Sonia Manzano

Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

Minnesota

Pura Belpré Honor winner for The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano and one of America's most influential Hispanics--'Maria' on Sesame Street--delivers a beautifully wrought coming-of-age memoir. Set in the 1950s in the Bronx, this is the story of a girl with a dream. Emmy Award-winning actress and writer Sonia Manzano plunges us into the daily lives of a Latino family that is loving--and troubled. This is Sonia's own story rendered with an unforgettable narrative power. When readers meet young Sonia, she is a child living amidst the squalor of a boisterous home that is filled with noisy relatives and nosy neighbors. Each day she is glued to the TV screen that blots out the painful realities of her existence and also illuminates the possibilities that lie ahead. But--click!--when the TV goes off, Sonia is taken back to real life--the cramped, colorful world of her neighborhood and an alcoholic father. But it is Sonia's dream of becoming an actress that keeps her afloat among the turbulence of her life and times. Spiced with culture, heartache, and humor, this memoir paints a lasting portrait of a girl's resilience as she grows up to become an inspiration to millions.

Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx

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#hardcover #fiction #pulitzer #drama #family #latina #pulitzerprizefinalist #relationships 

New York

"Brilliant . . . Exceptional . . . The House of Broken Angels hums with joy." --NPR "A big, messy, warmhearted epic . . . Generous to the last breath." --Entertainment Weekly "Filled with intelligence and wickedly funny cultural commentary, the story builds to an electrifying finale." -- People Magazine Book of the Week "Humane and often laugh-out-loud hilarious." --O: The Oprah Magazine From a Pulitzer Prize finalist comes a powerful and unforgettable portrait of one Mexican American family and the American dream "One of the most vivid and engrossing family epics of the last twenty years."--Dave Eggers "All we do, mija, is love. Love is the answer. Nothing stops it. Not borders. Not death." In his final days, beloved and ailing patriarch Miguel Angel de La Cruz, affectionately called Big Angel, has summoned his entire clan for one last legendary birthday party. But as the party approaches, his mother, nearly one hundred, dies herself, leading to a farewell doubleheader in a single weekend. Among the guests is Big Angel's half brother, known as Little Angel, who must reckon with the truth that although he shares a father with his siblings, he has not, as a half gringo, shared a life. Across two bittersweet days in their San Diego neighborhood, the revelers mingle among the palm trees and cacti, celebrating the lives of Big Angel and his mother, and recounting the many inspiring tales that have passed into family lore, the acts both ordinary and heroic that brought these citizens to a fraught and sublime country and allowed them to flourish in the land they have come to call home. The story of the de La Cruzes is the quintessential American story. This indelible portrait of a complex family reminds us of what it means to be the first generation and to live two lives across one border. It takes us into a world we have not known, while reflecting back the hopes and dreams of our own families. Teeming with brilliance and humor, authentic at every turn, The House of Broken Angels is Luis Alberto Urrea at his best, and cements his reputation as a storyteller of the first rank.

The House of Broken Angels

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Luis Alberto Urrea

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

Julia Alvarez

National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist 

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Maryland

Coming of Age in the USA

Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, a “phenomenal, indispensable” (USA Today) exploration of the Latina “sweet fifteen” celebration, by the bestselling author of How the García Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies. The quinceañera, a celebration of a Latina girl’s fifteenth birthday, has become a uniquely American trend. This lavish party with ball gowns, multi-tiered cakes, limousines, and extravagant meals is often as costly as a prom or a wedding. But many Latina girls feel entitled to this rite of passage, marking a girl’s entrance into womanhood, and expect no expense to be spared, even in working-class families. Acclaimed author Julia Alvarez explores the history and cultural significance of the “quince” in the United States, and the consequences of treating teens like princesses. Through her observations of a quince in Queens, interviews with other quince girls, and the memories of her own experience as a young immigrant, Alvarez presents a thoughtful and entertaining portrait of a rapidly growing multicultural phenomenon, and passionately emphasizes the importance of celebrating Latina womanhood.

Once upon a Quinceanera

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One page was coming out, but I repaired it with tape. Now it’s readable and enjoyable! 

Oregon

Alma and How She Got Her Name

New Jersey

Eagerly embracing their new American culture in Miami, the four Garcia women iron their hair, smoke cigarettes, date American men, forget their Spanish, and lose their accents all in their journey toward adulthood. Reprint. 25,000 first printing.

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

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Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

Pennsylvania

A Novel

In the years after graduating from Boston University, six Latina friends from widely varied backgrounds meet every six months to dine, share the stories of their everyday lives, and offer advice to one another.

The Dirty Girls Social Club

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Ann Cameron

When Tzunún was little, her mother nicknamed her Colibrí, Spanish for “hummingbird.” At age four, Colibrí is kidnapped from her parents in Guatemala City and ever since she’s traveled with Uncle, the ex-soldier and wandering beggar, who renamed her Rosa. Uncle told Rosa that he looked for her parents, but never found them.

Colibri

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Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Under the Mesquite

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#hardcover #ya #autobiography #political #history #latina #literature

Oklahoma

More than a memoir of personal and political achievements, this volume chronicles a family's development from Mexican immigrants to American leaders. Written in an authentic and unique voice, this book describes how the author's Mexican parents instilled a love of learning, a desire to excel, and a commitment to community in their children. Relating how her heritage and upbringing allowed her to lead her community and promote social justice, the author conveys a courageous story of hope, love, faith, and a fighting spirit long committed to social and environmental justice, regardless of the personal cost.

Maria, Daughter of Immigrants

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I have a large-print copy of this book available on my shelf

Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm workers on the eve of the Great Depression. Jr Lib Guild. Reprint.

Esperanza Rising

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Pam Muñoz Ryan

I have a few other copies of this book available with slightly different covers. I also have one in large print.

Bárbara Mujica

Paperback (1 to 2 lbs)

"Dolores del Río bursts to life in this vivid, well-researched portrayal of her challenging life during Hollywood's golden era. Her iconic feline elegance and brash spirit dominates every page, but it's her defiance to live life on her own terms that sets her apart--and what an extraordinary life she led." --C.W. Gortner, author of Marlene 1910, Mexico. As the country's revolution spreads, Dolores, the daughter of a wealthy banker, must flee her comfortable life in Durango or risk death. Her family settles in Mexico City, where, at sixteen, she marries the worldly Jaime del Río. But in a twist of fate, at a party she meets an influential American director who recognizes in her a natural performer. He invites her to Hollywood, and practically overnight, the famous Miss del Río is born. In California, Dolores's star quickly rises, and her days become a whirlwind of moviemaking and glamorous events. Swept up in Tinseltown's glitzy inner circle, she takes her place among film royalty such as Marlene Dietrich and Orson Welles. But as her career soars to new heights, her personal life becomes increasingly complicated, with family tragedy, painful divorce, and real heartache. And when she's labeled box office poison amid growing prejudice before WWII, Dolores must decide what price she's willing to pay to achieve her dreams and if her heart and future instead lie where it all began...in Mexico. Spanning half a century and narrated by Dolores's fictional hairdresser and longtime friend, Miss del Río traces the life of a trailblazing woman whose legacy in Hollywood and in Mexico still shines bright today. "Bárbara Mujica dazzles us once again, telling the story of another great Mexican woman. She takes us on a journey through an era of wars and movies, and unforgettable characters that made Hollywood what it is today." --María Amparo Escandón, New York Times bestselling author of L.A. Weather

Miss Del Río

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The Education of a Woman Golfer

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Sonia Sotomayor

Florida

The first Hispanic American on the U.S. Supreme Court shares the story of her life before becoming a judge, describing her youth in a Bronx housing project, the ambition that fueled her ivy league education, and the individuals who helped shape her career.

My Beloved World

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#paperback #fiction #comingofage #latina #relationships 📚 

Kentucky

For Esperanza, a young girl growing up in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago, life is an endless landscape of concrete and run-down tenements, and she tries to rise above the hopelessness

The House on Mango Street

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Arizona

Malin Alegria

In this touching debut novel, Estrella Alvarez is about to turn 15, and there's nothing her meddling mother and T'a Lucky want more than to throw her a gaudy "quinceaera"--a party that Estrella would rather avoid.

Estrella's Quinceañera

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Sandra Cisneros

Ohio

Nadja Spiegelman

F. Isabel Campoy

Written in English with some Spanish. I have other books available by this author.

A TOON Graphic

One of the New York Times Best Children's Books of 2021


A Children's Book about finally being seen. Blancaflor, a superb graphic storytelling of a classic Latin American folktale, showcases the invisible labor of women and the contributions of Indigenous cultures.


A damsel to the rescue! Raised by a mean ogre of a father who eats his opponents for dinner, Blancaflor is often told not to show off her own considerable powers for fear of scaring off suitors. When a prince falls from the sky and wakes up in her lap, she is spellbound and moves heaven and earth to help the endearing, yet not so clever, young man, all while trying not to let him know. With their trademark magnificent brio, Nadja Spiegelman and Sergio García Sánchez update a classic tale extolling the strength and resourcefulness of women.

Blancaflor, the Hero with Secret Powers: a Folktale from Latin America

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Pablo Cartaya

From award-winning author Pablo Cartaya comes a deeply moving middle grade novel about a daughter and father finding their way back to each other in the face of their changing family and community.

A SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD HONOR FOR MIDDLE GRADE

Emilia Torres has a wandering mind. It's hard for her to follow along at school, and sometimes she forgets to do what her mom or abuela asks. But she remembers what matters: a time when her family was whole and home made sense. When Dad returns from deployment, Emilia expects that her life will get back to normal. Instead, it unravels.

Dad shuts himself in the back stall of their family's auto shop to work on an old car. Emilia peeks in on him daily, mesmerized by his welder. One day, Dad calls Emilia over. Then, he teaches her how to weld. And over time, flickers of her old dad reappear.

But as Emilia finds a way to repair the relationship with her father at home, her community ruptures with some of her classmates, like her best friend, Gus, at the center of the conflict.

Each Tiny Spark by Pablo Cartaya is a tender story about asking big questions and being brave enough to reckon with the answers.

Each Tiny Spark

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California

Maria Correa

Scratch across the front. Otherwise in great condition. 

North Carolina

Help your little one dream big with a Little Golden Book biography about EGOT-winning actor, singer, and dancer, Rita Moreno. Little Golden Book biographies are the perfect introduction to nonfiction for young readers! This Little Golden Book about Rita Moreno—Puerto Rican-born star of West Side Story and the first Latina to win an Oscar—is an inspiring read-aloud for young children, as well as their parents and grandparents who are fans. Look for more Little Golden Book biographies: • Betty White • Carol Burnett • Lucille Ball • Harry Belafonte • Julie Andrews • Dwayne Johnson

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Sonia Manzano

Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx

Luis Alberto Urrea

The House of Broken Angels

Luis Alberto Urrea

The House of Broken Angels

Julia Alvarez

Once upon a Quinceanera

Juana Martinez-Neal

Alma and How She Got Her Name

Julia Alvarez

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

The Dirty Girls Social Club

Ann Cameron

Colibri

Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Under the Mesquite

Maria Antonietta Berriozabal; Josephine Mendez-Negrete; Antonia Castaneda

Maria, Daughter of Immigrants

Pam Muñoz Ryan

Esperanza Rising

Pam Muñoz Ryan

Esperanza Rising

Bárbara Mujica

Miss Del Río

Nancy López; Peter Schwed

The Education of a Woman Golfer

Sonia Sotomayor

My Beloved World

Sandra Cisneros

The House on Mango Street

Luis Alberto Urrea

The House of Broken Angels

Malin Alegria

Estrella's Quinceañera

Sonia Sotomayor

My Beloved World

Sandra Cisneros

The House on Mango Street

Nadja Spiegelman; F. Isabel Campoy

Blancaflor, the Hero with Secret Powers: a Folktale from Latin America

Pablo Cartaya

Each Tiny Spark

Luis Alberto Urrea

The House of Broken Angels

Maria Correa

Rita Moreno: a Little Golden Book Biography