Books to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

15 Sep Books to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of culture, history, and the contributions of these amazing communities.  For teen readers looking to connect with these stories, here is a curated collection of compelling titles that reflect the diverse voices and traditions they represent.

I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

by Erika L. Sánchez

Julia is not the perfect Mexican daughter; that was always her sister Olga. After Olga dies in a tragic accident, Julia is left to navigate her grief, her mother’s harsh expectations, and the pressure to live up to an ideal she never chose. As she digs deeper into Olga’s life, Julia uncovers secrets that challenge everything her family believed and begins to question what it truly means to be “perfect.”

Clap When You Land

by Elizabeth Acevedo

Camino Rios eagerly awaits her father’s annual summer visit to the Dominican Republic, but this year, his plane never arrives. In New York City, Yahaira Rios learns from her mother that her beloved father has died in a plane crash. As both girls grapple with grief and the secrets he left behind, they discover each other and a connection they never knew existed.

You Don’t Have a Shot

by Racquel Marie

Valentina “Vale” Castillo-Green lives and breathes soccer, with her future and her father’s high expectations riding on her success. After a fight with her longtime rival Leticia Ortiz ruins her playoff run, Vale retreats to a summer soccer camp where she unexpectedly must co-captain a team with Leticia. As pressure builds and unexpected feelings grow, Vale must decide what she’s really playing for: her father’s approval, a college future, or something entirely her own.

The Quince Project

by Jessica Parra

Castillo Torres, student body event chair and expert planner, is determined to keep everything under control after a mishap at her sister’s quinceañera and the loss of her mother. When a famous party planner opens applications for a dream internship, Cas jumps at the chance but first she needs more experience. As she plans a high-profile quinceañera for a teen vlogger and starts falling for the chambelán, Cas learns that life does not always follow a script and sometimes the best moments are the ones you do not plan.

Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories

Edited by Sandra Proudman

Relit brings together sixteen unique stories by acclaimed Latinx YA authors who reinvent timeless classics, myths, and fairytales to showcase the diverse Latinx experience through elements of fantasy, science fiction, and magic. Pride and Prejudice is reimagined in a space setting, Frankenstein unfolds beneath the ocean, and The Great Gatsby takes place on a tropical island near Costa Rica. Whether it’s shape-shifters making sacrifices for love or lovers finding each other amid chaos, every tale inspires readers to recognize themselves as the central heroes in the stories that define our world.

Totally Psychic

by Brigid Martin

Paloma Ferrer comes from a family of psychics and has just discovered her own gift. Dreaming of becoming a famous medium like her grandmother, she plans to jumpstart her career by hosting seances at her new school and sharing them on social media. But when a reading goes wrong and puts her new friendship at risk, Paloma will need more than her powers to fix the situation.

Capitana

by Cassandra James

Ximena Reale has trained her whole life at La Academia to become a Cazadoro, a seafaring hunter who tracks down pirates, but her parents’ past as traitorous pirates has tarnished her family name. When the legendary pirate Gasparilla kidnaps the empire’s queen, Ximena offers to rescue them both in exchange for the coveted Cazadoro cloak, competing against a frustrating yet charming rival. As they embark on a dangerous journey across the seas, Ximena’s encounters beyond La Academia force her to question the laws she once believed in and whether she has been fighting for the right side.

Together We Burn

by Isabel Ibañez

Eighteen-year-old Zarela Zalvidar is a skilled flamenco dancer and the daughter of Hispalia’s most famous Dragonador, whose arena she is destined to inherit. When a tragic event changes her life forever, Zarela must train to become a Dragonador herself to protect her family’s legacy from the Dragon Guild. With the help of the talented but stubborn dragon hunter Arturo Díaz de Montserrat, she faces the challenge of saving her world before it burns.

Solis

by Paola Mendoza

In the year 2033, undocumented people like seventeen-year-old Rania are forced into brutal labor camps in a near-future America ruled by a corrupt government. Rania and her mother are made to mine a toxic mineral called aqualinium, which the New American Republic hopes to use to control the weather and dominate the world. As conditions worsen and cruel experiments begin, Rania and fellow prisoners rise up to start a revolution, fighting for their freedom and survival.

Esperanza Rising

by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Esperanza always believed she would live a privileged life on her family’s ranch in Mexico, surrounded by luxury and loved ones. But after a sudden tragedy, she and her mother are forced to flee to a farm labor camp in California during the Great Depression. Faced with hard work, financial struggles, and uncertainty, Esperanza must find the strength to overcome these challenges to protect both her mother’s life and her own future.

– written by Ashley B, Teen Central Manager