Nathan’s Song
By: Leda Schubert
Illustrated by: Maya Ish-Shalom
Reviewed by: Uma Krishnaswami
Nathan, growing up in a shtetl in Russia, loves to sing. Upon hearing opera for the first time, he is transfixed and longs to learn this kind of music. His community and his family—even his little brother Samuel—come up with the funds to pay for his passage to Italy. What happens next is a marvel of picture book writing: Nathan ends up on the wrong boat and sings for his supper … all the way to New York! Schubert imbues this story from her own family history with a keen writerly instinct. In New York, the buildings “hide the sky.” Italy comes to Nathan in the person of trainer Nicolo. Nathan finds love. The family arrives as well, Samuel in the lead, and an old cap makes its way through time into the reader’s awareness of this important moment of reunion. Nathan sings continuously until, in the end, when music, Russia, and New York come together to round out this lovingly rendered tale. A note in the book’s back matter includes facts about the life of the author’s grandfather, drawing a brief comparison between the experiences of Jews fleeing Russia before World War I and the journeys of immigrants today. She relates the real-life Nathan’s musical successes to her own memories of him. Schubert’s pacing is dexterous, as is her use of Nathan’s singing to power this story, from his initial yearning to the myriad places where he employs his voice to good purpose, and ultimately to the love that gives it all resonance in the end.
The publication date for this title is February 2021. Reviewer Uma Krishnaswami is a children’s writer, picture books through middle grade. She is also faculty in the MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Latinx voices are important contributors to the fabric of American life. Spanning many countries, people from Latinx backgrounds have a rich and varied history and culture. Latinx Heritage Month, which occurs from September 15 through October 15, is when Americans come together to recognize and celebrate the many contributions of Latinx people. No matter their background, readers of all ages can learn something new about their community members through this book list. These books are specifically geared toward readers ages 8-12 and feature both factual and fictional characters of Latinx heritage. Each story reflects a piece of the Latinx community and provides a means of connection and understanding for all. Contributed by: Mary Lanni
Bold, graphic portraits and beautiful poems present famous and lesser-known Latinos from varied backgrounds who have faced life’s challenges in creative ways.
When his family’s restaurant and Cuban American neighborhood in Miami are threatened by a greedy land developer, thirteen-year-old Arturo, joined by Carmen, a cute poetry enthusiast, fights back, discovering the power of poetry and protest through untold family stories and the work of José Martí.
Twelve-year-old María Luisa O’Neill-Morales (who really prefers to be called Malú) reluctantly moves with her Mexican-American mother to Chicago and starts seventh grade with a bang—violating the dress code with her punk rock aesthetic and spurning the middle school’s most popular girl in favor of starting a band with a group of like-minded misfits.
In 1960s New York, fifth-grader Ruthie, a Cuban-Jewish immigrant, must rely on books, art, her family, and friends in her multicultural neighborhood when an accident puts her in a body cast.
Eleven-year-old Margarito, a big fan of wrestling known as lucha libre, begins to suspect that he has a close connection with his favorite luchador, El Angel de La Guardia, the Guardian Angel.
Eleven-year-old (nearly twelve) Celi Rivera, who is a mix of Black-Puerto Rican-Indigenous Mexican, is secretive about her approaching period and the changes that are happening to her body. She is horrified that her mother wants to hold a traditional public moon ceremony to celebrate the occasion. She must choose loyalty to her life-long best friend, who is contemplating an even more profound change of life or the boy she likes.
Red Panda and Moon Bear, magical defenders of their community, battle ghosts, evil robots, alien invaders, and time portals, all before Mami and Papi get home.
Cuba, 1961: Two years after the communist revolution, Lucia still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her small town, everything begins to change. Suddenly the revolution hits home. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. Her friends feel like strangers. And her family is being watched. As the revolution’s impact becomes more oppressive, Lucia’s parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States—alone. Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucia struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. But what of her old life? Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she still be the same girl?
In the Dominican Republic, a boy who dreams of playing professional baseball in the United States crosses paths with a young environmentalist from Minneapolis who is passionate about saving bees.
Mexican-American Stef Soto is hoping to break free from her overprotective parents and embarrassing reputation from her family’s taco truck business, but she soon learns that family, friendship, and the taco truck are important and wonderful parts of her life.
A collection of short stories featuring Latin Americans allows readers to experience life through their eyes, celebrate their victories, and see their hardships.
Eleven-year-old Eddie Aguado is convinced that winning the 14th Annual Arne Hopkins Dock Fishing Tournament (once he actually learns how to fish) will bring him closer to his dad, who died when Eddie was only five.
The Paper Boat
By: Thao Lam
Reviewed by: Uma Krishnaswami
This wordless book from cut-paper artist and illustrator Thao Lam offers a journey of shifting perceptions. Opening with a sugar water trap for ants, the page turns draw us into the story of one family’s escape from Vietnam. The girl rescues the ants in her home, dipping a chopstick into the cup and letting them climb out. The delicacy of the cut-paper art makes for incredibly moving images and invites the eye to linger on the frames. One of the delights of a wordless book is that there’s no compulsion to read in a single direction. One can find the ants in the jungle, follow the child’s eye, then return to the previous spread to breathe in its emotional impact, before carrying on. Fear is conveyed through gesture and the directions of tall grasses, the uniformed soldiers crouching low to the ground, the dark skies and the grey palette. Meanwhile, the ants embark on their own journey in the titular paper boat folded by the girl. Braving the sun, the fierce beaks of predatory gulls, and vast expanses of water, the ants land at last on a safe shore. A friendly ant riding on a platter of food offers a visual connection, when the family is finally shown sharing a meal in their new home. A busy cityscape offers cutaway views of apartment buildings full of people in a diverse range of clothes and skin tones. Back matter includes an author’s note and a beautifully honest childhood picture reflecting the fear of being uprooted from home. Endpapers include images of newspapers from before and after the war in Vietnam, providing additional information via headlines and dates.
Children’s Lit Reviewer Uma Krishnaswami is a children’s writer–picture book through middle grade. She is also on faculty in the MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Every culture in the world has its own heritage and history. No matter where one lives, their unique heritage remains important and deserves to be celebrated! Whether or not it is officially recognized in a national month or day, heritage is vitally important to the complexity and depth of human society. Learning about different cultures and why they are special prepares children to interact with others who may come from different backgrounds and do so from a place of respect and understanding. This book list is designed to help with this learning and includes books from a variety of cultures that celebrate each one’s unique heritage. These books are best suited to readers ages 4-7. Contributed by: Mary Lanni
A Navajo family welcomes a new baby into the family with love and ceremony, eagerly waiting for that first special laugh. Includes a brief description of birth customs in different cultures.
Explores the previously uncelebrated but pivotal contributions of NASA’s African American women mathematicians to America’s space program, describing how Jim Crow laws segregated them despite their groundbreaking successes.
Aneel and his grandfather, Dada-ji, tell stories, use their imaginations, and make delicious roti, a traditional Indian flatbread.
Islandborn
By: Junot Díaz
Illustrated by: Leo Espinoza
Lola was just a baby when her family left the Island, so when she has to draw it for a school assignment, she asks her family, friends, and neighbors about their memories of her homeland and in the process, comes up with a new way of understanding her own heritage.
When his mother sends him to the market to buy necessities for the upcoming festival, Lin Yi is certain his bargaining skills will get him the best prices, and he will have money left over for his coveted red rabbit lantern.
One rainy day, Peekaboo, the poi dog, is feeling restless and is looking for a new game to play. She asks her mother for guidance, leading her on an unexpected imaginary journey across the state of Hawaii. Along the way, Peekaboo encounters wonderful people and creatures while visiting many well-known Hawaiian landmarks: From the Pali lookout to the snowy mountain top of Mauna Kea, Big Island’s highest volcano, her adventures are filled with excitement, discoveries, and enjoyment.
Pepe wakes up energized to attend his first Hispanic Day parade. With new food to taste, music to dance to, and a parade to watch, Pepe couldn’t be more excited to celebrate and share his Hispanic heritage. Many of Pepe’s friends also attend the festival, celebrating their own Hispanic ties. Mexican, Dominican, Panamanian, Colombian, Honduran, Nicaraguan, Chilean, Puerto Rican, Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and Cuban cultures are all represented in the parade. A day filled with joy and pride, Pepe and the Parade is a jubilant celebration of culture and identity.
After a wonderful summer spent visiting her grandmother, Suki decides to wear her blue cotton kimono on her first day of school, where she also shares with her class tales of going to the street festival with her beloved obachan.
Little Thunder wants a name that separates him from his father, Big Thunder, and considers such options as “Touch the Sky” and “Drums, Drums, and More Drums” before his father helps him find the perfect alternative.
