ON-SALE AUGUST 1ST, 2021
DRILL TEAM DETERMINATION | Middle Grade
by Jake Maddox (Stone Arch Books)
Thirteen-year-old Aniyah comes from a long line of drill and step team members. Her mom and aunts all competed, so none of them understand why Aniyah doesn't want to continue the tradition. But Aniyah doesn't like attention or performing. Then Aniyah's friend, Stacy, convinces her to give the team a try. The team dances just for fun and doesn't compete, so there's no pressure. Aniyah discovers Stacy is right--it is kind of fun! But just when Aniyah is starting to get into the groove, the rules change. The team decides to enter a competition. Can Aniyah overcome her fears and get on board with competition, or will she have to step away from drill team?
ON-SALE AUGUST 3RD, 2021
CUANDO LOS ANGELES CANTAN (WHEN ANGELS SING SPANISH EDITION) | Picture Book
by Michael Mahin; illustrated by Jose Ramirez; translated by Alexis Romay (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)
Carlos Santana echaba de menos a su papá cuando este se iba. Echaba de menos el olor a jabón en su piel y la sonrisa en sus ojos, pero más que nada echaba de menos el sonido de su violín. Era un sonido que llenaba el mundo de magia y amor y sentimiento y curación. Era un sonido que hacía reales a los ángeles. Carlos también quería hacer reales a los ángeles. Así que comenzó a tocar música.
Carlos probó con el clarinete y con el violín, pero los ángeles no vinieron. Luego agarró la guitarra. Tomó el alma del blues y el cerebro del jazz y la energía del rock and roll y añadió el fuego lento de los tambores afrocubanos y el bamboleo con aroma de cilantro de la música con la que había crecido.
Había muchas bandas en San Francisco, pero ninguna tocaba de ese modo. ¿Carlos había encontrado por fin el sonido que hiciera reales a sus ángeles?
LIKE A LOVE SONG | Young Adult
by Gabriela Martins (Underlined)
Fake boyfriend. Real heartbreak?
Natalie is living her dream: topping the charts and setting records as a Brazilian pop star... until she's dumped spectacularly on live television. Not only is it humiliating--it could end her career.
Her PR team's desperate plan? A gorgeous yet oh-so-fake boyfriend. Nati reluctantly agrees, but William is not what she expected. She was hoping for a fierce bad boy--not a soft-hearted British indie film star. While she fights her way back to the top with a sweet and surprisingly swoon-worthy boy on her arm, she starts to fall for William--and realizes that maybe she's the biggest fake of them all. Can she reclaim her voice and her heart?
PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE FOREST OF NIGHTMARES | Middle Grade
by Tehlor Kay Mejia (Rick Riordan Presents)
Six months after Paola Santiago confronted the legendary La Llorona, life is nothing like she'd expected it to be. She is barely speaking to her best friends, Dante and Emma, and what's worse, her mom has a totally annoying boyfriend. Even with her chupacabra puppy, Bruto, around, Pao can't escape the feeling that she's all alone in the world.
Pao has no one to tell that she's having nightmares again, this time set in a terrifying forest. Even more troubling? At their center is her estranged father, an enigma of a man she barely remembers. And when Dante's abuela falls mysteriously ill, it seems that the dad Pao never knew just might be the key to healing the eccentric old woman.
Pao's search for her father will send her far from home, where she will encounter new monsters and ghosts, a devastating betrayal, and finally, the forest of her nightmares. Will the truths her father has been hiding save the people Pao loves, or destroy them?
THE PRESIDENT AND THE FROG | Adult Fiction
by Carolina De Robertis (Knopf Publishing Group)
At his modest home on the edge of town, the former president of an unnamed Latin American country receives a journalist in his famed gardens to discuss his legacy and the dire circumstances that threaten democracy around the globe. Once known as the Poorest President in the World, his reputation is the stuff of myth: a former guerilla who was jailed for inciting revolution before becoming the face of justice, human rights, and selflessness for his nation. Now, as he talks to the journalist, he wonders if he should reveal the strange secret of his imprisonment: while held in brutal solitary confinement, he survived, in part, by discussing revolution, the quest for dignity, and what it means to love a country, with the only creature who ever spoke back--a loud-mouth frog.
A SONG OF FRUTAS | Picture Book
by Margarita Engle; illustrated by Sara Palacios (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)
When we visit mi abuelo, I help him sell
frutas, singing the names of each fruit
as we walk, our footsteps like drumbeats,
our hands like maracas, shaking...
The little girl loves visiting her grandfather in Cuba and singing his special songs to sell all kinds of fruit: mango, limón, naranja, piña, and more! Even when they're apart, grandfather and granddaughter can share rhymes between their countries like un abrazo--a hug--made of words carried on letters that soar across the distance like songbirds.
WISH UPON A STRAY | Middle Grade
by Yamile Saied Méndez (Scholastic Paperbacks)
María Emilia's life turns upside-down when she and her family immigrate from Argentina to the US. How can she make new friends when simply speaking English all day is exhausting?
Luckily, she has the company of a stray dog in the neighborhood, who happens to look and act just like her beloved pet cat back home. Eventually, it turns out the pup isn't a stray after all -- she belongs to María Emilia's new neighbor, Donovan. In order to spend more time with the dog (who totally isn't her reincarnated cat... right?), she agrees to sing in Donovan's band. But can Emilia find her new voice without losing herself?
ON-SALE AUGUST 10TH, 2021
BOOGIE BOOGIE, Y’ALL | Picture Book
by C. G. Esperanza (Katherine Tegen Books)
The city is alive with vibrant art in every corner of the parks, the shops, the trains. But most people are too busy to see it--or worse, choose to ignore it! When three children stop to marvel at the art around their community, they realize it's up to them to show everyone else how truly special it is when art and reality dance together so seamlessly.
Boogie boogie, y'all.
The city boogied all day.
Busy, busy, busy,
Till one kid stopped to say,
Woah, woah, woah!
Look at the art on the wall!
HOW MOON FUENTEZ FELL IN LOVE WITH THE UNIVERSE | Young Adult
by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
When her twin sister reaches social media stardom, Moon Fuentez accepts her fate as the ugly, unwanted sister hidden in the background, destined to be nothing more than her sister's camerawoman. But this summer, Moon also takes a job as the "merch girl" on a tour bus full of beautiful influencers and her fate begins to shift in the best way possible.
Most notable is her bunkmate and new nemesis, Santiago Phillips, who is grumpy, combative, and also the hottest guy Moon has ever seen.
Moon is certain she hates Santiago and that he hates her back. But as chance and destiny (and maybe, probably, close proximity) bring the two of them in each other's perpetual paths, Moon starts to wonder if that's really true. She even starts to question her destiny as the unnoticed, unloved wallflower she always thought she was.
Could this summer change Moon's life as she knows it?
ON-SALE AUGUST 17TH, 2021
13TH STREET #6: FIGHT WITH THE FREEZE-RAY FOWLS | Picture Book
by David Bowles; illustrated by Shane Clester (HarperCollins)
Cousins Malia, Dante, and Ivan must face off against the evil queen of 13th Street. But she has lots of monsters on her side, including birds that can freeze you with a look! Can the cousins defeat her and shut down 13th Street once and for all?
Each story in this hilarious and safely spooky series from award-winning author David Bowles is designed to set independent readers up for success.
BIG APPLE DIARIES | Middle Grade
by Alyssa Bermudez (Roaring Brook Press)
It's the year 2000 in New York City. For 12-year old Alyssa, this means splitting time between her Puerto Rican dad's apartment in Manhattan and her white mom's new place in Queens, navigating the trials and tribulations of middle school, and an epic crush on a new classmate. The only way to make sense of it all is to capture the highs and lows in doodles and hilarious comics in a diary.
Then life abruptly changes on September 11, 2001. After the Twin Towers fall and so many lives are lost, worries about gossip and boys feel distant and insignificant. Alyssa must find a new sense of self and purpose amidst all of the chaos, and find the strength to move forward with hope.
CAZADORA | Young Adult
by Romina Garber (Wednesday Books)
Werewolves. Witches. Romance. Resistance.
Enter a world straight out of Argentine folklore...
Following the events of Lobizona, Manu and her friends cross the mystical border into Kerana--a cursed realm in Argentina--searching for allies and a hiding place. As they chase down leads about the Coven--a mythical resistance manada that might not even exist--the Cazadores chase down leads about Manu, setting up traps to capture and arrest her.
Just as it seems the Cazadores have Manu and her friends cornered, the Coven answers their call for help. As Manu catches her breath among these non-conforming Septimus, she discovers they need a revolution as much as she does.
But is she the right one to lead them? After all, hybrids aren't just outlawed. They're feared and reviled. What happens when the Coven learns of Manu's dual heritage? Will they still protect her? Or will they betray her?
And after running this far, for this long--how much farther can Manu go before her feet get tired, and she stops to take a stand?
CHILD OF THE FLOWER-SONG PEOPLE: LUZ JIMÉNEZ, DAUGHTER OF THE NAHUA | Picture Books
by Gloria Amescua; illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh (Abrams Books for Young Readers)
She was Luz Jiménez,
child of the flower-song people,
the powerful Aztec,
who called themselves Nahua—
who lost their land but who did not disappear.
As a young Nahua girl in Mexico during the early 1900s, Luz learned how to grind corn in a metate, to twist yarn with her toes, and to weave on a loom. By the fire at night, she listened to stories of her community’s joys, suffering, and survival, and wove them into her heart.
But when the Mexican Revolution came to her village, Luz and her family were forced to flee and start a new life. In Mexico City, Luz became a model for painters, sculptors, and photographers such as Diego Rivera, Jean Charlot, and Tina Modotti. These artists were interested in showing the true face of Mexico and not a European version. Through her work, Luz found a way to preserve her people's culture by sharing her native language, stories, and traditions. Soon, scholars came to learn from her.
DEFINITELY DOMINGUITA: ALL FOR ONE | Middle Grade
by Terry Catasus Jennings; illustrated by Fatima Anaya (Aladdin Paperbacks)
Dom, Pancho, Steph, and their noble steed, Rocco, are ready for their next adventure! When their beloved El Señor Fuentes asks Dom to run a very important errand--to put the order in at the local butcher shop for his daughter, Leni's, upcoming quinceañera--Dom is happy to help. But when Señor Fuentes discovers the order was never put in--and the food for the party has been sold to someone else--Dom takes a cue from The Three Musketeers to try and figure out what happened.
With the help of Pancho and Steph, Dom discovers the dastardly Bublassi brothers have big plans to sabotage Leni's party. Keeping in mind the famous motto All for One and One for All, Mundytown's own Three Musketeers are determined to make sure Leni has a party she'll remember for all the right reasons!
LIVING BEYOND BORDERS: GROWING UP MEXICAN IN AMERICA | Young Adult
edited by Margarita Longoria (Philomel Books)
In this mixed-media collection of short stories, personal essays, poetry, and comics, this celebrated group of authors share the borders they have crossed, the struggles they have pushed through, and the two cultures they continue to navigate as Mexican Americans. Living Beyond Borders is at once an eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and hopeful love letter from the Mexican American community to today's young readers.
ON-SALE AUGUST 24TH, 2021
MY TWO BORDER TOWNS | Picture Book
by David Bowles; illustrated by Erika Meza
Early one Saturday morning, a boy prepares for a trip to The Other Side/El Otro Lado. It's close--just down the street from his school--and it's a twin of where he lives. To get there, his father drives their truck along the Rio Grande and over a bridge, where they're greeted by a giant statue of an eagle. Their outings always include a meal at their favorite restaurant, a visit with Tío Mateo at his jewelry store, a cold treat from the paletero, and a pharmacy pickup. On their final and most important stop, they check in with friends seeking asylum and drop off much-needed supplies.
THEY CALL ME GÜERRO | Middle Grade
by David Bowles (Kokila)
They call him Güero because of his red hair, pale skin, and freckles. Sometimes people only go off of what they see. Like the Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez, twelve-year-old Güero is puro mexicano. He feels at home on both sides of the river, speaking Spanish or English. Güero is also a reader, gamer, and musician who runs with a squad of misfits called Los Bobbys. Together, they joke around and talk about their expanding world, which now includes girls. (Don't cross Joanna--she's tough as nails.)
Güero faces the start of seventh grade with heart and smarts, his family's traditions, and his trusty accordion. And when life gets tough for this Mexican American border kid, he knows what to do: He writes poetry.
EL CAMPO | Picture Book
by Baptiste Paul (Northsouth Books)
Soccer fan or not, the call of The Field is irresistible.
"Vini! Come! The field calls!" cries a girl as she and her younger brother rouse their community--family, friends, and the local fruit vendor--for a pick-up soccer (futbol) game. Boys and girls, young and old, players and spectators come running--bringing balls, shoes, goals, and a love of the sport.
"Friends versus friends" teams are formed, the field is cleared of cows, and the game begins! But will a tropical rainstorm threaten their plans?
THE DEATH OF MY FATHER THE POPE | Adult Nonfiction
by Obed Silva (MCD)
Weaving between the preparations for his father's funeral and memories of life on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, Obed Silva chronicles his father's lifelong battle with alcoholism and the havoc it wreaked on his family. Silva and his mother had come north across the border to escape his father's violent, drunken rages. His father had followed and danced dangerously in and out of the family's life until he was arrested and deported back to Mexico, where he drank himself to death, one Carta Blanca at a time, at the age of forty-eight.
ON-SALE AUGUST 31ST, 2021
ALEJANDRIA FIGHTS BACK / ¡LA LUCHA DE ALEJANDRIA! | Picture Book
by Leticia Hernández-Linares; illustrated by Robert Liu-Trujillo (Feminist Press)
For nine-year-old Alejandria, home isn't just the apartment she shares with Mami and her abuela, Tita, but rather the whole neighborhood. Home is the bakery where Ms. Beatrice makes yummy picos; the sidewalk where Ms. Alicia sells flowers with her little dog, Duende; and the corner store with friendly Mr. Amir.
But lately the city has been changing, and rent prices are going up. Many people in el barrio are leaving because they can no longer afford their homes, and For Sale signs are popping up everywhere. Then the worst thing happens: Mami receives a letter saying they'll have to move out too.
Alejandria knows it isn't fair, but she's not about to give up and leave. Join Alejandria as she brings her community together to fight and save their neighborhood!
Para Alejandria de nueve años, el hogar no es sólo el apartamento que comparte con Mami y su abuela, Tita, sino más bien todo el barrio. El hogar es la panadería donde la Sra. Beatrice hace unos ricos picos; la vereda donde la Sra. Alicia vende flores con su perrito, Duende; y la pulpería con el amistoso Sr. Amir.
Pero últimamente la ciudad ha estado cambiando, y los precios de alquiler están subiendo. Muchas personas en el barrio se están yendo porque ya no pueden costear sus hogares, y letreros anunciando "Se Vende" están apareciendo por todos lados. Entonces ocurre lo peor: Mami recibe una carta diciendo que ellas también tendrán que mudarse.
Alejandria sabe que no es justo, pero no está dispuesta a darse por vencida e irse. ¡Únete a Alejandria mientras ella reúne a su comunidad para luchar y salvar su barrio!
BRAINS!: NOT JUST A ZOMBIE SNACK | Picture Book
by Stacy McAnulty; illustrated by Matthew Rivera (Henry Holt & Company)
Brains. 78% water, 100% delicious. A zombie chef who has sworn off eating brains salivates over this super powerful organ in this funny and fact-filled picture book. From learning about how the brain processes messages from our five senses, to learning why wrinkly human brains are so much more powerful than smooth mouse brains, this is a hilarious introduction to the organ that does it all. Rich with kid-friendly facts and beautifully brought to life by Matthew Rivera, this is a charming and irresistible picture book.
ONCE I WAS YOU | ADULT NONFICTION
by Maria Hinojosa (Atria Books)
In Once I Was You, Maria shares her intimate experience growing up Mexican American on the South Side of Chicago. She offers a personal and illuminating account of how the rhetoric around immigration has not only long informed American attitudes toward outsiders, but also sanctioned willful negligence and profiteering at the expense of our country's most vulnerable populations--charging us with the broken system we have today.
An urgent call to fellow Americans to open their eyes to the immigration crisis and understand that it affects us all, this honest and heartrending memoir paints a vivid portrait of how we got here and what it means to be a survivor, a feminist, a citizen, and a journalist who owns her voice while striving for the truth.
TOMATOES FOR NEELA | Picture Book
by Padma Lakshmi; illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal (Viking Books for Young Readers)
Neela loves cooking with her amma and writing down the recipes in her notebook. It makes her feel closer to her paati who lives far away in India. On Saturdays, Neela and Amma go to the green market and today they are buying tomatoes to make Paati's famous sauce. But first, Neela needs to learn about all the different kinds of tomatoes they can pick from. And as Neela and Amma cook together, they find a way for Paati to share in both the love and the flavors of the day.
