Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen.
Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month kicked off on Sunday. This week, let’s look at a handful of 2024 YA books by authors of Latinx/Hispanic American heritage. These books span genres and styles, ensuring there is something here for every kind of reader.
As with any and all cultural celebrations, it’s vital to read books by and about people from those backgrounds all year long. What this particular month does, though, is shine an even brighter spotlight on a group whose myriad contributions deserve more attention.
This isn’t a comprehensive list by any means. Instead, think of it as a sampler of the incredible Latine titles that have hit (and will continue to hit!) YA bookshelves this year. Keep your eyes peeled for a look at some Latine books to preorder in this newsletter early next month!
Brownstone by Samuel Teer, illustrated by Mar Julia
Almudena never met her father, Xavier, but she’ll be spending the summer with him while her mom is on a solo trip. Her Guatemalan father is happy to see Almudena, but he has a lot of expectations for her, including helping him fix up his run-down brownstone. She’s struggling, too, to understand him because her Spanish is not as good as his.
As Almudena gets to know the locals in this Latin American neighborhood, she’s further confused about her identity and her heritage, as so many expectations are put on her for how to dress, talk, and even how to act. She feels lost trying to navigate her background with being judged for not being brown enough.
It’s a big summer of change for Almudena, and it’s one she’ll ultimately be glad she gets for how much it helps her truly understand who she is and what it means to have family.
Clever Creatures of the Night by Samantha Mabry
Something bad happened in the run-down house that Cas arrives at in West Texas. She’s come at the request of her best friend Drea, who has been living there for a few weeks with other classmates.
But things are off. Drea isn’t there, and her roommates aren’t talking. It’ll be up to Cas to find out what happened to her best friend and the role this terrifying house may have played in Drea’s disappearance.
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Flawless Girls by Anna-Marie McLemore
The Soler sisters are supposed to be polished and poised in polite society, but they aren’t. Their grandmother, who has raised them, has not cared until now. She realizes that life will be especially difficult for two Latina girls if they can’t at least blend in with their manners and attitudes. Grandma is able to get both girls a spot at Alarie House, a prestigious and hard-to-get-into finishing school.
In one day, younger sister Isla has come back home. She cannot do it, and she cannot stand how fake everything is at Alarie. Older sister Renata, though, sticks it out and when she comes home months later, she is a completely different person. Isla sees Renata behaving with eerie politeness and pleasantness…and murderousness. The night Renata returns home, she also vanishes.
While Grandma does what she can to find Renata, Isla decides to go back to Alarie House and find out what’s going on there. But it is a demanding finishing school and it certainly isn’t going to simply tell Isla what’s going on.
Hot Boy Summer by Joe Jiménez
This book is very, very gay. That’s the point.
Set over one hot summer, Mac begins his summer trying to avoid his dad’s toxicity and finds some luck in Cammy, his first-ever gay friend. Much as Mac loves that he can be his true self around Cammy, Cammy is a little too harsh sometimes.
But the summer keeps unlocking magic as Mac meets Flor, who shows Mac how to strike a balance between being fierce and being kind. Then there’s Mikey who is super hot and who might also reciprocate Mac’s feelings.
It’s a transformative summer for Mac, who learns how to lean into who he is and forge relationships that are meant to both challenge and comfort him.
Ida in Love and in Trouble by Veronica Chambers
If you’re looking for a novel that takes inspiration from a real-life heroine, look no further. This is the story of Ida B. Wells, whose career in investigative journalism was groundbreaking in covering violence against Black Americans, as well as women. But this isn’t that story exactly—it’s instead a story about Ida’s adolescence. Follow as she is born to newly freed parents, who then die in a yellow fever epidemic. As she tries to be the best role model for her sister, Ida also pursues not only her dream to become a teacher but also her desire to have good friends and romantic experiences.
Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories edited by Sandra Proudman
This anthology retells classic stories across different genres and gives them all a fresh Latinx spin. Some of the stories include taking Pride and Prejudice into space, star-crossed lovers finding love amid the planet’s ruins, and more. It has a blockbuster roster of contributors, including Olivia Abtahi, David Bowles, Zoraida Córdova, Saraciea J. Fennell, Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, Torrey Maldonado, Jasminne Mendez, Anna Meriano, Amparo Ortiz, Laura Pohl, Sandra Proudman, NoNieqa Ramos, Monica Sanz, Eric Smith, Ari Tison, and Alexandra Villasante.
English (US) · 