Authors and publishers are responding to the need for diverse books for middle school. Consequently, there are wonderful new multicultural titles available, many rooted in Latino culture.
These diverse books for middle school serve as mirrors and windows. In other words, some readers will see their culture reflected in the stories and others will gain insight into a culture other than their own.
Five of the novels below are historical fiction and all have engaging, strong protagonists. These books are wonderful multicultural literature!
Strong Latinas in Diverse Books for Middle School
I’m a member of Amazon’s affiliate program. If you make a purchase using a link from my content, I am compensated.
Ana Maria Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle
Ana Maria Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle is middle grade novel by Hilda Eunice Burgos. It is a wonderful story about an 11-year-old Dominican American girl in Washington Heights who is trying to win a scholarship to a private school. She needs to practice her piano piece, but it isn’t easy to do with her large, busy family. School Library Journal says it is “an authentic representation of a successful immigrant, middle class Latinx family who values education, community, and family and stays true to their roots.”
Read more on Amazon (affiliate): Ana María Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle
Moving Target
Moving Target, by award-winning author Christina Diaz Gonzalez, is an exciting, action-packed mystery. Cassie Arroyo is studying in Rome when someone tries to kill her father. This is a thrilling story with a heroine readers will love!
Read more on Amazon (affiliate): Moving Target
Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco
Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco by Judith Robbins Rose tells the story of Jacinta, who is paired with a wealthy mentor. With Miss, Jacinta explores aspects of upper-middle-class culture while coping with an increasingly difficult situation at home. This timely, empowering novel looks at the plight of undocumented immigrants and their American-born children. You can read my review of the novel here:
Middle Grade Novel Shares Experiences of Mixed-Status Families
Read more on Amazon (affiliate): Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco
Merci Suarez Changes Gears
Merci Suarez Changes Gears, from Candlewick Press and author Meg Medina, is the winner of the 2019 Newbery Medal. Readers will fall in love with Merci Suarez! She is a strong, funny sixth-grader dealing with complicated changes at home and at school.
Read more on Amazon (affiliate): Merci Suarez Changes Gears
Diverse Books for Middle School: Historical Fiction
The Wind Called My Name
The Wind Called My Name, by Mary Louise Sanchez, is about Margarita, who moves with her family from New Mexico to Wyoming during the Great Depression. It’s a beautiful book, full of culture and with a fair amount of Spanish. The publisher, Lee & Low Books, has an excellent teacher’s guide.
Read more on Amazon (affiliate): The Wind Called My Name
My Brigadista Year
My Brigadista Year, a historical novel, follows a Cuban teenager, as she volunteers for Fidel Castro’s national literacy campaign. Nora travels into the impoverished countryside to teach others how to read.
Read more on Amazon (affiliate): My Brigadista Year
Step up to the Plate, Maria Singh
Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh, is a wonderful book by award-winning author Uma Krishnaswami. It’s 1945 and Maria Singh longs to play on the new girls’ softball team at her school. Maria’s father is from India and her mother is from Mexico, and as her family faces prejudice and discriminatory laws, María must stand up for her beliefs.
Read more on Amazon (affiliate): Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh
Shame the Stars
The historical novel Shame the Stars by Guadalupe Garcia McCall is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in Texas in the early 1900s. As the Mexican Revolution crosses the border and divides their families, Joaquín del Toro and Dulceña Villa must keep their relationship a secret. The book, however, is more than a love story, and deals with themes of racism and violence. This book reaches beyond the middle grades and is appropriate for readers ages 12-18.
Read more on Amazon (affiliate): Shame the Stars
All The Stars Denied
All The Stars Denied, also by Guadalupe García McCall, is set in Texas during the 1930s. Estrella and her family become the target of efforts to send Mexican Americans to Mexico. Taken to across the border, Estrella must find a way to survive and care for her mother and brother. This historical novel recounts the deportation that swept up hundreds of thousands of Mexican American citizens during the Great Depression. This book reaches beyond the middle grades and is appropriate for readers ages 12-18.
Read more on Amazon (affiliate): All The Stars Denied
Do you have favorite diverse books for middle school? We would love to learn about them, so please let us know!
April
May 5, 2019
My middle school daughter loves to read in the summer. She has been doing the summer reading program at the library since she was 3 year years old.
Dana Donohue
May 5, 2019
This summer I will be taking my kids back and forth to swim team, camps and lessons. But for fun my friend and her family aren’t visiting from England so we will have fun showing them the local sites. Museums in the dc baltimore area, shopping, baseball etc.
Daniel Giraldo-Wonders
May 5, 2019
This summer I’m visiting Colombia. I’ll look for local cultural artifacts to use in my Spanish classes.
Carol Hoyt
May 5, 2019
I will go to New Jersey (from Kansas) to babysit my grandkids. We will have fun reading!
Jenny
May 5, 2019
We’re going to continue our homeschooling (we homeschool year-round) and ramp up our visits to museums and historical sites here in California. Ranchos and missions are on our list with a special sensitivity to how Native Americans really fared in the history of Alta California. Hopefully, we’ll get up to the mountains too. Nature is so healing!
Becky
May 5, 2019
I really, really, really want to win these 🙂 This summer we are moving from Mexico to the US and getting the kids registered in school! We will also visit friends in Houston.
Beth
May 5, 2019
These books would be a great transition for my 10 year old daughter, who will begin formal Spanish classes in middle school next school year. She hasn’t wanted to learn Spanish (my husband and I speak it 80% of the time at home), but we’re going to Colombia for 3 weeks this summer. She loves to read, so I’m hoping these books might help her understand culture better, which will make her more motivated to learn the language. Thank you!
Shana G.
May 5, 2019
We are spending lots of time at the beach! Plus my girls will go to Spanish immersion camp for 2 weeks. These books would be great for my son who is going to middle school next year.
Alisa
May 5, 2019
Taking all three of my kids to Europe for the first time.
Susana P Viray
May 5, 2019
This summer my family and I are visiting Canada. I’ve been searching for more diverse books for my daughter. She’s an avid reader. But I want her to get more in touch with our hispanic heritage.
Suzy
May 6, 2019
We’ll be reading lots of books and enjoying time with family.
Marie Favorini
May 7, 2019
This summer I’m going to take long walks along the ocean and pick up striking shells and rocks. I’ll also be helping my dad get settled. He’s ill and is moving across the country to be closer to me and my brother. Although his illness is serious, I think we’ll also have a lot of fun playing Scrabble, reminiscing about family history and exploring Northern California together. Finally, my husband and I will read aloud to each other. It’s a great way for us to read great literature and get closer at the same time.
I am a tutor and I work with a diverse group of kids including English language learners. If I win these books, I can guarantee that they will be enjoyed by dozens of kids in years to come.
Sandy
May 11, 2019
I’m planning to try out some martial arts classes this summer so I can stay active (and sane!) as I get ready for summer reading club at my local library—I work in youth services as a librarian 🙂 thank you very much for the giveaway!
David Scott Smith
May 12, 2019
This summer I will be watching a lot of soccer and will spend a week on the beach in Mexico, walking on the beach, snorkeling, recharging and of course, reading by the pool.
Connor Aitcheson
May 12, 2019
I will be spending the summer working for a college preparation program for middle and high school students. Reading plays a key role in developing the necessary skills for college readiness.
Be social!
© 2023 Spanish Playground All Rights Reserved Created by Meks. Powered by WordPress.