Laekan Zea Kemp

-I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter meets Emergency Contact in this stunning Pura Belpré Honor Book about first love, familial expectations, the power of food, and finding where you belong.


Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

New York

Told in two voices, Pen, whose dream of taking over her family's restaurant has been destroyed, and Xander, a new, undocumented, employee seeking his father, form a bond.

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet

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Michigan

California

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

North Carolina

Bilingual Poems on Growing up Latino in the United States

Growing up Latino in America means speaking two languages, living two lives, learning the rules of two cultures. Cool Salsa celebrates the tones, rhythms, sounds, and experiences of that double life.

Here are poems about families and parties, insults and sad memories, hot dogs and mangos, the sweet syllables of Spanish and the snag-toothed traps of English. Here is the glory--and pain--of being Latino American.

Latino Americans hail from Cuba and California, Mexico and Michigan, Nicaragua and New York, and editor Lori M. Carlson has made sure to capture all of those accents. With poets such as Sandra Cisneros, Martín Espada, Gary Soto, and Ed Vega, and a very personal introduction by Oscar Hijuelos, this collection encompasses the voices of Latino America. By selecting poems about the experiences of teenagers, Carlson has given a focus to that rich diversity; by presenting the poems both in their original language and in translation, she has made them available to us all.

As you move from memories of red wagons to dreams of orange trees to fights with street gangs, you feel Cool Salsa's musical and emotional cross rhythms. Here is a world of exciting poetry for you, y tú también.

Cool Salsa

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Jonny Garza Villa

A Novel

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe meets The Sun is Also a Star in this YA contemporary love story from Jonny Garza Villa, Ander and Santi Were Here, about a nonbinary Mexican American teen falling for the shy new waiter at their family's taqueria.

Finding home. Falling in love. Fighting to belong.

The Santos Vista neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas, is all Ander Lopez has ever known. The smell of pan dulce. The mixture of Spanish and English filling the streets. And, especially their job at their family's taquería. It's the place that has inspired Ander as a muralist, and, as they get ready to leave for art school, it's all of these things that give them hesitancy. That give them the thought, are they ready to leave it all behind?

To keep Ander from becoming complacent during their gap year, their family "fires" them so they can transition from restaurant life to focusing on their murals and prepare for college. That is, until they meet Santiago Garcia, the hot new waiter. Falling for each other becomes as natural as breathing. Through Santi's eyes, Ander starts to understand who they are and want to be as an artist, and Ander becomes Santi's first steps toward making Santos Vista and the United States feel like home.

Until ICE agents come for Santi, and Ander realizes how fragile that sense of home is. How love can only hold on so long when the whole world is against them. And when, eventually, the world starts to win.

Ander and Santi Were Here

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Maya Motayne

The first in a sweeping and epic own voices debut fantasy trilogy--set in a stunning Latinx-inspired world--about a face-changing thief and a risk-taking prince who must team up to defeat a powerful evil they accidentally unleashed. Perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi, Leigh Bardugo, and V. E. Schwab. To Finn Voy, magic is two things: a knife to hold under the chin of anyone who crosses her...and a disguise she shrugs on as easily as others pull on cloaks. As a talented faceshifter, it's been years since Finn has seen her own face, and that's exactly how she likes it. But when Finn gets caught by a powerful mobster, she's forced into an impossible mission: steal a legendary treasure from Castallan's royal palace or be stripped of her magic forever. After the murder of his older brother, Prince Alfehr is first in line for the Castallan throne. But Alfie can't help but feel that he will never live up to his brother's legacy. Riddled with grief, Alfie is obsessed with finding a way to bring his brother back, even if it means dabbling in forbidden magic. But when Finn and Alfie's fates collide, they accidentally unlock a terrible, ancient power--which, if not contained, will devour the world. And with Castallan's fate in their hands, Alfie and Finn must race to vanquish what they have unleashed, even if it means facing the deepest darkness in their pasts.

Nocturna

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"One of the most dazzling and devastating novels I've read in a long time...Readers of Fruit of the Drunken Tree will surely be transformed." --San Francisco Chronicle "Simultaneously propulsive and poetic, reminiscent of Isabel Allende...Listen to this new author's voice -- she has something powerful to say." --Entertainment Weekly A mesmerizing debut set in Colombia at the height Pablo Escobar's violent reign about a sheltered young girl and a teenage maid who strike an unlikely friendship that threatens to undo them both Seven-year-old Chula and her older sister Cassandra enjoy carefree lives thanks to their gated community in Bogotá, but the threat of kidnappings, car bombs, and assassinations hover just outside the neighborhood walls, where the godlike drug lord Pablo Escobar continues to elude authorities and capture the attention of the nation. When their mother hires Petrona, a live-in-maid from the city's guerrilla-occupied slum, Chula makes it her mission to understand Petrona's mysterious ways. But Petrona's unusual behavior belies more than shyness. She is a young woman crumbling under the burden of providing for her family as the rip tide of first love pulls her in the opposite direction. As both girls' families scramble to maintain stability amidst the rapidly escalating conflict, Petrona and Chula find themselves entangled in a web of secrecy that will force them both to choose between sacrifice and betrayal. Inspired by the author's own life, and told through the alternating perspectives of the willful Chula and the achingly hopeful Petrona, Fruit of the Drunken Tree contrasts two very different, but inextricably linked coming-of-age stories. In lush prose, Rojas Contreras has written a powerful testament to the impossible choices women are often forced to make in the face of violence and the unexpected connections that can blossom out of desperation.

Fruit of the Drunken Tree

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dust jacket has a small tear on the top of the spine; otherwise good condition

Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

Florida

The highly anticipated new novel from the Pura Belpre and Jane Addams Peace Award-winning author of ESPERANZA RISING.

Naomi Soledad Le#65533;n Outlaw has had a lot to contend with in her young life, her name for one. Then there are her clothes (sewn in polyester by Gram), her difficulty speaking up, & her status at school as "nobody special." But according to Gram's self-prophecies, most problems can be overcome with positive thinking. Luckily, Naomi also has her carving to strengthen her spirit. And life with Gram & her little brother, Owen, is happy & peaceful. That is, until their mother reappears after 7 years of being gone, stirring up all sorts of questions & challenging Naomi to discover who she really is.

Becoming Naomi Leon

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#hardcover #fiction #youngadult #latine #ya #latinx #poc #romance #ya #romancebooks

South Carolina

Oscar Hijuelos

Rhode Island

#paperback #bindlepunkbruja #booktok #bruja #fantasy #fiction #latinx #mystery #latine #latina #jazz #race

Paperback (1 to 2 lbs)





Boardwalk Empire meets The Vanishing Half with a touch of earth magic in this sexy and action-packed historical fantasy set in the luminous Golden Twenties from debut author Desideria Mesa, where a part-time reporter and club owner takes on crooked city councilmen, mysterious and deadly mobsters, and society's deeply rooted sexism and racism, all while keeping her true identity and magical abilities hidden--inspired by an ancient Mexican folktale.



Yo soy quien soy. I am who I am.

Luna--or depending on who's asking, Rose--is the white-passing daughter of an immigrant mother who has seen what happens to people from her culture. This world is prejudicial, and she must hide her identity in pursuit of owning an illegal jazz club. Using her cunning powers, Rose negotiates with dangerous criminals as she climbs up Kansas City's bootlegging ladder. Luna, however, runs the risk of losing everything if the crooked city councilmen and ruthless mobsters discover her ties to an immigrant boxcar community that secretly houses witches. Last thing she wants is to put her entire family in danger.

But this bruja with ever-growing magical abilities can never resist a good fight. With her new identity, Rose, an unabashed flapper, defies societal expectations all the while struggling to keep her true self and witchcraft in check. However, the harder she tries to avoid scrutiny, the more her efforts eventually capture unwanted attention. Soon, she finds herself surrounded by greed and every brand of bigotry--from local gangsters who want a piece of the action and businessmen who hate her diverse staff to the Ku Klux Klan and Al Capone. Will her earth magic be enough to save her friends and family As much as she hates to admit it, she may need to learn to have faith in others--and learning to trust may prove to be her biggest ambition yet.

Bindle Punk Bruja

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#hardcover #fiction #youngadult #ya #withthefireonhigh #youngadultfiction #latinx #highscool #afrolatinx #latine 

Ohio

From the New York Times bestselling author of the National Book Award-winning title The Poet X comes a dazzling novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright.

Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago's life has been about making the tough decisions--doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela.

The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.

Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that it's not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules she thinks she has to play by, once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.

Plus don't miss Elizabeth Acevedo's Clap When You Land!



With the Fire on High

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#paperback #yafiction #heartearming #humor #joy #latine

Confetti girl!

When Naomi's absent mother resurfaces to claim her, Naomi runs away to Oaxaca, Mexico with her great-grandmother and younger brother in search of her father.

From the award-winning author of Esperanza Rising comes a riveting novel about family and identity, drawn from the warmth, wisdom, and love of Ryan's own Mexican and Oklahoman heritages.

Minnesota

Becoming Naomi León

Each contributor tells his or her own story alongside stories of the resilience and hope they have encountered over the course of their careers, debunking the stereotyping and scapegoating that continue to plague the Latinx community and seeking a more accurate portrayal of themselves and their communities. While questioning what it means to be Latinx and what it means to be American in the twenty-first century, this inspiring, visionary collection offers a blueprint for moving the United States toward a more inclusive and just democracy. If We Want to Win brings together twenty leading figures involved in issues that affect the Latinx community, to lay out a vision for the future of American democracy, drawing on their experience and expertise in areas ranging from the arts, juvenile justice, women's rights, and education, to environmental justice, racism, human rights, immigration, technology, and philanthropy. Latinx people make up the second-largest ethnic and racial group in America, with a population of over sixty million. They have been integral to shaping the country's economy, culture, and politics, and their influence and power continue to grow at all levels of civic life. Yet their diversity remains misunderstood, their contributions ignored, their concerns overlooked. An urgent, provocative collection of essays from Latinx thought leaders heralding a more inclusive vision of America's future

Virginia

A Latine Vision for a New American Democracy

"A collection of essays from Latinx thought leaders heralding a more inclusive vision of America's future"--

If We Want to Win

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#paperback #nonfiction #memoir #autobiography #latine #latinx #cubanauthor

Confessions of a Cuban Boy

A survivor of the Cuban Revolution recounts his pre-war childhood as the religiously devout son of a judge, and describes the conflict's violent and irrevocable impact on his friends, family, and native land.

Waiting for Snow in Havana

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Finalist for the 2012 National Book Award A Time and People Top 10 Book of 2012 Finalist for the 2012 Story Prize Chosen as a notable or best book of the year by The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The LA Times, Newsday, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, the iTunes bookstore, and many more... "Electrifying." –The New York Times Book Review “Exhibits the potent blend of literary eloquence and street cred that earned him a Pulitzer Prize… Díaz’s prose is vulgar, brave, and poetic.” –O Magazine From the award-winning author, a stunning collection that celebrates the haunting, impossible power of love. On a beach in the Dominican Republic, a doomed relationship flounders. In a New Jersey laundry room, a woman does her lover’s washing and thinks about his wife. In Boston, a man buys his love child, his only son, a first baseball bat and glove. At the heart of these stories is the irrepressible, irresistible Yunior, a young hardhead whose longing for love is equaled only by his recklessness--and by the extraordinary women he loves and loses. In prose that is endlessly energetic, inventive, tender, and funny, these stories lay bare the infinite longing and inevitable weakness of the human heart. They remind us that passion always triumphs over experience, and that “the half-life of love is forever.”

This Is How You Lose Her - Signed 

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Elizabeth Santiago

Fourteen-year-old Taína just learned that she is a descendant of a long line of strong Taíno women, but will knowing this help her bring peace and justice to her family and community?

Despite her name, Taína Perez doesn't know 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's 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 she is a direct descendant of Anacaona, the beloved Taíno leader, warrior, and poet, who was murdered by the Spanish in 1503. Abuela also 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? People like her hardly make it out of their circumstances, and the problems in her home and community are way bigger than Taína can manage. Or are they?

A modern tale with interstitial historical chapters, The Moonlit Vine brings readers a powerful story of the collective struggle, hope, and liberation of Puerto Rican and Taíno peoples.

Also available in Spanish!

Texas

Told with interstitial historical chapters, fourteen-year-old Taína (Ty) must draw from the strength of her Taíno ancestors to bring her family and community hope and healing after a devastating incident.

The Moonlit Vine (Signed)

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Melissa Lozada-Oliva

A Novel in Verse

NOW IN PAPERBACK FEATURING A SHORT STORY FROM THE FORTHCOMING COLLECTION BEYOND ALL REASONABLE DOUBT, JESUS IS ALIVE

"A macabre love story that casts an inquisitive eye on Latinidad, womanhood, and celebrity worship."
--Keely Weiss, Harper's Bazaar

"Melissa Lozada-Oliva's surreal novel-in-verse is sure to delight and surprise readers . . . 
You may know and love Selena's voice, but Lozada-Oliva's is utterly new, original, 
and worth hearing, too." --Elena Nicolaou, Oprah Daily

A macabre novel in verse of loss, longing, and identity crises following a poet who resurrects pop star Selena from the dead.

Melissa Lozada-Oliva's Dreaming of You is an absurd yet heartfelt examination of celebrity worship.
 
A young Latinx poet grappling with loneliness and heartache decides one day to bring Tejano pop star Selena Quintanilla back to life. The séance kicks off an uncanny trip narrated by a Greek chorus of gossiping spirits as she journeys through a dead celebrity prom, encounters her shadow self, and performs karaoke in hell.
 
In visceral poems embodying millennial angst, paragraph-long conversations overheard at her local coffeeshop, and unhinged Twitter rants, Lozada-Oliva reveals an eerie, sometimes gruesome, yet moving love story.
 
Playfully morbid and profoundly candid, an interrogation of Latinidad, womanhood, obsession, and disillusionment, Dreaming of You grapples with the cost of being seen for your truest self.

Dreaming of You

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Jade Hernández

Indiana

Junior and Mayda have been in love for years but neither of them know it. When they discover each other's darkest secrets, the two might just become closer than they think.

Save this search

Laekan Zea Kemp

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet

Laekan Zea Kemp

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet

Laekan Zea Kemp

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet

Laekan Zea Kemp

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet

Lori Marie Carlson (Editor); Oscar Hijuelos (Introduction by)

Cool Salsa

Jonny Garza Villa

Ander and Santi Were Here

Maya Motayne

Nocturna

Ingrid Rojas Contreras

Fruit of the Drunken Tree

Pam Muñoz Ryan

Becoming Naomi Leon

Laekan Zea Kemp

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet

Laekan Zea Kemp

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet

Oscar Hijuelos

Cool Salsa

Desideria Mesa

Bindle Punk Bruja

Elizabeth Acevedo

With the Fire on High

Diana Lopez

Confetti girl!

Pam Muñoz Ryan

Becoming Naomi León

Diana Campoamor

If We Want to Win

Carlos Eire

Waiting for Snow in Havana

Junot Díaz

This Is How You Lose Her - Signed

Elizabeth Santiago

The Moonlit Vine (Signed)

Melissa Lozada-Oliva

Dreaming of You

Jade Hernández

Learn to Love You