Staff Picks September 2021

Spanning more than two hundred years, An African American and Latinx History of the United States is a revolutionary, politically charged narrative history arguing that the "Global South" was crucial to the development of America as we know it. Ortiz challenges the notion of westward progress, as exalted by widely taught formulations such as "manifest destiny" and "Jacksonian democracy," and shows how placing African American, Latinx, and Indigenous...

After their daughter Maribel suffers a near-fatal accident, the Riveras leave Mexico and come to America. But upon settling at Redwood Apartments, a two-story cinderblock complex just off a highway in Delaware, they discover that Maribel's recovery -- the piece of the American Dream on which they've pinned all their hopes -- will not be easy. Every task seems to confront them with language, racial, and cultural obstacles. At Redwood also lives Mayor...

"Tras recibir una extrąa carta de su prima recǐn casada, Noem̕ Taboada se dirige a High Place, una casa en el campo en M̌xico, sin saber qǔ encontrar̀ all̕. Noem̕ no parece tener dotes de salvadora: es glamurosa, m̀s acostumbrada a asistir a c̤cteles que a las tareas de detective. Pero tambǐn es fuerte, inteligente y no tiene miedo: ni del nuevo marido de su prima, un ingľs amenazante y seductor; ni de su padre, el antiguo patriarca que...

Despite his family's baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.

Steeped in Hispanic folklore since childhood, middle schooler Charlie Hernandez learns the stories are true when, shortly after his parents disappearance, he grows horns and feathers and finds himself at the heart of a battle to save the world.

"The life of Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer Rita Moreno, from her girlhood journey to the United States to her rise as a timeless superstar"--

"Lucia zips through the playground in her cape just like the boys, but when they tell her 'girls can't be superheroes', suddenly she doesn't feel so mighty. That's when her beloved abuela reveals a dazzling secret: Lucia comes from a family of luchadoras, the bold and valiant women of the Mexican lucha libre tradition. But when she's confronted with a case of injustice, Lucia must decide if she can stay true to the ways of the luchadora and fight...

"From the New York Times bestselling author of the National Book Award longlist 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,...

"From the two-time NBCC Finalist, a fiercely imaginative novel about a family's summer road trip across America--a journey that, with breathtaking imagery, spare lyricism, and profound humanity, probes the nature of justice and equality in America today. A mother and father set out with their kids from New York to Arizona. In their used Volvo--and with their ten-year-old son trying out his new Polaroid camera--the family is heading for the Apacheria:...