September 15 through October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month, so I thought it would be fun to look back at some of the early books from some of our Latino/Hispanic authors and illustrators. Have you read any of these titles?
Gary Soto's A Fire in My Hands (A Book of Poems), 1990
"...in this beautifully readable collection of poems, Gary Soto brings to life themes of growing up, family, friendship, and first love. Drawn from a background of growing up Mexican-American in the San Joaquin Valley, all of the poems are about everyday experiences familiar to us all. Some are funny, some are sad or thoughtful, but all are truly memorable poems to be read again and again."
Pam Muñoz Ryan's Riding Freedom, 1998
"Charlotte Parkhurst is raised in an orphanage for boys, which suits her just fine. She doesn’t like playing with dolls, she can hold her own in a fight, and she loves to work in the stables. Charlotte has a way with horses and wants to spend her life training and riding them on a ranch of her own. The problem is, as a girl in the mid-1800s, Charlotte is expected to live a much different life – one without freedom. But Charlotte is smart and determined, and she figures out a way to live her dreams with a plan so clever and so secret – almost no one figures it out."
My Momma Had a Dancing Heart, illustrated by Raúl Colón (written by Libba Moore Gray), 1995
Raúl Colón has illustrated over thirty children's books, including My Momma Had a Dancing Heart, for Orchard Books, an imprint that was bought by Scholastic.
"Captured by her mother's infectious love of dance, a young girl joyously follows her mother in a dance through the seasons."
One of Colón 's beautiful illustrations.
Special thanks to Librarian Deimosa Webber-Bey for her ongoing help with this series!
Gina Asprocolas
