National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month (NHHM) takes place September 15 to October 15 every year as a time to recognize and celebrate the many contributions, diverse cultures, and extensive histories of the Latinx community.

During this month and throughout the year, the Jane Addams Peace Association honors and celebrates the history, heritage, and accomplishments of the Latinx community, both past and present. In this newsletter, we will be sharing some of our favorite stories from members of the Latinx community that exemplify literary, visual and aesthetic excellence and invite dialogue, passionate response, purposeful reflection and deep questioning related to social justice themes.

Books to Read in Honor of

National Hispanic Heritage Month 

Undercover Latina by Aya de León

Fourteen-year-old Andréa Hernández-Baldoquín hails from a family of spies working for the Factory, an international organization dedicated to protecting people of color. For her first solo mission, Andréa straightens her hair and goes undercover as Andrea Burke, a white girl, to befriend the estranged son of a dangerous white supremacist. In addition to her Factory training, the assignment calls for a deep dive into the son’s interests—comic books and gaming—all while taking care not to speak Spanish and blow her family’s cover. But it’s hard to hide who you really are, especially when you develop a crush on your target’s Latino best friend. Can Andréa keep her head, her geek cred, and her code-switching on track to trap a terrorist?

A Seed in the Sun by Aida Salazar

Lula Viramontes aches to one day become someone whom no one can ignore: a daring ringleader in a Mexican traveling circus. But between working the grape harvest in Delano, California, with her older siblings under dangerous conditions; taking care of her younger siblings and Mamá, who has mysteriously fallen ill; and doing everything she can to avoid Papá’s volatile temper, it’s hard to hold on to those dreams. Then she meets Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong, and other labor rights activists and realizes she may need to raise her voice sooner rather than later: Farmworkers are striking for better treatment and wages, and whether Lula’s family joins them or not will determine their future.

¡Mambo Mucho Mambo!: The Dance That Crossed Color Lines by Dean Robbins and Eric Velasquez

Millie danced to jazz in her Italian neighborhood. Pedro danced to Latin songs in his Puerto Rican neighborhood. It was the 1940s in New York City, and they were forbidden to dance together… until first a band and then a ballroom broke the rules. Machito and His Afro-Cubans hit the scene with a brand-new sound, blending jazz trumpets and saxophones with Latin maracas and congas creating Latin jazz, music for the head, the heart, and the hips. Then the Palladium Ballroom issued a bold challenge to segregation and threw open its doors to all.

The Last Beekeeper by Pablo Cartaya

In a future shaken by climate disasters, Yolanda Cicerón knows that nature is something to be feared. While life in the Valley is brutal and harsh, Yoly dreams of leaving her farm to live in Silo—the most advanced town for miles around. But first, Yoly will need to prove she belongs in a place where only the smartest and most useful are welcomed. As she cracks long-guarded secrets, Yoly, along with those closest to her, is put in grave peril and the only chance of surviving may lie in the rediscovery of a long-extinct species—the honeybee. Can the last surviving beehive be the key to pulling the Valley out from under Silo’s thumb, or will they destroy what remains of Yoly’s future?

Rima’s Rebellion: Courage in a Time of Tyranny by Margarita Engle

Rima loves to ride horses alongside her abuela and Las Mambisas, the fierce women veterans who fought during Cuba’s wars for independence. Feminists from many backgrounds have gathered in voting clubs to demand suffrage and equality for women, but not everybody wants equality for all—especially not for someone like Rima. In 1920s Cuba, illegitimate children like her are bullied and shunned. Rima dreams of a day when she is free from fear and shame, the way she feels when she’s riding with Las Mambisas. As she seeks her way, Rima forges unexpected friendships with others who long for freedom, especially a handsome young artist named Maceo. Through turbulent times, hope soars, and with it… love.

Until Someone Listens by Estela Juarez, Lissette Norman, and Teresa Martínez

Estela’s family lives together in a happy home full of love. Or, at least, they used to… until their home was torn apart. For years her family fought and fought for permission for her to stay in the U.S. But no one listened. When Estela was eight, her mother was deported to Mexico. Estela knew she had to do something. So she wrote letters: to local newspapers, Congress, the President, and anyone else who could help. She wrote and wrote and wrote until, finally… someone listened. In this heart wrenching, autobiographical story, Estela Juarez’s letters take her from the local news all the way to the national stage, where she discovers the power in her words and pledges to keep using her voice until her family —and others like hers— are together again.

The Jane Addams Children’s Book Award annually recognizes children’s books of literary and aesthetic excellence that effectively engage children in thinking about peace, social justice, global community, and equity for all.

Find resources associated with each of our winning and honor books here: https://www.teachingbooks.net/

Community Highlight

Libros Bookshop

Libros Bookshop is a Latina-owned bookstore specializing in Latine authors & stories and secondhand fiction for all ages. Established in 2021 by Veronica Soliz Johnson, the former Libros Bookmobile is now Libros Bookshop, located inside Old Taylor High, Room 114 in Taylor, Texas.

“We want our community members to see themselves in the books that they read; the books they have access to; and the books they see on the shelves– whether that be in our store or in the public library. We belong in the community, we belong in public spaces, our stories belong on the shelves. We deserve to be seen and to take up space. Our stories deserve to be read and heard.”

https://www.librosbookshop.com/ 

Casita Bookstore

Casita Books strives to be for families an inclusive window to diverse stories focusing on BIPOC voices. Their vision is to be an open space for ALL community members to learn, grow, and build empathy through the magic of books. 

Casita Bookstore, which opened in December 2022, is owned and operated by a Latina educator from Los Angeles. Antonette Franceschi-Chavez, who is also the founder of the literature nonprofit Equity Through Literacy, has spent the last 10 years working primarily in dual-language programs across underserved communities in Los Angeles. While teaching in dual-language classrooms, she emphasized the importance of biliteracy and bilingualism as a means of valuing diversity and bridging intergroup relationships. Through Casita Books, she envisions a space for families to connect, engage, and reflect with stories from diverse cultures and communities.

https://www.casitabooks.com/ 

Support Our Work

The Jane Addams Peace Association perpetuates the spirit of activist and pacifist Jane Addams, her love for children and humanity, her commitment to freedom and democracy, and her devotion to the cause of world peace.

Your donation to the Jane Addams Peace Association, a 501(c)(3) organization, is tax-deductible and helps us support authors, illustrators, parents, teachers, and librarians as they “deepen understanding of peace and justice for children and their adults through reflection, dialogue, and social action.”