing up Mexican American, or seeking their own identity amid a large family.” —School Library Journal Description As the oldest of eight siblings, Lupita is used to taking the lead—and staying busy behind the scenes to help keep everyone together. But when she discovers Mami has been...

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La Frontera: El viaje con papá / The Border: My Journey with Papa

Posted by on Sep 19, 2018 in Ages 05 and up, Mexican, Mexican American, Mexico, North America, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Bilingual Book, Theme: Building Futures, Theme: Education & Literacy, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Undocumented Immigration, United States | Comments Off on La Frontera: El viaje con papá / The Border: My Journey with Papa

La Frontera: El viaje con papá /  The Border: My Journey with Papa

La Frontera: El viaje con papá / The Border: My Journey with Papa By Alfredo Alva By Deborah Mills Illustrated by Claudia Navarro Published by Barefoot Books Ages 5+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “Must-have for classrooms, libraries, and bilingual collections.” —School Library Journal (Starred Review) Description Based on a true story! Join a young boy and his father on an arduous journey from Mexico to the United States in the 1980s to find a new life. They’ll need all the courage they can muster to safely cross the border — la frontera — and to make a home for...

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Dreamers / Soñadores

Posted by on Sep 19, 2018 in Ages 04 and up, Mexican, Mexican American, Mexico, North America, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Bilingual Character, Theme: Bilingual Companion Book, Theme: Building Futures, Theme: Education & Literacy, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Immigration, Theme: The Arts, United States | Comments Off on Dreamers / Soñadores

Dreamers / Soñadores

Dreamers By Yuyi Morales Published by Holiday House Age Range: 5+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat Soñadores Find a copy in Spanish at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “A resplendent masterpiece.” —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) Description In 1994, Yuyi Morales left her home in Xalapa, Mexico and came to the US with her infant son. She left behind nearly everything she owned, but she didn’t come empty-handed. She brought her strength, her work, her passion, her hopes and dreams…and her stories. Caldecott Honor artist and five-time Pura...

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Someone Like Me

Posted by on Sep 12, 2018 in Ages 10 and up, Mexican, Mexico, North America, Theme: Citizenship, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Grandparents & Intergenerational, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Migrant Life, Theme: Separation & Reunion, Theme: Sibling Relationship, Theme: Survival, Theme: Undocumented Immigration, United States | Comments Off on Someone Like Me

Someone Like Me

Someone Like Me By Julissa Arce Published by Little, Brown Books For Young Readers Age Range: 10+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “A beautiful tale of love, perseverance, and survival. Arce gives readers a poignant and heart-wrenching window into the pain and anxiety endured by immigrant families separated by the border in a time when we desperately need it. She’s an inspiration to all Americans.” ―Sara Saedi, author of Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card Description Born in the picturesque town of Taxco, Mexico, Julissa Arce was left behind for...

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La Linea

Posted by on Sep 10, 2018 in Ages 10 and up, Mexican, Mexico, North America, Theme: Building Futures, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Grandparents & Intergenerational, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Sibling Relationship, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, Theme: Undocumented Immigration, United States | Comments Off on La Linea

La Linea

La Linea By Ann Jaramillo Published by Square Fish Age Range: 10+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “A Mexican teen risks everything to emigrate illegally to the U.S. to join his family and find a new life.”  —Kirkus Reviews Description Miguel has dreamed of joining his parents in California since the day they left him behind in Mexico six years, eleven months, and twelve days ago. On the morning of his fifteenth birthday, Miguel’s wait is over. Or so he thinks. The trip north to the border—la línea—is fraught with dangers. Thieves. Border guards. And...

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The Distance Between Us: Young Readers Edition

Posted by on Sep 10, 2018 in Ages 10 and up, Mexican American, Mexico, North America, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Bi-racial Identity, Theme: Bilingual Character, Theme: Building Futures, Theme: Citizenship, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Grandparents & Intergenerational, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Migrant Life, Theme: Separation & Reunion, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, Theme: Undocumented Immigration, United States | Comments Off on The Distance Between Us: Young Readers Edition

The Distance Between Us: Young Readers Edition

The Distance Between Us: Young Readers Edition By Reyna Grande Published by Aladdin Age Range: 10+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “…offers a humanizing window into the Mexican American experience.” —School Library Journal Description Award-winning author Reyna Grande shares her compelling experience of crossing borders and cultures in this middle grade adaptation of her “compelling…unvarnished, resonant” (BookPage) memoir, The Distance Between Us. When her parents make the dangerous and illegal trek across the Mexican border in pursuit of the...

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The Border

Posted by on Aug 21, 2018 in Ages 14 and up, Mexican, Mexico, North America, Theme: Family Death, Theme: Fleeing Persecution, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, Theme: Undocumented Immigration, United States | Comments Off on The Border

The Border

The Border By Steve Schafer Published by Sourcebooks Age Range: 14+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “Messy and thrilling, flawed and often brilliant.”  —Kirkus Reviews Description A band plays, glasses clink, and four teens sneak into the Mexican desert, the hum of celebration receding behind them. Crack. Crack. Crack. Not fireworks—gunshots. The music stops. And Pato, Arbo, Marcos, and Gladys are powerless as the lives they once knew are taken from them. Then they are seen by the gunmen. They run. Except they have nowhere to go. The narcos responsible for...

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Disappeared

Posted by on Aug 21, 2018 in Ages 12 and up, Mexican, Mexico, North America, Theme: Building Futures, Theme: Community, Theme: Fleeing Persecution, Theme: Identity, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Sibling Relationship, Theme: Survival, Theme: Undocumented Immigration, United States | Comments Off on Disappeared

Disappeared

Disappeared By Francisco X. Stork Published by Scholastic Inc. Age Range: 12+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “…sheds light on poverty, corruption, and greed while bringing readers intimately close to the plight of those who illegally cross borders with the hope of a brighter future.”  —Publishers Weekly Description Four Months Ago Sara Zapata’s best friend disappeared, kidnapped by the web of criminals who terrorize Juarez. Four Hours Ago Sara received a death threat — and with it, a clue to the place where her friend is locked away....

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Illegal

Posted by on Jan 22, 2018 in Ages 13 and up, Mexican, Mexico, North America, Theme: Citizenship, Theme: Family Death, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Gangs, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, Theme: Undocumented Immigration, United States | Comments Off on Illegal

Illegal

Illegal By Bettina Restrepo Published by HarperCollins Publishers Age Range: 13+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “…an excellent choice for a book discussion group or a class conversation starter about immigration, prejudice, or gangs…”  —VOYA Description A promise. Quinceañera. A promise that we would be together on my fifteenth birthday . . . Instead, Nora is on a desperate journey far away from home. When her father leaves their beloved Mexico in search of work, Nora stays behind. She fights to make sense of her loss while living in...

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I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Posted by on Nov 29, 2017 in Ages 14 and up, Mexican American, Mexico, North America, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Cross-Group Friendship, Theme: Cultural Identity, Theme: Cultural Traditions, Theme: Family Death, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Grandparents & Intergenerational, Theme: Identity, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Migrant Life, Theme: Multicultural Friendship, Theme: Sibling Relationship, Theme: Undocumented Immigration, United States | Comments Off on I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter By Erika L. Sanchez Published by Random House Children’s Books Age Range: 14+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat Part detective story, part coming-of-age tale, Sánchez’s novel doesn’t shy from heavy subject matter.  —The New York Times Book Review Description Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family. But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role. Then...

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