October is Hispanic Heritage Month
Preschool
Meowl-o-ween
by Diane Muldrow, illustrations by Tiffany Chen
On frightful, delightful Meowl-o-ween, cats slink by carved pumpkins and prepare to spook the trick-or-treaters parading the streets. But not all of the cats are enjoying the flashing lights and costumes. A lone kitten is overwhelmed by the crowds and doesn't know which way to turn! This fresh Halloween tale is a rhyming read-aloud showing that even the smallest scaredy-cat can find the courage to overcome its fears and anxieties.
Miguel Must Fight!
by Jamie Ofelia, illustrations by Sara Palacios
Miguel was like a paintbrush in a family of steely swords . . .
All his life, Miguel's familia told him that he must fight! But his family's art of sword fighting never captivated him as much as the sway of his colored pencils did.
When his village is threatened by El Dragón, Miguel must make a choice: will he stand with his familia and fight, or can he prove that the pencil is mightier than the sword?
Primary (Kindergarten–Grade 2)
There's a Ghost in This House
by Oliver Jeffers
A young girl lives in a haunted house, but she has never seen a ghost. Are they white with holes for eyes? Are they hard to see? Step inside and help the girl as she searches under the stairs, behind the sofa, and in the attic for the ghost.
Fresh Juice
by Robert Liu-Trujillo
When Art's father can't get over a cold, Art knows exactly what his daddy needs: some delicious sick-fighting juice! They discover that they are missing a key ingredient — ginger. But finding some ginger will take them downtown to the farmer's market, to the West African grocery . . . to an unexpected encounter that brings everyone together and results in a tasty celebration.
Intermediate (Grades 3–5)
Aniana del Mar Jumps In
by Jasminne Mendez
Aniana del Mar belongs in the water like a dolphin belongs to the sea. But she and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago.
That is, until the day that Ani's stiffness and swollen joints mean that she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal how important swimming is to her. Mami forbids her from returning to the water, but Ani and her doctor believe that swimming, along with medication, will help Ani manage her disease. What follows is the journey of a girl who must grieve who she once was in order to rise like the tide and become the young woman she is meant to be.
The Snips: A Bad Buzz Day (A Graphic Novel)
by Raúl the Third
The Snips aren't your average heroes: Casco, Patty, Letty, Nubes, and Flealix the Dog make up Scissor City's beloved crew of crime-fighting, mystery-solving barbers! But not everyone in Scissor City is a fan of their dazzling dos and wacky hair inventions. Buzz and Boffo Buzzington, the descendants of the creator of the buzz cut, have been desperately trying to find a way to overthrow the Snips, restore Buzz Corp — their family's company — to the top of the hair-cutting world, and finally earn the respect of their father, Biff Buzzington Sr. Can the Snips keep the citizens of Scissor City safe from the hijinks of the Bad Buzz Boyz and still give amazing hairdos?
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
Grow Up, Luchy Zapata
by Alexandra Alessandri
Luchy Zapata is starting middle school, and she's muy excited. She and her two best friends, Cami and Mateo, will finally be at the same school. Mateo and Luchy will be in art class together, and Cami and she can try out for the same soccer team! As long as they are all together, Luchy can handle anything.
But Cami has been acting weird ever since she got back from visiting family in Colombia. She's making new "cool" friends who just seem mean. And, suddenly, everything about Luchy and Mateo is too immature for her.
Luchy is determined to help Cami remember how special their friendship is. They have been BFFs their whole lives, and that can't just disappear in a poof of glitter! But . . . what if Cami doesn't even want to be friends any more?
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Immigrant Women Who Changed the World
by Elena Favilli
The third installment of this inspiring bestseller is here — this time, with one hundred biographies of women who left their country of origin for thousands of reasons: some looking for new opportunities, others because they had no other option. Readers will learn about Asma Khan, Lupita Nyong'o, Gloria Estefan, Ilhan Omar, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Marjane Satrapi, and many others.
High School (Grades 9–12)
With Love, Echo Park
by Laura Taylor Namey
Seventeen-year-old Clary is set to inherit her family's florist shop, La Rosa Blanca — one of the last remnants of the Cuban business district that once thrived in Los Angeles's Echo Park neighborhood.
Besides Clary's florist shop, there is only one other business left that was founded by Cuban immigrants fleeing Castro's regime in the sixties and seventies. And Emilio, who is supposed to take over Avalos Bicycle Works one day, is more of a flight risk than a dependable successor. Clary will never be charmed by a guy who doesn't care if one more Echo Park business fades away.
But then Clary is caught off guard when an unexpected visitor delivers a shocking message from someone she thought she'd left behind. Meanwhile, Emilio realizes that leaving home won't be so easy — and Clary, who has always been next door, is who he confides in. As the summer days unfold, they find that there is something stronger than local history tying them together.
The Moonlit Vine
by Elizabeth Santiago
Despite her name, Taína Perez neither knows anything about her Taíno heritage nor has she ever tried to learn. After all, how would ancient Puerto Rican history help with everything going on? There's constant trouble at school and in her neighborhood, her older brother was kicked out of the house, and with her mom at work, she is left alone to care for her little brother and aging grandmother. It's a lot for a 14-year-old to manage.
But life takes a wild turn when her abuela tells her that she is a direct descendant of Anacaona, the beloved Taíno leader, warrior, and poet, who was murdered by the Spanish in 1503. Abuela gives her an amulet and a zemi and says that it's time for her to step into her power like the women who came before her. But is that even possible?
A modern tale with historical chapters woven in between, this book brings readers a powerful story of the collective struggle, hope, and liberation of Puerto Rican and Taíno peoples.
Books in Spanish
Al principio, viajábamos solas
de Jairo Buitrago, ilustraciones de Karina Cocq (por grados 3–5)
Eva y Minerva, su mamá, viajan solas por la carretera. Bueno, no completamente solas: las acompaña Hugo, el Oso. Van a visitar a la bisabuela, que está muy enferma. En el camino, se encuentran con Nicte, una niña que también viaja sola. Ellas ofrecen llevarla. Pero Nicte guarda un secreto, y sólo la carretera le permitirá revelárselos.
To access the books on our monthly MPS Reads book lists, visit your school library or local library, or go online to Sora* (formerly OverDrive) and log in with your MPS student ID number.
*Some titles are not available through Sora.