Exploring Hispanic Heritage Month with Your Children
National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15th to October 15th and is a time when the United States celebrates the contributions and influences of Hispanic Americans have made to the history and culture of the country. It's a wonderful opportunity to teach your children about your own Hispanic roots or to learn about another culture. I was exposed to lots of great Mexican art, music, and culture growing up in California and have put together some suggests to share beyond.
Also, as part of a guide I've written on award winning children's books I have a page specially for the Pura Belpré Award which was established in 1996 and named after the first Latina librarian of the New York Public Library. It's given out to a Latinx writer and illustrator every year whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth, you can find the award winners here and the honor books here.
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Funny Bones: Posada & His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh A picture book biography of José Guadalupe (Lupe) Posada (1852–1913), a cartoonist that is most well known for his Day of the Dead skeletons. |
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Lowriders to the Center of the Earth by Cathy Camper & Raúl the Third This graphic novel follows Lupe Impala, Elirio Malaria, and El Chavo Octopus as they attempt to resue their cat Genie from Mictlantecuhtli, the Aztec god of the Underworld. |
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Lucia the Luchadora by Cynthia Lenore Garza & Alyssa Bermudez When the boys at the playground tell Lucia that "girls can't be superheroes" she's discouraged until her abuela tells her she comes from a long line of valiant luchadors!
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The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez The first rule of punk is to be yourself, and twelve year old Malú takes that to heart as she tries to navigate a new school that doesn't quite approve of her taste in music and fashion. |
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Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres Estefania “Stef” Soto wants nothing to do with her family's taco truck and is mortified by the nickname "taco queen" that the kids give her at school. She just wants her parents to get normal jobs but she'll discover the importance of family, friends and the taco truck along the way. |
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Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale & Counting Book by Yuyi Morales In this bilingual picture book, Senor Calaveras pays an unexpected visit to Grandma Beetle, but just a minute! She has a few things to do before she can go... |
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Mexican WhiteBoy by Matt de la Pena A story of friendship, acceptance, and the struggle to find your identity in a world of definitions. Danny just wants to fit in but being half-Mexican and barely being able to speak Spanish makes him an outcast both at school and in the barrio, not to mention his passion for baseball- though he chokes whenever he takes the mound. |
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The Dragon Slayer: Folktales from Latin America by Jamie Hernandez A collection of folk tales from various Latin American countries adapted by the famed comic book creator Jamie Hernandez. |
