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June 19, 2026

Author Interview: 'Firesnake' by Donna Barba Higuera

Guest User

June 19, 2026

Firesnake by Donna Barba Higuera is the third and concluding installment of the powerful Cuentista Series. The story revolves around Itzel and her community of Saganites who receive a surprising message from planet Earth, a planet whom they thought was a thing of the past. Itzel, heir and granddaughter to the legendary Petra Peña, feels there is a lot to live up to while struggling to assist her community. New monsters, adventures, knowledge, and generations await, prepare yourself for the exciting novel, Firesnake.

Yvonne Tapia: It’s fantastic to have you here again, Donna! I’m so excited to speak about Firesnake. Your story touches on the storytelling theme – during the beginning of the book, we’re introduced to the main protagonist Itzel, and you immediately mention the beloved Petra Peña, who started the Cuentista series. Readers [learn] that Petra Peña passed on [some of] Earth’s famous storytelling to the people of Sagan, such as A Wrinkle in Time. I love that. Could you please elaborate more on the importance of passing down stories either as “fractured” or “retold” by someone?

Donna Barba Higuera: Thank you! I’ve actually thought a lot about this recently, about the stories that we pass along and the legacy that we leave. I also think a lot about which stories work and which don’t, and I think oftentimes as writers, if there’s a book or a story that we love, sometimes we will write an ode to that story. We will recreate something with our imagination or mix stories together. For stories that don’t work, I think, “I can maybe rewrite that and do a better job.” I thought about kids who are reading my books now, who may either decide one day that they want to write books, or write science fiction or fantasy, and also kids who might read my book and say “I would’ve done this differently, I would’ve put this in,” and that’s good too.

Not every book is for every reader, but kids who will be able to say “I could do it better than she did,” and then one day they’ll take my books off the shelf and put those books up. I think that’s the important part about passing along the books of our childhood, that I had. The books you mentioned are the ones that made me want to be a writer. I do hope that there might be a few kids out there who experience the same thing with these books.

Yvonne Tapia: That’s so great to know, and I relate with you in that A Wrinkle in Time is one of my favorite books as well, I actually wrote a college paper on it. [A great message A Wrinkle in Time has] is to maintain the joy of reading, family, [identity], good mechanisms to keep you grounded.

Donna Barba Higuera: Right, and A Wrinkle In Time was published over 50 years ago and it was groundbreaking, and it me, a young girl who lived in the Central San Joaquin Valley, in the desert, took me across the universe. I got to go to a place that could only possibly be in my imagination, and it was so magical and I think that is what it gave to a lot of kids.

Yvonne Tapia: Yes. As [readers continue through Firesnake, they learn that], it is the norm for parents to actually pull their kids out of school, and have those kids become “worker bees” or similar. What inspired you to incorporate that into Firesnake?

Donna Barba Higuera: My grandmother, and even my father sometimes, would go to work at times in either the oil fields or the agricultural fields. It was very much a part of the people in the Central Valley of California and so when we look at the characters, I think you’re talking about Alebrijes, those kids worked in the fields. But also in Firensnake, the kids who at a certain age went to work in the fields, that was absolutely inspired by the children of migrant workers – that is part of their life. I think now there is a little more stability and kids can stay in one spot, but a lot of times kids would move and migrate with the crops. So [those kids] weren’t able to stay in school, and this was kind of an ode to those kids who didn’t get to stay in school. In Firesnake, just like those children at a certain age, they have to go work in the fields. So I really wanted to get the feeling of that and what it meant in a society that that’s what your future is going to bring – a life in the fields.

Yvonne Tapia: That is really powerful and relatable to the present day as some kids still don’t have access to education, and they have to find the means to [gain access to learning]. [In all three books in the Cuentista Series], the characters have to find a way to get food as well. It’s great how you incorporated the themes of poverty, marginalization, systemic oppression, and social inequality throughout the Cuentista world.

Speaking of education, you also introduce new vocabulary to us as well, with words such as “librex,” which ties into the theme of the power of words. This is essential and ties in with the current rise of artificial intelligence (AI). How did you create these new words for us?

Donna Barba Higuera: In The Last Cuentista, I used a lot of that terminology, such as “story generators,” in reference to AI, and there was no such thing as AI related stories. [AI] came a few years after that. What strange timing for that to be in my book, and then it came to happen, I promise I’m not psychic. I wrote about something that scared me back then, so a lot of the words and vocabulary that I used are just things that came to my mind as I was writing. Oftentimes, it may not make sense, but then I rewrite some of it to make it [understandable]. Sometimes technology is strange – when writing science fiction, it can happen at a very quick pace and sometimes it comes to be that way in the story. A lot of my writing when it seems fantastical while I’m writing it, sometimes it will come to be. For example, in Alebrijes, talking about “the transfer of consciousness,” and now they’re talking about these things in our current world.

A lot of the ideas in Firesnake, about how one would travel from one place to the other and use devices that have anti-gravity, those things are really happening. It’s fun to write those and a lot of times the editor or even the interpreter will say, “I don’t know how to change this word to Spanish” and then I say “Then come up with something, there’s no rules for this.” In Firesnake, I make up names for vehicles, and that’s the fun part for me – using my imagination to just make stuff up and make up words. Each person can come up with a different terminology for some of the things that I said. I love writing in the realm of science fiction because you can just make stuff up.

Yvonne Tapia: Absolutely, and it relates to how all languages we speak are made up and passed down through generations, which is another theme of this series – generational knowledge.

We also learn of a plot twist that has Itzel feeling a certain way about our beloved Cuentista Petra Peña. This highlights how good communication is key throughout our interactions, from family to friends and onto the next generation. What inspired you to give us that plot twist involving Itzel’s mother.

Donna Barba Higuera: I’ll try not to give away spoilers – when I wrote that, it was very difficult to write, because Petra is very beloved, people love that character. Having Firesnake’s main character, Itzel, who resents Petra in some ways, and I won’t go into why but eventually, I was like, “Okay, if I do this, there will be readers who have read the series who are immediately not going to like Itzel, because the readers will say, ‘oh, how can she not like Petra, how can she resent her?’’ So I had to figure out how to do it in a way that was true to Petra remaining to what she loved, and also Itzel loving something else equally and hopefully the reader will go, “Okay, I can understand both points of view and why that would happen.”

Then when the plot twist happens, you realize it’s even more complicated than what their motivations are since there are other things going on. When I initially started writing, it didn’t have that plot twist. Once I added that plot twist, I had to go back and rewrite other parts of the book. Once I opened that up, the entire story opened up; the middle of the book, the end of the book. All of that opened up and I had to be careful to reveal everything at the right time.

Yvonne Tapia: That goes hand-in-hand with how much it takes for authors to develop the story. I love that you mention this for our aspiring authors because it’s good exercise to know that sometimes you don’t know the whole story. I was really surprised as I read the first chapters, thinking, “No way, why Petra?”

Donna Barba Higuera: As you know, writers will typically turn in a synopsis. When I would give my editor a synopsis, I’d tell him, “Remember, this is probably not where the story is going to conclude.” It’s so helpful when editors trust you to [flourish] the story well. It’s also equally important for editors to give space for all the wild ideas writers have.

Yvonne Tapia: What inspired the creatures that you introduced to us in Firesnake?

Donna Barba Higuera: In the first book of the series, The Last Cuentista, there were snapshots of the planet Sagan, where Petra saw a flower, a couple of creatures. Then, I thought, “Okay, what would she not have seen?” While I was writing Firesnake I got to explore that. Growing up in the desert, there was a concern for Gila monsters and other myths mentioned, and I got to turn them into something from another planet. I got to make things fly, have the imagination wander.

Yvonne Tapia: When you speak about concern, that also ties in to Alebrijes, where Leandro and Gabi, were under Tia Lula’s management and they find out that the only reason they were listening to her was because she instilled fear in them.

Donna Barba Higuera: Exactly. In Firesnake, the stories of why you couldn’t go to places because monsters could harm you were real. In Alebrijes, the characters were the ones who created stories of non-existent monsters and one needs to think about what the motivations are. A lot of it comes down to human nature. Through these books, you realize that the people that you want to be entirely good, sometimes fail. Sometimes the people who you once thought were evil, can do things to redeem themselves. I don’t ever let the reader be entirely comfortable with all the characters since they each have their own flaws. Because I think that oftentimes as a reader, we should be on guard.

Yvonne Tapia: Very important. How did you decide to combine all the three books together, The Last Cuentista, Alebrijes, and Firesnake?

Donna Barba Higuera: It was actually hard, and when I wrote Alebrijes, I didn’t think that anyone would realize that it was the same planet Earth from The Last Cuentista. As I wrote Alebrijes I thought, “This is a standalone. People won’t realize that the post-apocalyptic world the Alebrijes characters are living in was from Haley’s comet in The Last Cuentista.” In Alebrijes, I never even say that it’s Earth until the very end of the story.

When I submitted the first draft, Nick asked, “What was the earth-ending disaster that caused the Alebrijes setting?” and I said, “Yeah but it’s not a series, it’s just a totally different character that’s in my imagination.” Then my editor said, “This is a series,” and when I got to the very end of Alebrijes, I said, “What if the people from Earth found a way to send a message to the people of Sagan to tell them that there were survivors on Earth?” So I did it, I wrote an epilogue that had me decide, “Okay well now I have to write a third book.”

Readers had the questions. Kids were the ones who inspired the third book because kids said, “I wanna know what happens afterwards, after they arrive on Sagan. What was the lifestyle like there?” In The Last Cuentista, there were a lot of chapters that got cut and they were focused on Sagan, so I got to go back and revisit them. But they were all written from Petra’s point-of-view, and Petra is not the main character of Firesnake, therefore I changed up the POV as well. The tone of each book is different because I wanted to give readers different perspectives.

Yvonne Tapia: You’ve highlighted a lot of generational storytelling and how important it is to keep customs, how did you incorporate Petra’s legacy into Itzel?

Donna Barba Higuera: That was so fun to do because I had to ask myself when I started writing this book; what parts of Petra’s storytelling would have survived on Sagan? What parts of her culture would’ve permeated? I wanted to show the power of storytelling and in creating new culture and a new way of thinking. It was a little selfish of me as a writer and I wanted to show how [Petra] who I really grew to love represented something for me. Even the people who weren’t from [Petra’s community], those in new settlements knew of Petra’s stories and the stories that she had created on the planet.

I’d like for readers to think, “Oh! Petra’s culture is on this planet” and then for readers to have it become real to them. I got to create a new planet with my heritage and I love that! That’s the really magical part about being a writer. When I do school visits, students see that they can [be authors as well]. They meet this person in real life and they think, “Oh! She’s a real person who wrote these stories. I can go do that too.” Therefore, it creates that for present and future generations that it is a possibility.

Yvonne Tapia: Beautifully said. Is there a generational custom you’d like to highlight?

Donna Barba Higuera: The time that we spend with our elders is important and the small things that are involved around that. For example, my grandmother and the time I spent with her, where she would just make us Mexican hot chocolate and tell us stories. It’s funny that at first, as a child, I thought it was just my family [that did that], and then to realize – no, this is part of a bigger culture, and these are bigger traditions.

So when I write about those things and then I see people’s reactions, both young and old, stating, “I had those moments with my grandparents too!“ or “I do that with my grandparents too!” and it’s very emotional for people. Those very small things that connect me with someone I love, and you realize that a lot of people have those same moments, and that is so powerful, and it connects us all together. It’s not always a parent, sometimes people just say, “I had that [parent figure] too!”

A lot of Mexican folklore can be weird and [it’s] good to highlight the lessons learned from them.

Yvonne Tapia: I also have that in my family! We bond over a chocolate drink, while learning from the elders. What do you hope readers take away from Firesnake?

Donna Barba Higuera: I thought a lot about the end of the book, and without giving too much, there’s so much that transpires from the very opening chapter of The Last Cuentista to the ending chapter of Firesnake. I was very deliberate about how I ended the book and what I ended it with. It begins with storytelling and it ends with storytelling. At first it began with fear and some hope, and now it is trepidation and also hope. While we may not have all the answers, there is still hope for something better. It was important for me to conclude that series that way.

Yvonne Tapia: Woo! It emphasizes on what we have to do every day as well, continuing to mature from past experiences and pass that onto the next generations. For teachers, librarians, and parent-figures, how do you hope that they elaborate Firesnake into their everyday life?

Donna Barba Higuera: I’d love for my books to have audiences continue to ask questions. For there to be classroom discussions about the questions that arise in all of these books. I’m cautious to not give all the answers in my literature. There are moments in books that can get you wondering about yourself, and oftentimes, kids know better than we do as adults. Youth have the ability to see past the rules of society and sometimes come up with better solutions than older folks can. I’d like for everyone to have discussions about [this series], and for youth to start imagining what and how things can be now and later.

The Cuentista Series in order to read: The Last Cuentista, Alebrijes, Firesnake. For more updates from her recent works, follow author Donna Barba Higuera on:

Website: https://www.dbhiguera.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/donnabarbahiguera

Publisher: Levine Querido

Donna Barba Higuera grew up in Central California surrounded by agricultural and oil fields. As a child, rather than dealing with the regular dust devils, she preferred spending recess squirreled away in the janitor’s closet with a good book. Her favorite hobbies were calling dial-a-story over and over again, and sneaking into a restricted cemetery to weave her own spooky tales using the crumbling headstones as inspiraton. Donna's middle grade and picture books are about kids who find themselves in odd or scary situatons. Donna likes to write about all things funny, but also sad, and creepy, and magical. If you like those things, she hopes you will read her books! Donna lives in Washington State with her family, two dogs and a frog.

Mexican-American professional Yvonne Tapia has an extensive background in marketing, education, and media, supporting both large enterprises and small businesses. Yvonne focuses on raising brand visibility and community engagement, particularly within marginalized sectors. She currently serves as a Senior Instructor at COOP Careers, where she mentors through hands-on marketing training while partnering with businesses from different industries. Outside of work, Yvonne is an avid reader and is involved in supportive causes.

Latinx In Publishing

June 12, 2026

Most Anticipated June 2026 Releases

Latinx In Publishing

June 12, 2026

How are this year’s reading goals going? Check out our list of most anticipated reads coming this month to keep the reading streak alive or to give it a much needed revival! Plus, see our full list of new Latinx titles releasing this month for more.

Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez | FICTION

It is 1968 Oakland, and Natalia Fuentes has been hearing rumors about the beautiful Violeta Miramontes. The young heiress to Spanish colonial wealth has been left paralyzed by a mysterious illness. But Nati knows a thing or two about witchcraft, and she is certain that this is the work of dark magic.

Armed with a plan to break the spell and earn a handsome reward, Nati works her way into the house as Violeta’s caretaker, and immediately discovers her suspicions are true. But who cursed Violeta? And why?

As feelings between the two women bloom into romance, Nati grows more and more reckless, and is forced to face her own ghosts— ones she hoped would stay gone forever.

Riveting and richly layered, Muñeca explores how far one will go to save the person they love—even if that means damning themselves. Cynthia Gómez fills her debut novel with moments that chill your bones and warm your heart, a razor-sharp examination of deep-rooted issues that will haunt readers long after the last page is turned.

Monarchs in the Wild by Israel Moya | YOUNG ADULT

In the summer of 1994, seventeen-year-old Cal ''California'' Garcia can't seem to escape the gossip and horrified looks of his fellow La Sombra residents. They judge him on nothing more than the long scar on his face, his beat up '68 Mustang, and always being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Cal constantly feels like he's been set up to fail. His father left his family after the tragic accident that gave him his scar. His mother spends all her time at church, enchanted by the words of a crooked pastor. And his new-old Mustang brings more trouble and chaos than it's worth. Everything about being in La Sombra tells him he is and always will be a nothing. But as his senior year is coming to an end, his life is turned drastically upside down. Out by the railroad tracks, Cal finds Nora, valedictorian Nora, fallen off a bridge. The monarch butterflies stitched onto her jeans are seared into his memory forever. Having found her body, Cal becomes a person of interest in Nora's suspicious death.

As Cal tries to escape suspicion, an opportunity for a way out of La Sombra emerges from nowhere, and Cal is forced to choose his own fate. Will Cal finally decide who he is and where he wants to be? Or will he let circumstance choose for him and live his life as just another statistic in a farm-worker town?

The Adventures of Juan Planchard by Jonathan Jakubowicz | FICTION

"My name is Juan Planchard. I'm twenty-nine years old, and I have five million dollars in my account. I own a house in Caracas, another in Madrid, and a high-rise apartment in New York. I run a sportsbook at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. I share a private jet with a friend's frontman. And I'm convinced--down to my bones--that every decision I made during the revolution was the right one. My descendants will thank me."

So begins The Adventures of Juan Planchard, the story of a middle-class nobody turned millionaire by weaponizing the very corruption that swallowed Venezuela. He dines with oligarchs, sleeps with models, and navigates a world where power is the only currency--and morality is a luxury no one can afford.

But in the middle of the chaos, greed, and blood money, Juan falls hard for Scarlet, a sharp, seductive American beauty who just might be his way out--or his ultimate downfall.

Cages by Chantel Acevedo | FICTION

Cages is the story of Felix--a zookeeper in Cuba during the time of the missile crisis, an exile in swinging sixties London, and finally a dying man in 1980s AIDS-era Miami. In this daring novel, Acevedo's most personal and heartfelt to date, the fragments of Felix's story are put together like pieces of a puzzle by one who knew him mostly as an absence.

Cuba, 1963. Felix risks everything for an illicit love affair with a co-worker. In a society where homosexuality is branded "counterrevolutionary," their tenderness unfolds in the shadow of danger, treachery, and political oppression. In London, Felix and his wife Anabel navigate exile and reinvention, while an aspiring actress named Claudia finds herself drawn into their orbit, her ambitions and desires colliding with Felix's own hunger for connection. Years later, Virgilio--Anabel's devoted brother--recounts the disintegration of Felix's marriage and his decision to step in and protect the family Felix abandoned. From Anabel, long silent about her complicity in the events that forced Felix's flight from Cuba, to Rita, the daughter born out of wedlock, each vivid character gives us a different version of Felix, and the result is a dazzling mosaic of longing, deception, survival, and reconciliation.

Spanning Havana, London, and Miami over a thirty-year arc, Cages explores exile, forbidden love, fractured families, the nature of truth, and the stories we tell to make sense of the people we cannot forget.

Cathedrals by Claudia Piñeiro | Translated by Frances Riddle | FICTION

Thirty years ago, in an empty plot of a quiet neighbourhood, a teenage girl's body was found quartered and burned. The investigation ended with no arrests and her family - middle class, educated, Catholic - quietly disintegrated. Three decades later, the hidden truth comes to light thanks to the father's enduring love for the victim. That truth will reveal the raw realities lurking behind appearances, the cruelty of those who prioritize obedience and religious fanaticism, the complicity of the fearful and the indifferent, and the loneliness and desperation of those who seek to follow their own path, ignoring the dictates of their elders.

Just as she did with Elena Knows and A Little Luck, Claudia Piñeiro delves into family ties, social prejudice, and the ideologies and institutions that affect our inner worlds to deliver a brave, moving novel that strikes at the heart of these private dramas.

Medea Sang Me a Corrido by Dahlia de la Cerda | Translated by Heather Cleary & Julia Sanches | FICTION

In the mythic but all-too-familiar country of Aztlán, the violence of the cartel and the military are ever-present and indistinguishable, and everyday people strive to survive in the cross fire. Enter Medea: a deity with punk-rock flair, equal parts midwife and gravedigger, ancient but never too old to be petty.

In this novel in stories from the author of the International Booker Prize-nominated Reservoir Bitches, a reimagined Medea helps a trophy girlfriend with her abortion, accompanies a mother in search of her lost son in the desert, and embraces tragic victims of the state and its proxy wars. Dahlia de la Cerda's prose pierces the heart and introduces readers to a magnetic new version of a mythological icon--a femme fatale legend in a fatalistic world.

Together We See by Ari Tison | YOUNG ADULT

How far would you go to protect your land? To protect your family?

Told in multiple points of view, Together We See follows Ulá Dominguez, a Bribri-American teenager, searching for the truth behind her land-activist father's mysterious death on their Native territory in Costa Rica. Ulá and her brother, Kabék, uncover secrets and corruption as they face off against illegal loggers, kidnappers, settlers, and the local government in the hunt for clues. Their only allies are a few family friends and relatives still living in Bribri, as well as a young journalist, who may be in danger himself. But as details of their father's death emerge, long-held trust is broken. And in this sinister web of deception, no one is safe.

Inspired by real-world missing, dead, and attacked Indigenous activists, award-winning author Ari Tison writes her first novel in prose and pushes the envelope yet again by pulling together a propulsive story full of grief, environmental justice, and the fight for retribution.

Animal Spiral by Luis Othoniel Rosa | Translated by Katie Marya | FICTION

Middle-aged streamer twins in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, are the first human beings to successfully connect--sharing their consciousness across 34 translucent cables. In that moment, the Animal is born, an intracerebral force that quickly grows to encompass anthills of synaptically entwined bodies, a floating library kitchen redolent of rice and beans far above the Mississippi river, and a transhuman compound in a future Cuba on the Isle of Youth.

Circling back and forth and ever progressing, Animal Spiral moves through 400 years of human, and then post-human history, beginning with a revolution on the streets of San Juan and ending with five brilliant siblings: the Squash (humanoid), Calima (beetles), Yemayá (eels), Coatlicue (serpents), and Juracán (anthropomorphic birds), who have millions of bodies and all the world's intelligence, but only want to no longer be alone. This is a buoyant, joyous ode to possibility, a warning about the dangers of neglecting what makes us human, and an astonishing exercise of the flexibility and capacity of liminal spaces. Loneliness is a collective disease! We defend our right to madness! Brave are not the ones who resist; brave are the ones who let go!

Latinx In Publishing

June 5, 2026

June 2026 Latinx Releases

Latinx In Publishing

June 5, 2026

On Sale June 2

The World's Game by Yamile Saied Méndez | Illustrated by Andrés Landazábal | CHILDREN’S

One field.
One ball.
Two teams...and a whole lot of fans!

Soccer and the World Cup bring people from all over the world together. Witness the energy, passion, and glory of the world's most popular sport, on and off the field. As one match happens in the stadium, one family gathers to watch the game at home. See the players leave it all on the field and the family watch enthusiastically on tv.

Firesnake by Donna Barba Higuera | MiDDLE GRADE

Itzel has never known a life on Earth. Growing up on Sagan, the granddaughter of the Cuentista, her years have been spent among the dactyls, griblets, and billow seeds of their new planet. But when a mysterious message arrives from across the cosmos, Itzel realizes that the home they thought destroyed hundreds of years ago has survived . . . and with it, another community of humans. Will she and the other Saganites brave the journey back to Earth? And what will they find? For they are not the only ones who have received this message . . .

Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez | FICTION

Monarchs in the Wild by Israel Moya | YOUNG ADULT

Tajín and the Twelve Thunders: A Pre-Columbian Myth by Magaly Morales | CHILDREN’S

Tajín is a fun-loving child full of energy and mischief. When his antics prove too rough for even the monkeys of the forest, he's sent to the pyramid of Los Nichos.

There live the Twelve Thunders, who, with their sweeping capes, thunderous boots, and flashing swords, make the weather. For a time, the boy is on his best behavior while in their service . . . but all too soon, he yearns to join the Thunders in the sky.

Based on a popular Mexican myth, Tajín and the Twelve Thunders is the origin story of how the first hurricanes were created--with the help of one mischievous little boy.

The Messi Effect: How the Global Legend Changed the Future of American Soccer by Paul Tenorio | NONFICTION

In The Messi Effect, Paul Tenorio, national soccer writer for The Athletic, who has spent more than a decade breaking news and providing critical insight into the power and politics of the sport, draws on his numerous high-ranking sources inside Inter Miami, American soccer, and overseas to bring readers behind the scenes and chronicle the last act of Lionel Messi.

The Messi Effect takes you inside the locker room as Messi’s arrival turned a last-place team into a global phenomenon, and into the Major League Soccer boardroom as league owners debated how to leverage Messi’s arrival to shape the future of the league and sport in America. From his cinematic debut goal to his first trophy with Miami and across two more transformative seasons, Messi’s impact was immediate and enormous. His pink No. 10 shirt became the world’s best-selling jersey, MLS stadiums sold out in city after city, and Inter Miami’s valuation soared past $1 billion.

Stream by Aida Salazar | MIDDLE GRADE

It's finally summer—heck, yeah!

With eigth grade done, Elio Solis plans to lock in on his gaming and show the fellas what he's got.

Celi Rivera and her bestie are headed to Hawaii to sun, skate, and search content for her channel.

But those dreams end when a catfishing incident rocks their Oakland community. Suddenly, parents are nosing in posts, taking phones, and laying down lectures about screen-time safety and well-being. Suddenly, Celi and Elio find themselves sent to rural Mexico, without internet, electricity, or even running water save for a dying stream that could wipe out the whole pueblo in the coming summer rains.

Helping curanderas in a healing clinic... carting sticks to rehabilitate the arroyo... turn summer dreams to misery!

But day by day, in nature, beauty, and community, with crushes blooming, can they find their way to each other—and slowly back to themselves?

Kindness Glows in the Dark by Gama Valle | Illustrated by Mrinali Álvarez Astacio | CHILDREN’S

"Please, don't tell anyone," says Kamil.

Nube promises.

Nube knows someone has been stealing from her family's garden, and she's determined to catch whoever it is. But she never would have guessed that the person stealing is her friend Kamil. He helped her when she fell, he likes to share with everyone, and he always insists they let the cucubanos that they catch go. Why would someone so kind do something wrong?

Nube promises Kamil not to tell anyone about the stealing, but when she tells her best friend, word gets out and no one wants to play with Kamil. Through little acts of kindness and friendship, Nube tries to make it up to him. She discovers that Kamil's life at home isn't like hers, and that sharing helps everyone.

The Adventures of Juan Planchard by Jonathan Jakubowicz | FICTION

But in the middle of the chaos, greed, and blood money, Juan falls hard for Scarlet, a sharp, seductive American beauty who just might be his way out--or his ultimate downfall.

My Papa Has a Red Mustache by Leo Espinosa | CHILDREN’S

Papa is a fearless pillow fighter, a pancake ninja, and a pigtail artist – that’s what his daughter thinks. There’s just one problem. Papa has a red mustache. While every other man has a black mustache, Papa is the only man with a red one. It’s embarrassing!

But when Papa takes his daughter to watch her first soccer game, she is too excited to realize that the two have become separated. Where is her papa with the red mustache? In a victorious and goal-worthy finale that will have readers laughing and cheering, she realizes that her papa’s red mustache makes him shine the brightest.

Cooking the Borderlands: Spice and Smoke Between Mexico and the States by Claudette Zepeda | NONFICTION

The Mexican American border has been an inflamed political focal point within the US; at the same time, Mexican food has long been the most popular “ethnic” cuisine in America. A child of the border herself, Claudette Zepeda grew up in both California and Mexico and sees the border as a vibrant, vital, and unique cultural and culinary place. A gifted storyteller and chef, Claudette’s recipes and ruminations humanize border culture through 100 accessible and beloved dishes.

This is a story of a personal and culinary identity that formed betwixt two cultures, told through recipes, anecdotes, and an irreverent sense of humor. Borderlands details the Mexican dishes Claudette grew up eating and loves, their American counterparts, and how the fluidity and flexibility between the two nations shows us a way of being in the world.

We Are Pan by Andre Frattino | Illustrated by Yasmin Florez Montanez | GRAPHIC NOVEL

We Are Pan is based on the true story of Operación Pedro Pan, a joint effort between the U.S. government and the Catholic Welfare Bureau to evacuate 14,000 children from Cuba to the U.S. between 1960 and 1962. With the rise of communism following Fidel Castro’s revolution, parents feared for their children’s future and, through this secret operation, secured passage for them to America. These children (later referred to as “Pedro Pans”) would be distributed across the U.S., mostly living in foster homes. In many cases, these children never saw their families again, and their lives would be changed forever. This is their story.

On Sale June 9

A Light for Lucinda: A Story from the Cuban Revolution by Olga Herrera | CHILDREN’S

When military violence erupts in the streets outside Lucinda's home, the family joins together, pushing furniture against doors, filling cracks with wet napkins, and lighting candles when met with darkness. Amidst the blasts and cries, Lucinda's heart taps against her chest. Mamá's spoon taps against her sizzling pan. How can she cook when so much is happening outside?

Cathedrals by Claudia Piñeiro | Translated by Frances Riddle | FICTION

Alight: How Urban Parrots Found New Places to Belong by Jennifer Torres | Illustrated by Molly Magnell | CHILDREN’S

They squawk.
They screech.
They swoop from palm trees to power lines.

In sunny California, the chatty red-crowned parrot is a part of daily life. Every day, thousands of parrots soar above city streets, cackling and clamoring. They swipe fruit from gardens. They flap over pools and parking lots. They alight on branches where parrots did not always belong.

How did these urban parrots, native to the rugged slopes and wooded canyons of Mexico, find themselves so far from home? How did they form new communities and find new ways to thrive? This true story of animal adaptation and finding new places to belong is an inspiring example of resilience and resourcefulness in the natural world—and within us all.

Rostam Wrecks the Realm by Olivia Abtahi | MIDDLE GRADE

After leaving Earth, Rostam Zamini had just gotten used to life on Enceladus—one of Saturn’s many moons—only to once again have to move when one of his moms gets a fancy new job on dusty and dull Pars-1.

Rostam had worked hard and managed to make friends on Enceladus, but none of the Pars-1 kids seem to be impressed with Rostam’s big-city background. In desperate need of some space cred, Rostam makes a deal with Zahhak—a centuries-old demon prince—for popularity in exchange for the golden mace described in The Persian Book of Kings.

But when Rostam hands the mace over, he unknowingly plunges the planet into darkness by accidentally killing their ancient sun, a red giant. Now he must right his wrongs and save his new home before it’s too late.

La Cucaracha Martina: Based on a Caribbean Folktale by Yanitzia Canetti | Illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson | CHILDREN’S

Follow Cucaracha Martina, a beloved character from Cuban and Caribbean folklore known for her beauty and wit, as she outsmarts her suitors in a series of clever challenges.

The Cat Prophecies: Claw Quest by Nik Korpon & Jorge Enrique Paz | CHILDREN’S

The walls between worlds are wearing thin. On one side is the bustling neighborhood of San Antonio—home to thirteen-year-old Tito Rodríguez.On the other is a mythical realm where forces of darkness are looking for a way out. Standing between worlds are the guardians of humankind—a race of fierce warrior cats, who appear in our world as cute and furry companions.

When Tito follows a stray cat through a hidden portal, he finds himself at the center of this cosmic battle between the warrior cats and evil spirits that feed on negative emotions. And according to an ancient prophecy, Tito is the Chosen One who will lead the fight against the forces of darkness . . . probably.

Sol Goes for Goal! by Julio Anta | Illustrated by Gabi Mendez | MIDDLE GRADE

Twelve-year-old Sol is a great friend, a model student, a beloved daughter and a star soccer player. At least that's what everyone always expects of her. But when the soccer team captain Lily walks by, Sol starts to lose focus. What's with this heart fluttering feeling she has around Lily?! And how can she stay the star player--the star everything--that people see her as if she can barely remember her name (much less how to play soccer) around Lily? Is Sol destined to let everyone down, including herself? Or can she figure out how to be the Sol she wants to be...on and off the field.

Confidences by Adela Zamudio | Translated by Laura Nagle | FICTION

Juan is a Bolivian poet at the turn of the century, visiting the city of Cochabamba and writing letters to his friend Armando about the masked sensuality and hostility he feels seething beneath the placid face of this insular mining town. Antonia is a married woman living in Cochabamba, writing to her friend Gracia about the local gossip--which soon erupts into a scandal that threatens to destroy a family. Contrasting Juan's letters home with Antonia's private correspondence to her friend, Confidences tells a story of tragic love and explosive passions, showing how the intimacies that begin behind closed doors spill out into the public sphere.

Cages by Chantel Acevedo | FICTION

It Came From Neverland by Cynthia Pelayo | FICTION

1914, Wendy Darling works by day as a school teacher, and by night, she assists soldiers who have returned home from the Western Front. There is one mysterious patient who, despite all the care they’ve given him, is in a deep sleep, unable to wake up. One night, when he murmurs the words “Peter Pan,” Wendy is thrown back to a darker time, one that she wishes she could forget.

When one of her students goes missing, it brings back memories of when children went missing and were later found murdered in London many years ago. Wendy is convinced that Peter Pan, the entity that she believes killed those children, is back. She and her brothers had a close encounter with Peter Pan, after all. But her brothers only remember Peter Pan and Neverland as a fantasy of childhood games.

When another child goes missing and signs start to point to Wendy, Scotland Yard digs into old reports, finding that Wendy knew the names of all the children who had been killed. As Wendy tries to prove her innocence, she also has to find a way to stop Peter Pan once and for all.

Cat Love by Tomás Q. Morín | FICTION

The indelible cat heroine of this unexpected tale recalls her life with “the Mustache,” her beloved owner. Trapped in a one-way mirrored box, displayed in a classroom for people who must contemplate her fate as part of their training to become “Emotional Support Humans,” she weaves a self-soothing paean to the poetry, music, and creature comforts she shared with her Mustache—the best products of a society that has gone off the rails in its violence and intolerance.

The trainees in the room, a motley crew our kitty describes with a novelistic flair of her own, are assigned to consider what they feel about her. They also argue about whether there’s really a cat in there, or are they just being manipulated? Their daily required quizzes are as poignant and witty as our narrator herself. Meanwhile, the mystery of her cat-kidnapping is revealed to us, along with her potential next move on a more spectral plane.

On Sale June 16

The Hero Twins in the Realm of Fright by David Bowles | Illustrated by Charlene Bowles | CHILDREN’S

In the age when Maya demigods prepared the world for humans, two of those demigods, twins Hunahpu and Xbalanke, are given a mission by their mother: rescue their father and uncle from Xibalba, the Land of the Dead.

The twins follow the same deadly path into Xibalba where their father and uncle are imprisoned by royalty. They must use all their cleverness, including their magic of song and connection to the animals, to outwit the denizens of the Realm of Fright: mosquitos, macaws, fireflies, and more come to the twins' aid as they spend nights in fright and days playing ball with royalty.

But sometimes, even wit cannot save a demigod. Sometimes, there is a Magic Primeval that has even bigger plans for heroes such as these twins.

Together We See by Ari Tison | YOUNG ADULT

Medea Sang Me a Corrido by Dahlia de la Cerda | Translated by Heather Cleary & Julia Sanches | FICTION

Libertad by Cassandra James | YOUNG ADULT

Alongside her sister, Ximena Reale now sails under the banner of the legendary pirate Gasparilla. But, between the bounty on “Gasparilla’s” head and the Empire’s renewed efforts to stomp out piracy, the sisters’ fellow pirates are suddenly wary of swearing allegiance to their cause.

After a betrayal in the one place they were supposed to be safe, Gasparilla’s crew hits the high seas again and Ximena is reunited with Cazador Dante de León. Her longtime rival has been tasked with capturing her, and Ximena doesn’t know if she can trust the information he’s feeding her about the empire’s plans to take over the Northern Archipelago’s silver mines. “Gasparilla” heads north to rob the robbers, but the Empire has a few nasty tricks up their sleeves—including putting a traitor in the pirates’ midst.

With the armada closing in, Ximena finds herself scrambling to protect the people she loves. The price of freedom is higher than it’s ever been—but is Ximena willing to pay, even if it costs her everything?

Tangled Roots & Wild Dreams by Angela Velez | YOUNG ADULT

Ezzie Ramos is a champion secret keeper. Her brilliant-professor mami and nosy abuelita don’t know about her daily ritual (wandering the art museum), her college applications (hopelessly blank), or her summer plans (avoiding the dreaded f-word, a.k.a. her future, at all costs).

Ezzie’s biggest secret? She’s interning at Sprout, the urban garden she’s stunned to discover her father founded weeks before his death. All she knows about Papi begins and ends with his dazzling scientific research legacy—but what if he dreamed of a different path too?

With seven weeks to uncover who Papi really was, Ezzie must chase down every lead, even if it means tangling with Sprout’s star volunteer, Gabe McCalister, who couldn’t be more off-limits—or distractingly cute. But as Ezzie begins to put down roots at Sprout, she learns that secrets, like seeds, have a way of growing toward the light. . . .

Buzz! Being Brave Around Buzzy, Stinging Insects by Toni Buzzeo | Illustrated by Joe Cepeda | CHILDREN’S

Do you feel scared when you're outside hear that BUZZZZZ? Don't be! With this handy guide, learn everything you need to know about bees and other pollinators.

In simple, accessible language, author New York Times best-selling author Toni Buzzeo describes how kids can be safe around stinging insects. Learn how to remain calm when you meet a bee and what to do if you get stung. Discover how to watch the pollinators in your backyard safely and why they are so important to things kids love, like their favorite foods.

Veracruz All Natural: Fresh Mexican Recipes from Our American Home by Reyna Vazquez & Maritza Vazquez | NONFICTION

Reyna and Maritza Vazquez grew up in Veracruz, Mexico. A rural coastal region, it is famous for its colorful, healthful cuisine. In Veracruz, cooking with red meat is rare, and local dishes are vegetable-forward with proteins like fish, shellfish, chicken, and eggs. Such are the one hundred recipes in Veracruz All Natural, inspired mostly by the home cooking with which the women grew up, along with easy favorites from their restaurants.

Throughout, Reyna and Maritza tell the story of their food, which, in turn, is their story: In 2008, they walked across the Mexican-US border. They made their way to Austin, Texas, where they sold roadside ices. With their first profit, they opened a humble food truck, and then a few more. Now, they have a fleet, plus a restaurant, Veracruz Fonda & Bar. It won a Michelin Gourmand Award last year. They are local heroes with a national story, beloved for their unparalleled food, of course, but also for their generosity, grit, and openness about their immigrant story.

On Sale June 23

Animal Spiral by Luis Othoniel Rosa | Translated by Katie Marya | FICTION

It's All River by Carla Madeira | Translated by Alison Entrekin | FICTION

Lusted after by everyone she meets, Lucy is the town's most deviant and desired whore--and proud of it. But there is only one man who has captured her attention: the somber, ever-suffering Venâncio, a carpenter with a dark secret--and a wife. Once upon a time, Venâncio and Dalva, his angelic teenage sweetheart, were a shining example of marital bliss and the envy of all their neighbors--until tragedy left them estranged in their own home.

But Venâncio doesn't desire Lucy the way other men in town do. In fact, he wants nothing to do with her. And if Lucy fails in seducing Venâncio, what becomes of her? Consumed by an insatiable need for Venâncio and driven mad by a growing obsession with Dalva, Lucy makes a decision that forever changes their three lives.

On Sale June 30

Cursed Ever After by Andy C. Naranjo | YOUNG ADULT

Love is not for cursed girls. Risa is better off without it.

Risa Porto is a Bad Thing who was born on a Bad Day and is cursed with Bad Luck. After years of taking the blame for every calamity, mishap, and minor inconvenience that befalls the townspeople of Barrow, Risa longs to escape her village. And on her seventeenth birthday, her wish is granted.

Sort of.

Risa owes a (very annoying) witch a favor, and it comes in the form of a quest: She must escort Prince Javi—the youngest, handsomest, and least significant of the kingdom’s princes—through the dark (and deadly) Bosque to his wedding. This measly errand quickly spirals into a struggle with greedy assassins, a murderous cult, a vicious tyrant, and Risa’s own curse.

Most unfortunate of all . . .

Risa is not immune to Javi’s charms. The more time she spends with the prince, the stronger—and more irritating—her urge to kiss him becomes.

Through the Black Gate by Alfredo Cáceres | MIDDLE GRADE

Living at her caregiver Ruth’s hostel, Irene spends every waking hour studying a mystical book that her parents left behind in the fire that took their lives. Irene thinks the book can help her see them again, if only Moses will give her a clue.

Then, just as a strange fog sweeps over their quiet Chilean town, a mysterious young musician named Francis moves into the hostel. Irene and her new roommate don’t particularly get along, but Moses soon leads them both through the fog to a strange tear in reality: an entrance to the Land of the Dead.

Believing this is the key to seeing her parents again, Irene and Francis cross to the other side. There, they encounter the Ferryman of the Dead, who is desperate to escape into the Land of the Living. The Ferryman offers to return Irene and Francis’s loved ones in exchange for their help. In the face of such a massive promise, Irene and Francis must decide whether to risk the fate of both the Lands of the Living and the Dead or be braver than they ever thought possible.

The Summer of the Serpent by Cecilia Eudave | Translated by Robin Myers | FICTION

Guadalajara, Mexico, 1977. In a quiet residential neighborhood, children witness things they can never forget: a serpent girl weeping in a carnival glass box, a neighbor who dangles his dog from a tree, and a ghost who returns night after night, desperate to tell its story. Meanwhile, the grown-ups drift through the season half oblivious, their spirits eroding as the relentless summer wears on.

Told in colliding voices—children and adults, ghosts and the haunted, the living and the almost-invisible—The Summer of the Serpent is a prismatic portrait of the past, where memory is shot through with myth. Each narrator offers a fragment of the truth, until the stories twist together into a shape as elusive and mesmerizing as the boa constrictor that winds its way through the neighborhood.

Guest User

May 18, 2026

Your First Language, Cultural Practices, and Family Vocabulary Honor: 'Mami’s Magic Words' by Kiara Valdez and Illustrated by Richy Sánchez Ayala

Guest User

May 18, 2026

Author Kiara Valdez’s picture book, Mami’s Magic Words, leads with the power of words, and how our everyday conversations can have a deep impact on an individual. This story has beautiful language that for some people might feel like home, such as “conflé.” Young readers will connect together as they hear words they might be familiar with, while adult readers will be transported back to when they first learned a word.

YVONNE TAPIA: Welcome Kiara! It’s great to have you here; your story made me feel seen and love how it speaks on the importance of words, especially from family. How did you decide to write about this topic?

KIARA VALDEZ: Thank you Yvonne! That means a lot. I actually had a similar experience to the story when I took an official Spanish class in school. For fun I decided to take a 200-level Spanish class because I wanted an easy-grade. There was a moment when the class was talking, I don’t remember the actual topic, and in the conversation I said the Dominican Spanish version of “messy.” My teacher didn’t know the word and he asked, “What do you mean? Like organizing something?” and while it wasn’t super mean on his part he seemed to have a condescending [tone and expression]. That had such a profound impact on me, and it’s when and where I started thinking about languages, dialects, and similar in Spanish.

Once I started wanting to write a picture book, this is the topic I really wanted to talk about, because from that moment on in high school, I [noticed] how much I loved the Dominican dialect, and learned [little by little] how there are different dialects and it also depends on where you go and who you’re talking to. I’ve always been a language learner and a lover of language.

I wanted to do a kind of homage to the Dominican accent with this perfect picture book.

YVONNE TAPIA: So powerful, and I relate. Growing up I would find myself in situations where I would say a word or expression that I learned from my mom or other loved one and, sometimes someone would ask me to clarify. Translating Spanish slang to standard Spanish or from Spanish to English was different. When I got asked to clarify by another fellow Latino, that had me learn that even among Spanish-speaking countries there are differences in each country’s Spanish- language slang.

KIARA VALDEZ: Exactly. As I got older, I realized that even having accents, [in my case the Dominican accent] was its own type of special.

“ Magic is the everyday. It’s a feeling, a curiosity. It’s a kind of warmth that reminds you you’re alive and that you’re human. There are so many things that can hold [magic], like words.”

YVONNE TAPIA: Absolutely. How did you connect with your illustrator to make this story come to life?

KIARA VALDEZ: Through my agent and our wonderful editor, Maggie, at Viking. [She] really saw the vision. At first, this picture book [had its difficulties]; we had a lot of “no’s.” For a hot second there, I thought this book would not exist. But someone amazing at Viking found and understood the vision [for this picture book] and we went from there.

YVONNE TAPIA: That’s great and it makes a huge difference. Your story shows that words can connect and hold a magic of their own. What does magic mean to you in this context? How do you come across it every day?

KIARA VALDEZ: Yes! Magic is the everyday. It’s a feeling, a curiosity. It’s a kind of warmth that reminds you you’re alive and that you’re human. There are so many things that can hold [magic], like words.

YVONNE TAPIA: Definitely, woo!

KIARA VALDEZ: I’ve been an avid reader since I was a kid; words, stories, the library. They held a lot of comfort for me and that, for me, was magic. The Dominican accent, music with its own words and melody, that’s all magic for me. Those interactions remind us that we are live, and there’s a reason to wake up the next day. I wanted to bring that feeling together [through this story].

YVONNE TAPIA: This also ties in with how we honor the words and customs our ancestors used; from how we express ourselves to how we interact with each other.

KIARA VALDEZ: Yes, 100%!

YVONNE TAPIA: How did you establish the story’s setting?

KIARA VALDEZ: I was debating whether to have it outside the classroom setting, and then I remembered my own past experience. In a classroom, in this case a language class, teachers are meant to be the experts of the language. When Karena was questioned about her language by “an authority figure of the language,” that’s when the theme of this story really kicks off. The whole theme, like the Dominican dialect and generally my [opinion] about accents, are fighting the official quote-unquote language established in the classroom. The teacher starts off as a bit antagonistic, and then even the teacher’s character develops, which I [enjoyed writing]. Everyone can question everything.

YVONNE TAPIA: Yes, taking ownership of that! This goes back to the theme of who owns the story, how the story is told, who listens to it, etc. In this example, one person’s home experience can be very different from another’s, and that’s exactly what we see from Karena, who grew up on Dominican vocabulary from her mother whereas her classmates didn’t. Each cultural heritage has their own vocabulary. Like you said, it’s good practice to question everything.

KIARA VALDEZ: I love that. Karena is a very inquisitive child, and I think that’s a great habit for kids to have.

YVONNE TAPIA: What challenges did you face when writing about linguistic identity to young readers? This is a very powerful topic to convert into a picture book.

KIARA VALDEZ: That was the biggest difficulty, and following that was getting this book acquired. Some editors my agent and I submitted this story to said, “this should be a chapter book” or “this can’t be a picture book because it’s too complex.” I stated this can be a picture book as it can have different layers. A kid will read it and understand some layers, while a parent-figure or other adult will understand the story fully and see the extra layers. Then when the kid grows older, and they read the story again, they’ll [understand] a new layer. As an older individual you can see the complexities of the linguistic part of the story.

This is a story about having pride in the language you’re taught at home. I think that’s something any kid can walk away with very happily. This is a celebration of words. Celebrating the difference between Spanish dialects and similar. Readers can also walk away with thinking deeper about the idea of borrowing language from each other. For instance, how English and Spanish were the languages most exchanged [in the world].

YVONNE TAPIA: That ties in with how classroom settings establish language as well.

KIARA VALDEZ: Yes, like who decided what the standard of language is? It’s something to think about. It should be more custom to accept that accents exist and it’s beautiful if a person has or does not have an accent. It’s also important to remember the exchange of language. While we use the word “chancleta,” others might use “chancla” and that’s beautiful.

You can also start wondering and searching for reasons to things like why Dominicans cut all of their “S’s”, which is for phonetic reasons. It’s part of a system we built as people and depending on the region each lives in.

YVONNE TAPIA: Absolutely, each person learned to speak a language based on where and how they grew up. In Karena’s story, you bring to readers words like “poloché” and “conflé.” If you know you know, readers.

KIARA VALDEZ: Haha, “poloché” originates from “polo shirt,” and this relates to the concept of how words are sometimes borrowed to be adapted in another language and/or culture. There could’ve been a previous non-anglicized version of the word, and that’s why it’s wonderful to invite all languages as they each hold history based on interactions.

As I continued my schooling, I learned that [there are people] that consider the Dominican accent to be “lower tier,” as in very ghetto. So I want to make sure kids who are not growing up in a majority Dominican neighborhood, especially now, that youth and [adults] don’t experience what happened to me and they feel confident and embrace their language from the very beginning.

We’re blessed with people like Bad Bunny as he performed in the Bunny Bowl. There may be instances where we don’t fully understand some lyrics but he’s developed a culture of appreciating an accent, and I’d love for my book to follow suit. Just think about the magic of words. Think about how beautiful our accents are. When I went to school, sometimes I would find myself missing our accents. It’s like its own onomatopoeia.

YVONNE TAPIA: I too grew up hearing different accents. What would you like for readers to take away with this story?

KIARA VALDEZ: I’d like for adults to be more careful with how they address language with kids. *spoiler alert* By the end of the story, there is even an adult who realizes even she has changed up her home vocabulary. She becomes introspective about why she makes the decisions she makes when it comes to Spanish-language. So that in turn is her own story.

I really encourage Spanish teachers to bring their cultural point-of-view and even include discussions about accents sometimes. For parents, to have conversations about language with your kids and grow from there.

For more updates from her recent works, follow author Kiara Valdez on:

Website: https://kiaravaldez.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dezinpub/

Kiara Valdez is an Afro-Dominican writer and graphic novel editor from New York City (shout out to Washington Heights). She graduated from Williams College with a double major in English Literature and Japanese, and spends her free time reading, writing, and enjoying a long list of other hobbies she can't keep up with. She writes graphic novels, pictures books, and story books that include titles such as Dear Dad (with Jay Jay Paeon and Markia Jenai, Marvel's Liele Groot), Big Feelings and We Are Groot (both with Wendy Tan), Mami's Magic Words (with Richy Sánchez Ayala), and Stepping Up (with Diana Tsai Santos).

Roxanna Cardenas Colmenares

May 12, 2026

Book Review: 'Our Fair Share' by Sarah Marie Jette

Roxanna Cardenas Colmenares

May 12, 2026

Many authors, educators, and parents agree that before entering adolescence, children are at their most impressionable age; they absorb the world as it is presented to them. So, it is important that they learn about themselves and society through compassionate, respectful, and encouraging lenses. Sarah Marie Jette knows this, and it is evident by the cheerful, loving world she creates in Our Fair Share, a story that follows four friends who are dealing with their own battles while trying to save the fair they love.

The story follows Cassi, Serafina, James, and Avory in a multiple-POV, close-third narration style that allows readers to get to know each character deeply. The narrator’s voice subtly shifts when following each character, which enhances the differences in their personalities. Cassi is a girl who likes all things spooky. She’s an artistic, independent, and sensitive kid who deals with an estranged relationship with her father after a rumor about him spreads. Serafina is a caring, compassionate girl who struggles with PTSD symptoms after a car accident. She’s creative and loves writing fortunes for the fair’s visitors and helping her friends. James is a boy who is a master with thread. He’s a crafty, hardworking, and kind kid who hasn’t told anyone about being bullied at his new school. Avory is a child with willpower. They’re observant, quirky, and strong, both physically and mentally, but they have an insecurity about their body.

“[Jette] crafts a world where kids are allowed to make mistakes and encouraged to face the lessons that come with them; a world where growth is inevitable. ”

The friends are experiencing individual change, but so is the fair—thanks to the new fair manager, Mr. Mercier. He’s setting new rules, and the children are not fans of this. Why must everything change? Jette masterfully portrays the middle schooler’s experience by showing how quickly our bodies, minds, and relationships change during this time, how our rituals might not fit us anymore and the emotional toll this can have on us. Not only does she write Cassi, Serafina, James, and Avory with unique, complex personalities and struggles, but she also gives them (and us) the perfect antagonist for this story: a boring adult. Mr. Mercier is an outsider, someone who doesn’t understand the fair’s traditions that are so precious to the fair folk, especially the children. Does this make him evil? To the four friends, yes (and maybe to most readers as well).

But not all adults are antagonists in this story. Jette’s compassionate approach to characterization spreads to the kids’ parents as well. The most touching moments in this novel are those in which the children go to their parents for comfort, and they receive it. There was so much love on the page, that warmth would fill my chest every time. Cassi, Serafina, James, and Avory have peculiar interests, and each of their parents support this. Their support is not superficial either, they’re invested in letting their kids explore these unique parts of themselves. Cassi’s dad helps her hunt for treasures (even if the treasures are skeletons), Serafina’s mom encourages her to write more fortunes, James’s mom and big sister are proud of his knitting talent, and Avory’s parents never fail to remind them that they’re the strongest 12-year-old of the fair. However, even with all the love and support they receive, the children still hide their battles from their parents.

The author knows this is the age when kids start hiding secrets from their parents (and even from their friends), and she does a brilliant job at showing how even the smallest of lies can have big consequences. The four friends grow apart as they face their issues, and the fair—with its lovely traditions and fun—suffers as a result. Jette creates characters that have some individual learning to do while emphasizing the importance of community in trying times. She crafts a world where kids are allowed to make mistakes and encouraged to face the lessons that come with them; a world where growth is inevitable.

Our Fair Share is a story about community and love. It teaches us to celebrate our unique traits, rely on our loved ones, and embrace change as something positive. Sarah Marie Jette’s wonderful prose illuminates the page as if it was made of stars—or rather, fair lights.

Sarah Marie Jette (she/her) is Mexican American and grew up in Lewiston, Maine, in a house filled with books. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, she served in the Peace Corps in Mongolia, studied rehabilitation counseling, and now teaches elementary school. Jette was honored as a semifinalist in the 2022 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year recognition. Her book, What the Wind Can Tell You (Islandport Press, 2018) was on the 2019 Massachusetts Book Awards Must Read List, received the 2018 Lupine Honor Award from the Maine Library Association, and was on the 2018 New England Children’s Booksellers Advisory Council’s Windows and Mirror’s List. When she's not teaching or writing, she's crafting with her three children or snuggling with her cats.

Roxanna Cardenas Colmenares is a Venezuelan-born writer and poet who was Latinx in Publishing’s Communications Intern in 2024. She’s a recipient of college awards like The Henry Roth Award in Fiction and The Esther Unger Poetry Prize. She also served as the editor-in-chief of the student publication, The Paper. Currently, she’s a senior editor for the literary journal, Promethean.

Latinx In Publishing

May 8, 2026

Most Anticipated May 2026 Releases

Latinx In Publishing

May 8, 2026

May is packed with exciting new releases, including a new title from our Middle Grade Work-In-Progress Fellow, Sarah Marrie Jette! Add Jette’s new book, Our Fair Share to your tbr, and then check out the rest of our list for more titles we are looking forward to picking up this month.

Hear Ye Mortals by Yamile Saied Méndez | YOUNG ADULTS

In 1976 Rosario, Argentina, brothers Daniel and Adrián Aguirre share a passion for music and a bond as best friends. However, under the authoritarian military government, artists and musicians are considered enemies of the state, even if they're just teenagers playing at home. When one of their songs unexpectedly gains popularity on the radio, Daniel and Adrián, along with their band Río Babel--comprised of children of immigrants from Spain, Palestine, and Germany--face a daunting choice.

They must decide whether to pursue their dream of becoming musicians or to remain silent to protect their families. Ready to challenge the military regime, their resolve is tested when one of their own goes missing.

This novel delves into the power of music in the fight for a better tomorrow, making it a compelling read for those who appreciate stories of courage, family, and the enduring spirit of resistance against a totalitarian regime.

The Game at the End of the World: Villainous Referees, Communist Bakers, the Secret Women's World Cup, and a Goalkeeper's Last Stand by Juan Villoro | Translated by Francisco Cantú | NONFICTION

Soccer (née football) fans will rejoice at this all-new volume of crackling essays from the author of God Is Round. Here, Juan Villoro explores the sport through the elements that make it the world's favorite pastime, from its ancient origins, near-mythic players, exhilarating matches, endemic rivalries, and the unlikely moments in which football has changed history.

As a prolific writer and chronicler of World Cup games around the world, Villoro draws on a rich cultural mosaic to inspire readers, players, and fans long after the final whistle blows. With a journalist's ear and a philosopher's outlook, he has produced a collection for curious newcomers and lifelong football buffs alike.

Please Don't Go by E. Salvador | FICTION

Josefine Resendiz is trying to survive the weight of grief while pretending her life hasn’t come to a complete standstill. She doesn’t know how to name what she’s feeling or how to fix what feels broken inside her. All she knows is that staying afloat is getting harder by the day.

Daniel Garcia looks like he has everything going for him. A gifted shortstop with a future everyone believes in, he carries himself with easy charm and quiet confidence. What no one sees is the guilt and loss he’s been carrying since his brother’s death, grief he’s learned to hide behind smiles and discipline.

That's until he stumbles upon Josefine on Christmas Day, by chance and at the wrong time, in a moment that was never meant to last. But some connections refuse to disappear. When their paths keep crossing, forgetting each other becomes impossible. Feelings surface. Defenses falter. Being together starts to feel like relief.

As they grow closer, they are forced to face the question neither of them is ready to answer: What happens when love arrives before healing does, and letting go feels just as terrifying as holding on?

Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can't Forget by Reyna Grande | NONFICTION

Reyna Grande has spent her career capturing the raw reality of life across borders. In this intricate and deeply intimate memoir-in-essays, the author of the landmark memoirs The Distance Between Us and A Dream Called Home again turns her gaze inward to explore the scars left by migration and the ongoing work of stitching herself back together.

With her signature blend of sophistication and raw honesty, Grande interrogates how living between two nations, two languages, and two identities has shaped the woman, mother, and writer she has become. Moving from the legacy of violence in her hometown of Iguala, Mexico, to a bittersweet family vacation in Europe spent reconciling her own impoverished past with her children’s world of abundance, she uncovers startling truths about the nature of survival.

Whether being racially profiled in the Arizona borderlands or finding unexpected wisdom from the slugs in her garden, Grande unflinchingly asks: How do we bridge the gap between who we were and who we have become? How do we turn pain into power? When memory threatens to define us, how can we use story to heal while still honoring our boundaries?

Our Fair Share by Sarah Marie Jette | MIDDLE GRADE

Seasonal work at the fairgrounds for most summers means Seraphina, James, Avory, and Cassi are all experienced in fair life. Beloved traditions keep the best friends plenty busy. For them, this is more than just a summer vacation in Knox County, Maine. These are the best months of the year. This is their fair.

But it seems like everyone is distracted. James is having trouble at his new school. Avory is feeling smaller than ever. Cassi just wants to be left alone, but that's hard when your dad is caught in a scandal that leads to more eyes on her that she's never dreamed of. And Seraphina is afraid she'll never get over the accident no one knows about. To make matters worse, there's a new fair manager - a community outsider - who seems determined to take away what is special about their fair. This summer is feeling a little too different. With two months ahead of them, the four friends need to find a way not just to survive their own inner turmoil, but to help their fair community thrive.

Tarantula by Eduardo Halfon | Translated by Daniel Hahn | FICTION

In 1984, Eduardo and his younger brother, living in exile for several years in the United States, travel back to their native Guatemala to participate in a Jewish children's camp in a remote forest of the highland mountains. They no longer know their homeland. They barely speak the language. Their parents had insisted that they spend a few days at the camp to learn not only ways of survival in the wild, but also ways of survival in the wild for Jewish children. It's not the same, they had been told. Upon their arrival, they are met with the promise of adventure. But early one morning, they are roused from bed and forced to play a sinister game they can't afford to lose.

Many years later, Eduardo, now a father himself and living in Berlin, happens upon a former campmate in Paris who connects him to Samuel Blum--the counselor who kept a snake in his pocket, had what a young Eduardo took for a tarantula crawling down his arm, and offers no apologies for the camp's disturbing methods.

The Chismosas Only Book Club by Laekan Zea Kemp | Illustrated by Heidi Moreno | MIDDLE GRADE

Cat, Sofia, Ana, and Mari are best friends. Nothing, nada, can break their bond. When Cat’s mom scolds them for their loud cackling at the bookstore, calling them a bunch of chismosas, the name sticks. Cat creates the The Chismosas Only Book Club, giving the girls a way to stay connected as they begin high school.

But ninth grade is hard, and it seems like no amount of conchas y libros y risas at Milagro’s Books, founded generations ago by Cat’s great-great-great-grandmother, can repair the ever-growing cracks in their friendship. But maybe the spirit of Milagro herself can . . .

Brimming with whimsy and heart, and woven with black-and-white graphic novel chapters, this enchanting book celebrates the magic of friendship, the embrace of ancestors, and the power of stories to hold us together.

Latinx In Publishing

May 6, 2026

May 2026 Latinx Releases

Latinx In Publishing

May 6, 2026

On Sale May 5

The Mystery of the Stolen World Cup Trophy by Angela Cervantes | CHILDREN’S

Diez Espada—named after the jersey number of his soccer-obsessed father’s favorite player, Lionel Messi—would rather be chasing clues than soccer balls. When the World Cup trophy disappears at a glitzy party in Miami, he’s suddenly at the center of the most thrilling match of his life—a race to find the trophy before it’s gone for good.

Teaming up with his crush, Rio, and the world-famous Detective Enzo, Diez dives headfirst into a one-night whirlwind of secret tunnels and a squad of suspicious suspects: a spoiled son of a Miami tycoon, a famous sportscaster, and even Rio's two prankster younger brothers.

The clock is ticking, the suspects are slippery, and the stadium lights are ready to shine. Will Diez find the trophy in time for the World Cup championship match?

The Game at the End of the World: Villainous Referees, Communist Bakers, the Secret Women's World Cup, and a Goalkeeper's Last Stand by Juan Villoro | Translated by Francisco Cantú | NONFICTION

Oceans ABC by Jennifer Sutoski | Illustrated by David Rojas Marquez | CHILDREN’S

Dive into the wonders of the sea with Oceans ABC, the newest title in Taffy Tales’ best-selling Fun Flaps series. This interactive chunky board book introduces the alphabet through stunning, realistic artwork and sturdy lift-the-flap surprises, making learning letters an underwater adventure. From A is for Anchor to Z is for Zooplankton, each page reveals fascinating ocean creatures and hidden facts, engaging young readers while building vocabulary, letter recognition, and curiosity about the ocean.

Hear Ye Mortals by Yamile Saied Méndez | YOUNG ADULTS

Manny Matches the Weather by Jenny Lacika | Illustrated by Antonieta Muñoz Estrada | CHILDREN’S

Join Manny in an exploration of temperature and weather, because STEAM is everywhere and for everyone!

Manny has style! But sometimes, Manny’s style does not match the weather. Can Manny learn to observe both the temperature and the weather to build outfits with fashion and function in mind?

Luz Makes a Splash by Claudia Dávila | MIDDLE GRADE

Residents of the city of Petroville are suffering through the hottest and driest summer on record. Desperate for a way to cool off, Luz and her friends head out to Spring Pond to go swimming. But when they arrive, they're shocked to discover that the pond has virtually disappeared! As it turns out, a multinational company has purchased the nearby land and is using the water to make their soda. Meanwhile, the community vegetable gardens in Friendship Park are withering - at risk of dying because of the lack of rain - and the city has imposed water restrictions. Luz and her friends are just kids, but is there anything they can do to help save two of Luz's favorite places?

Labrador Skies by Kayla Williams | Illustrated by Kayla Williams & Thamires Paredes | CHILDREN’S

Hush my sweet one, close your eyes, let me tell you a story of the Labrador skies.

This poem, written by Labrador Inuit author and illustrator Kayla Williams, takes readers on a lyrical journey through the skies of Labrador, showcasing all the beauty that makes "the Big Land" unique.

From snowmobiles gliding through quiet forests to the snowy crunch of skin boots on the ice, the sights and sensations of Labrador are lovingly recreated for young readers.

This is our home of Labrador, the most beautiful place we could be.

When We Go Home by Heather Beaumont| Illustrated by Nátali de Mello | CHILDREN’S

Marlee's parents are excited. "We are going back home!" they tell her and her brother. "Not my home," Marlee says. She knows the island is where her mum and dad grew up, and that she and her brother will get to do lots of fun things when they visit. But she's never been there. And though her dad says a person can have two home countries, Marlee isn't sure she believes him. But slowly, the warm welcome from her large, loving family, the coconut water she drinks on the beach and the many other delights she discovers on the island, from pigs on the beach to music at bedtime, help Marlee see that what her dad says is true.

Summer in the City by Alex Aster | FICTION

Twenty-seven-year-old screenwriter Elle has the chance of a lifetime to write a big-budget movie set in New York City. The only problem? She’s had writer’s block for months, and her screenplay is due at the end of the summer.

In a desperate attempt at inspiration, Elle ends up back in the city she swore she would never return to, in an apartment she could never afford (floor-to-ceiling windows, skyline views, and a new coffee shop to haunt included). It’s the perfect place to write her screenplay…until she realizes her new neighbor is tech “Billionaire Bachelor” Parker Warren, her stairwell hookup from two years ago. It’s been a lovers-to-enemies situation ever since.

When seeing him again turns into a full night of hate-fueled writing, Elle realizes her enemy/twisted muse might just be the key to finishing her screenplay... if she can stand being around her polar opposite. She writes anonymously, and he’s on the cover of every business magazine. He frequents fancy red carpeted events, and she doesn’t like leaving her emotional support five block radius.

One summer. One wall apart. He needs to fake a buzzy relationship during his company’s precarious acquisition. She needs to write a movie around a list of NYC locations. Both need a break from their unrelenting schedules, and a chance to rediscover the skyscraper glimmering, pizza crusted, sunlit charms of the city.

Summers always end, and so will this agreement. It’s all pretend. Promise.

Until it isn’t.

Pink Tongue Out, Blind Cat by Maria Paz Guerrero | Translated by Robin Myers | POETRY

In María Paz Guerrero's Pink Tongue Out, Blind Cat, unnamed bodies are cut open in search of disease, legs buckle and collapse under pressure, and a blind cat stalks its way through the collection, bumping into unseen objects along the way. María Paz Guerrero's poetry collection is both experimental and lyrical, drawing readers into its eerily clipped, ever beguiling rhythm.

On Sale May 12

Canícula / Dog Days by William Archila | Translated by Mario Zetino | POETRY

William Archila's Canícula / Dog Days is a bilingual selection of his first two books of poetry, The Art of Exile and The Gravedigger's Archaeology, two collections that chart the emergence of a newcomer in the chorus of Latin Poetry. Canícula, which means "dog days" in English, takes the reader on a poignant journey from the unrest in El Salvador in the 1980s to the urban landscape of the US immigrant, revealing the turmoil and memory of the disempowered, the impoverished, and the displaced who struggle back home in Central America. In lyrical and often harrowing language, Archila unearths the vestiges of war and the exile's return in an elegy, the fragments of a myth, or a jazz riff. They come together like the bilateral symmetry of a volcano, and the result is the introduction to Archila's poetry for the Spanish reader.

Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can't Forget by Reyna Grande | NONFICTION

The Last Page by Katie Holt | FICTION

Ella has grown up at The Last Page, a charming local bookstore in New York City where she now works. Her first kiss was in the women’s health section. A boyfriend dumped her in comedy. The owner is like a second father to her and has begun training her to take over the store. So when he unexpectedly dies and his estranged grandson is left everything in the will, Ella is devastated.

Henry doesn’t know the first thing about running a bookstore. With his aging mom back in Tennessee, he plans to stay in New York just long enough to ensure things are running smoothly and then head back home. What he never could have counted on was the beautiful, funny bookseller who loves The Last Page more than any place in the world—and who sees him as the villain who’s come to ruin her life.

But when it becomes evident that the store is in deep financial trouble and Henry and Ella are both at risk of losing everything, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and team up—despite the inconvenient chemistry blossoming between them.

Our Fair Share by Sarah Marie Jette | MIDDLE GRADE

Please Don't Go by E. Salvador | FICTION

On Sale May 19

I'm Gonna Get You Back by Eva Des Lauriers | YOUNG ADULT

Reid Rousseau has always been a winner. Now, he's a former state champion runner with an injury no one can know about and a college scholarship on the line. When he’s invited as the guest of honor for Legacy Weekend, a competitive tradition that welcomes high school alumni back to their small mountain town, Reid would rather run away than face his crumbling future—and the girl who broke his heart.

Clara Suarez’s legacy can’t be failure. A year out of high school and aimless, she has one last shot at getting into her dream film school: creating a Legacy Weekend video interviewing her former classmates—including Reid, her ex—about their explosive senior year and the scandal that capped it off. But any time people return to the mountain, drama follows . . . especially when an anonymous social media account starts airing everyone's dirty laundry.

Reid isn’t the only one hiding something, and Clara isn’t the only one with regrets. Their spark is still strong enough to set off a wildfire, but their secrets might just tear them apart for good.

Tarantula by Eduardo Halfon | Translated by Daniel Hahn | FICTION

Running Home to You by Samantha Saldivar | FICTION

When Abby Cruz transfers to Insley University and joins the softball team, it seems the only thing she and Kate Hutchins have in common is their love of the game. Abby’s raw talent and reckless behavior threaten Kate’s carefully controlled world, especially when their coach assigns Kate the unwelcome task of tutoring her rival.

As they learn to work together, they discover their differences are exactly what they’ve been missing off the field. Kate provides Abby with a sense of home after loss and grief. Abby, meanwhile, helps Kate embrace a freedom she’s never known because of her strict religious upbringing. As they chase a national title, it’s not long before the same love they have for the game grows for each other.

But much like on the diamond, their relationship requires perfect timing. While they try and fail to get it right over the next decade, the game keeps bringing them back together—from Puerto Rico to Tokyo, through courtrooms, churches, and Las Vegas casinos—as they fight to shake the weight of generational curses. But when an alumni game returns them to their college field, they must decide if it’s really the love of the game calling them home, or the one in their hearts that they’ve never been able to let go of.

What Science Says about Astrology by Carlos Orsi | NONFICTION

For thousands of years, people have believed that the configuration of stars and planets in the sky influences earthly events. Today, astrology is a lucrative global market, with newspaper columns, mobile apps, and professional counselors weighing in on everything from love life to health to the stock market. Yet scientific evidence shows indisputably that it is simply superstition. Why does astrology appeal to so many people? What makes its prognostications seem persuasive? Is there any harm to believing in astrology anyway?

This book aims a scientific lens at astrology, from its colorful history to experimental tests of its predictions through the social and psychological factors that explain its enduring popularity. Carlos Orsi explores the importance of astrology to the history of science and the reasons it has been categorized as a pseudoscience. He investigates its tenets, recounting how scientists debunked common claims. With both empathy and skepticism, Orsi illuminates the psychological, rhetorical, and emotional mechanisms that cause people to find astrological predictions convincing. He also addresses the dangers of irrational beliefs and the risks of applying astrology to serious decisions. Wide-ranging and entertaining, this book offers a critical look at the modern appeal of an ancient superstition.

The Dumped Truck by Daniel Bernstrom | Illustrated by Marcelo Verdad | CHILDREN’S

Welcome to Toyville, where Dump Truck does his work. His dirty work. Dump Truck cleans, fixes, and dumps stuff because—hey!—it’s his job.

But the other toys can’t stand Dump’s less-than-tidy appearance.

So they make a new rule: NO DIRTY DUMP TRUCKS.

When Dump Truck gets dumped, what will he—and the other toys—do?

Find out in this funny yet thoughtful tale about working together and proving that there’s nothing wrong with getting a little dirty.

Honeybird Blue by Taunya English | Illustrated by Raissa Figueroa | CHILDREN’S

Can you spot two early birds EARbirding on a father-daughter nature walk?

With each chirp and cheep, Honeybird ticks off a color on her birding adventure list:

Yellow. Tick!

Green. Tick!

But where’s Blue? Honeybird has never seen Blue. Not ever!

With her budding outdoor skills, a bit of patience, and encouragement from Pop, today could finally be the day.

On Sale May 26

We Could Be Anyone by Anna-Marie McLemore | YOUNG ADULT

Lola and Lisandro are actors during Hollywood’s Golden Age, but you won’t see them on any silver screen. Instead, these siblings use their talents to scam the rich and famous out of their ill-begotten cash. They have their act down to a science: Lola plays the tragic ghost who haunts the mansions of the wealthy, and Lisandro plays the brave spiritualist who will help her soul find peace. For a small fee, of course.

The siblings have their sights set on their next target: The Coterie, the opulent estate of newspaper tycoon Bixby Fairfax and his famous mistress Blythe Bell. A score this big will allow them to move… well, anywhere but here. But this job requires them to do something they’ve never done before: switch roles. And as strange things keep happening at The Coterie… things that even Lola and Lisandro can’t explain.

As they are drawn deeper into The Coterie’s gleaming façade and tensions rise between brother and sister, one question looms over them. Will they be able to pull off their act? Or will this be their last performance?

Music, Plants, Hope by Tonnye Fletcher | Illustrated by Natalia Bruno | CHILDREN’S

In the Spring of 2020, a pandemic shut down public places around the globe, including concert halls and theaters.

Eugenio Ampudia, a Spanish artist, was inspired by nature during the quarantine and brought art, music, and nature together in a grand theater.

He worked with plant nurseries and theater management at the Liceu Theatre in Barcelona, Spain to create a "Concert for the Biocene.”

Local nursery workers brought 2,292 plants to fill the theater for this special concert.

This is the story of that remarkable event.

Camp Big Top by Alexandra Diaz | MIDDLE GRADE

Mario has been banished, to circus camp of all places, after stealing his parents’ credit card.

Luna is an aerial artist, but her body seems to have grown curvier overnight, making it harder to perform on the silks.

Ricky is destined to be a stilt-walking star, but his attention span keeps him from safely learning the basics.

Betina has a natural talent for clowning comedy, so long as no one is watching her.

When the landlord threatens to close down Camp Big Top forever, these four kids must join forces to save it. But first, they will have to build trust in each other…and in themselves.

The Chismosas Only Book Club by Laekan Zea Kemp | Illustrated by Heidi Moreno | MIDDLE GRADE

How to Love You When You’re Gone by Gabriela Gonzales | YOUNG ADULT

High school senior Mayte has never been kissed, but it hardly matters. Her abuelita has cancer, her half sister with special needs has moved in, and college is off the table--family comes first. She keeps her problems to herself; why burden everyone she loves with more?

Meanwhile, fellow senior Auggie is set on attending an elite creative writing program. But as the self-proclaimed most boring person alive, he can't exactly write the next great American novel when he's struggling to write a short story for college applications.

After an awful blind date ("disaster" doesn't even begin to describe it), Mayte and Auggie never want to see each other again. When forced together by their merging social circles, the pair must at least pretend to get along...but soon they develop actual feelings. Then tragedy strikes Mayte's family. Auggie feels compelled to write her story to help her process and heal--but are his intentions truly selfless? The best story he's ever written could impact the best friendships he's ever had.

A Room with a View by Joanna Ho | Illustrated by Thaís Mesquita | CHILDREN’S

Mama’s decided it’s time for their next big outdoor adventure, but Oliver’s not so sure.

He's no fan of bazillion-mile, brain-melting car rides, sleeping someplace with bears, bugs, and bats, or the sticky, icky food! Blech!

Mama may be convinced that memories are best made outdoors, but Oliver’s determined to make this adventure his last. But is it all that bad? After hide n’ seek, hiking, and s’mores, Oliver realizes that there just might be fun times and unforgettable moments to treasure after all.

Just a Shell . . . or Is It? by Becca McMurdie | Illustrated by Paola Escobar | CHILDREN’S

A seashell is just a seashell . . . or is it? To a clam, it's a door. To an octopus, it's a shield. To a young child, it's a treasure! A place to play or a home for critters, the beach can be so many things!

And there are so many other exciting things to find hidden in sand dunes and between waves--all it takes is a little shift in perspective.

Perfect for boardwalk strolls, lazy days on beach towels, or in a classroom or a playroom.

Amaris Castillo

April 27, 2026

Author Interviews

Author Q&A: ‘¡Viva Valenzuela!’ by Nathalie Alonso and Illustrated by John Parra

Amaris Castillo

April 27, 2026

Author Interviews

¡Viva Valenzuela! by Nathalie Alonso kicks off on April 9, 1981 — Opening Day for the Los Angeles Dodgers. A big day for fans of the professional baseball team, sure. “But for many Mexican American and Latino families across the city, it was just another Thursday,” Alonso writes.

The team gave the ball to rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela. The native of Mexico was only 20 years old and not very familiar to fans. But Fernando’s teammate was injured, and the Dodgers needed his help. The rookie spun a screwball for nine innings and helped the team beat the Houston Astros 2-0. It was the start of what’s known as “Fernandomania.”

With gorgeous art from Pura Belpré Honoree John Parra, ¡Viva Valenzuela! (out now from Calkins Creek) tells the story of this phenomenon and what Valenzuela meant for Mexican and Mexican Americans in LA. Alonso, an award-winning baseball journalist, employed her expert knowledge in the sport to craft a meaningful story about how one man created a sensation that reverberated through one city. It is also a beautiful story about the power of representation to validate one’s identity and foster belonging.

Alonso spoke with Latinx in Publishing about her new picture book, “Fernandomania,” and representation. ¡Viva Valenzuela! is also available in Spanish.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Amaris Castillo: Congratulations on ¡Viva Valenzuela! How did this book come about?

Nathalie Alonso: When I started writing books for children, I worked in baseball at the time. You do market research when you’re writing books to see what’s out there, and what’s not. And I noticed that there wasn’t a book at the time about Fernando Valenzuela. I said, How could that be? Because of the place he occupies in baseball history, Los Angeles history, Mexican sports history. So I said, Well, I think I need to fix that. That was the motivation, just finding that there wasn’t a book for children about this incredible man.

AC: You describe Opening Day in 1981 at Dodgers Stadium so vividly. As an author, what elements of that moment were important for you to point out?

NA: That’s a very famous moment in Dodgers history. Fernando was not supposed to pitch on that day, but his teammate’s injured, so he’s given the ball. He was a rookie; he pitched in relief the year before out of the bullpen in 1980, but this was his first start. He shows up, people don’t know much about him, and he just dominates. It was the beginning of this incredible streak he had. And so that’s a very famous moment that kind of begins what is known as “Fernandomania.”

“He was just there to be himself. And look at what he accomplished without having to change anything about who he was. ”

AC: Can you describe your research for this book? Was there anything about Fernando’s life that surprised you the most?

NA: The story of Fernandomania is very well-documented. Fernando was a very private person, though, so it was a challenge to find sources that explained what was going on in his mind at the time. There was also a language barrier, so when he comes up he speaks Spanish, but the media is in English — so there isn’t that much press coverage of him speaking Spanish. So that was challenging. There is an ESPN “30 for 30” documentary called “Fernando Nation” that I watched multiple times, because that was Fernando speaking — not in real time, but in hindsight. That was a way to get into his head a little bit.

In terms of what surprised me — this didn’t make it into the book — but I wrote an article for MLB.com at the time for which I spoke to Fernando’s teammates about Fernandomania. And they talked about just what a joker Fernando was in the clubhouse. I didn’t find a natural way to fit that into the book, but it was a cool thing for me to learn about him — that he was a prankster and a jokester behind the scenes.

AC: One of the biggest themes I took from this story is the importance of representation for Mexican Americans to see Fernando Valenzuela on the field. What was it like to capture that on the page for young readers?

NA: I didn’t want it to be generic. I wanted it to be very true to the way the specific community reacted to that representation, if that makes sense. For example, one of the things that I think is really cool is that Mexican artists wrote songs about him. They’re called corridos. And people prayed for him.

The construction of Dodger Stadium really divided the Latino community. The land that Dodger Stadium sits on is called Chavez Ravine. There were many Mexican and Mexican American families who lived there, and that land was cleared to make room for a housing project that was never built. That’s in the back matter (of the book). That land gets sold to build Dodger Stadium, so there’s this rift with the Latino community. Then someone like Fernando comes along. I wouldn’t say that he fixed what happened, because that’s a very simplistic explanation, but I do think he helped that community heal.

AC: What do you hope readers take away from your book?

NA: The most powerful lesson in this book actually came from another writer. Her name is Gloria Day. A few years ago I was in an online workshop at the Highlights Foundation, which is now Boyds Mills, and she was facilitating a session of peer critiques. She read the manuscript, and she said, You know what? This is a story about the magic that happens when you just show up and be yourself. I hadn’t even considered that myself when I was writing, but now I think about it all the time. Fernando wasn’t trying. He even said he didn’t know the history of Dodger Stadium and Chavez Ravine. He didn’t show up there like, I’m going to be a hero. He was just there to pitch. He’s just there to pitch and be himself. He didn’t look like a traditional Major League pitcher looked like at the time. He wasn’t tall. He wasn’t fit like all these guys. He was just there to be himself. And look at what he accomplished without having to change anything about who he was. That’s what I hope readers will take away.

Nathalie Alonso is a Cuban American bilingual writer and journalist based in New York City. A seasoned baseball reporter, her writing has appeared in National Geographic, Outside, and Refinery29, among other outlets. She was a reporter and producer at MLB.com’s Spanish-language sister site, MLB Español. Visit nathaliealonso.com.

John Parra is an award-winning artist, illustrator, author, and educator, best known for his Latino themed children’s picture books. His illustrations for Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos, written by Monica Brown, was a New York Times Best Illustrated Book, and Green Is a Chile Pepper: A Book of Colors by Roseanne Thong, received a Pura Belpré Honor and the Américas Book Award.

Amaris Castillo is an award-winning journalist and writer. Her debut book, Bodega Stories, will be published on Sept. 8, 2026 from the University Press of Florida.

Latinx In Publishing

April 14, 2026

Joint Press Statement - Stop the Federal Book Ban Bill!

Latinx In Publishing

April 14, 2026

We stand alongside over 100 grassroots and national advocacy organizations, publishers, booksellers, parent groups, and professional associations in opposition to H.R. 7661.

Use the EveryLibrary action center to urge your representative to vote NO, or better, yet, to not take it up for a vote. https://tinyurl.com/hapf2m9r

Statement in Opposition to H.R. 7661

The freedom to speak and to read is a fundamental principle of the United States of America. That is why we have joined together — parents, students, educators, library workers, authors, free expression advocates, booksellers, and publishers — to stand in support of our nation’s school-aged children and teens and in opposition to H.R. 7661.

H.R. 7661, if passed, will compel nationwide book censorship. It confuses obscenity with identity and stigmatizes vulnerable young people, particularly trans children and teens, based on who they are. It will continue to drain funding from our already underfunded schools and libraries. And it will threaten the creativity and critical thinking that are vital to education in the U.S.

A core principle of democracy, freedom, and liberty is that the government does not choose what people get to read and who they get to be. This country has a long history of protecting our freedoms. H.R. 7661 goes against this.

Together, we say that this bill goes against the U.S. Constitution, local self-determination, access to books, and a society that is welcoming for everyone, no matter who they are. Our schools deserve better than this. Our children and teens — all of them, without exception — deserve better than this.

We urge the U.S. House of Representatives to vote NO on H.R. 7661 or, better yet, to not take it up for a vote at all.

ALL INITIAL SIGNERS:

Abrams

Aevitas Creative Management

Air and Nothingness Press

All4Ed

American Booksellers Association

American Library Association

Andrews McMeel Publishing

Annie's Foundation

Association for Rural & Small Libraries

Association of University Presses

Astra Publishing House

Atlas Books

Atthis Arts

Au Literary Management

Authors Against Book Bans

Azantian Literary Agency

Banned Books Box

Barefoot Books

The Bookdragon’s Lair

Book Ferret

Book Manufacturers' Institute

Book Moon

Books on Main

Boston Comic Arts Foundation

Bradford Literary Agency

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Latinx In Publishing

April 14, 2026

Most Anticipated April 2026 Releases

Latinx In Publishing

April 14, 2026

There are many great Latinx titles releasing this month! Check out the list below for some of the books we’re most excited to get our hands on.

This Never Happened by Mempo Giardinelli | Translated by Rhonda Dahl Buchanan | FICTION

In this autobiographical novel, a journalist witnesses the hot-off-the -presses editions of his own books thrown onto a bonfire of books. The date is March 24th, 1976, the day of the coup d'etat that led to the overthrow of the Isabel Peron presidency in Argentina and 18 years of terror known as "La Guerra sucia" or " The Dirty Wars" in which 30,000 plus are still unaccounted for.

Fearful for his life and those of his wife and children, the narrator must find a way to navigate the highly volatile and murderous world under the boot of La Junta, in hopes of saving himself and his family; but first he has more important business to attend to--his mistress, with whom he's been having a scorching love affair-- and finds himself grappling with several major dilemmas and very real dangers confronting him as he works his way out of this lethal maze.

Fruitcake: A Graphic Novel by Rex Ogle | Illustrated by Dave Valeza | YOUNG ADULT

Eighth grade isn't off to a great start. Everyone but Rex seems to be coupling up, and he's starting to feel like an outsider... until he meets Charlotte. She's fearless, smart, pretty, and she likes him back. But as great as Charlotte is, there's someone else Rex can't stop thinking about.

Drew is Rex's childhood best friend, so when he kisses Rex, all kinds of new feelings begin to stir. Though at school, Drew acts like he doesn't even know Rex, making those feelings turn really confusing really fast. And with all the strong opinions Rex hears from friends and at church, he questions his own worth and what his affections actually mean. Rex wants to be more like his new friend, Nina, and not care what others think, but being himself seems impossible. When did middle school get so confusing?!

Lucía's Goals / Los Goles de Lucía by Angela Quezada Padron | Illustrated by Christina Barragan Forshay | CHILDREN”S

Whenever Lucía played soccer, she imagined herself as a professional futbolista. She sprinted and dribbled, headed and juggled, zigged and zagged, kicked her best kicks, and scored "Goal!" after "Goal!" After finally getting the chance to join an all-female soccer team, Lucía set her sights on becoming the best goal scorer anyone had ever seen.

Told in English and Spanish, Lucía's Goals / Los goles de Lucía is a rousing story about a young girl's determination to defy gender stereotypes and break through barriers. Lucía's story will inspire readers of all ages to take charge on and off the field to achieve their GOALS!

Imagine Breaking Everything by Lina Munar Guevara | Translated by Ellen Jones | FICTION

It's a rainy weekend in Bogotá, and eighteen-year-old Melissa is about to graduate from school. If, that is, she can scrape together the money to pay for the printer she broke. Melissa used to break a lot of things, but after five years of living with her aunt Anahí, she has become much better at controlling her anger. Then, out of the blue and for the first time in six months, Melissa's mother calls her and invites her to spend the weekend together in their old neighbourhood. Melissa is excited to spend time with her, but nervous about returning to the scene of her troubled early adolescence. Will she make it to Monday morning without jeopardising her future - or being swallowed up by her past?

Forgive-Me-Not by Mari Costa | Graphic Novel

Aisling is many things to many people: princess, heir to the throne, teenage daughter of two loving parents… She’s also about to learn a lot more about herself: changeling. Fey creature. Hunted. Feared. Loved?

Forgive-Me-Not is the name given to the true princess — the lost teenage biological daughter to the king and queen, who’s grown up in the chaotic and untrustworthy realm of Faerie. When Forgive-Me-Not breaks into Aisling’s room the night before their 18th birthday looking for revenge, the two embark on a long and arduous journey. And what starts as a confrontational and adversarial pairing grows into a bond of mutual understanding, friendship, and maybe something more…

Last Night in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez | FICTION

SPRING, 2007

At twenty-six, Alicia Canales Forten feels smothered by her future. She’s in a long-distance relationship, living at home with her mother’s beliefs, saving up for her wedding to a future doctor. But after Alicia ventures out one night in the neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, she finds herself lured by the siren song of youth and possibility that the striving crowd of creatives holds, and moves in.

No one embodies this milieu more than La Garza, a larger-than-life, up-and-coming fashion designer whose epic house parties fuel neighborhood lore. La Garza’s life, observed by Alicia from her apartment across the street, seems to hold the allure and fearlessness Alicia has never dared to imagine for herself.

But when Alicia’s wealthy banker cousin moves to the neighborhood, she finds herself increasingly drawn into both his and La Garza’s precarious lives.

Exemplary Humans by Juliana Leite | Translated by Zoë Perry | FICTION

Ever since the unnamed threat took over, 100-year-old Natália has been stuck inside her Rio de Janeiro apartment, alone. Well, not entirely alone--her loved ones may be gone but they never really left her, plus she's pretty sure there's a spy watching her every move through the window.

As she waits for the daily call from her daughter who lives halfway across the world, the old woman revisits scenes from her life. There's her husband Vicente who obsessively erased maps of Brazil; her best friend Sarah, the cookie seller; Jorge who gave tarot readings for both humans and birds; and the comrades who joined her in resisting Brazil's dictatorship, at least until they were forced into hiding. Exemplary Humans is an ambitious novel about the quirks of memory and the delights and horror of aging.