ON SALE MAY 2
Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa | YOUNG ADULT
The Santos Vista neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas, is all Ander Martínez has ever known. The smell of pan dulce. The mixture of Spanish and English filling the streets. And, especially their job at their family's taquería. It's the place that has inspired Ander as a muralist, and, as they get ready to leave for art school, it's all of these things that give them hesitancy. That give them the thought, are they ready to leave it all behind?
To keep Ander from becoming complacent during their gap year, their family "fires" them so they can transition from restaurant life to focusing on their murals and prepare for college. That is, until they meet Santiago López Alvarado, the hot new waiter. Falling for each other becomes as natural as breathing. Through Santi's eyes, Ander starts to understand who they are and want to be as an artist, and Ander becomes Santi's first steps toward making Santos Vista and the United States feel like home.
Until ICE agents come for Santi, and Ander realizes how fragile that sense of home is. How love can only hold on so long when the whole world is against them. And when, eventually, the world starts to win.
The Golden Frog Games (Witchlings 2) by Claribel A. Ortega | MIDDLE GRADE
Every four years, the Twelve Towns gather for a legendary magical tournament—the Golden Frog Games.
With Ravenskill hosting this year's games, all eyes are on Seven Salazar, Valley Pepperhorn and Thorn Laroux: the most famous Spares in the Twelve Towns. Thorn is ready to compete as a fashion champion, but when a forbidden hex is used to turn her fellow champions to stone, suspicion lands on the Witchlings.
As the Witchlings attempt to unravel the mystery of the stonifications, future Uncle Seven is harboring a dangerous secret: While she's supposed to be able to communicate with animals, the voices she hears most clearly belong to monstruos, and one spine-chilling voice is the loudest of all.
Can Seven fix her broken magic and find out who is stonifying the champions . . . before Thorn becomes the next victim?
The Weight of Everything by Marcia Argueta Mickelson | YOUNG ADULT
With her dad's drinking and spending getting out of control, Sarah struggles to make sure that the bills are paid, that her brother is fed and safe, that her dad's grief won't crush them all. She has no time for art, unless she's cranking out a piece to sell online for some grocery money. And she definitely doesn't have the time or the emotional energy to find out if her sweet, handsome classmate, David Garza, could be more than a friend.
But then a school project prompts Sarah to delve into her mom's Mexican and Guatemalan roots. As she learns more about this side of her heritage, Sarah starts to understand her mom better—and starts to face her own grief. When she stumbles upon a long-buried piece of history that mattered deeply to her mom, Sarah realizes she can't carry her pain silently anymore. She has to speak up, and she can't do it alone.
Nuncaseolvida by Alejandra Algorta; Illustrated by Iván Rickenmann | YOUNG ADULT
Fabio flies through the streets of Bogotá on his bicycle, the children of his neighborhood trailing behind him. It is there that life feels right—where the world of adults, and their lies, fades away. But then one day, he simply forgets. Forgets how to ride his bicycle. And Fabio will never be the same again. From Colombia comes a special debut talent, Alejandra Algorta, and a first novel of discovery and heartbreak. Algorta’s distinct and poetic prose has been translated by award-winning author Aida Salazar
Also available in English.
ON SALE MAY 9
My Dog Just Speaks Spanish by Andrea Cáceres | PICTURE BOOK
When Aurora came to the United States, she learned to speak English. But her spaniel, Nena, did not. Sweet Nena loves to give besos, and she knows only Spanish. She doesn’t know SIT, but she does know SIÉNTATE. She doesn’t know WAIT, but she does know ESPERA. And while TREAT doesn’t mean anything to Nena, she can certainly sniff out a POSTRE! At the park, Nena may not know what the other dog owners are saying, but she and Aurora will always understand each other just fine. Borrowing from her lived experience, Venezuelan-American author-illustrator Andrea Cáceres offers a gentle, charmingly illustrated ode to love that extends a hand—or a paw—to readers who may feel displaced or are learning a new language themselves.
You Don't Have a Shot by Racquel Marie | YOUNG ADULT
Valentina "Vale" Castillo-Green's life revolves around soccer. Her friends, her future, and her father's intense expectations are all wrapped up in the beautiful game. But after she incites a fight during playoffs with her long-time rival, Leticia Ortiz, everything she's been working toward seems to disappear.
Embarrassed and desperate to be anywhere but home, Vale escapes to her beloved childhood soccer camp for a summer of relaxation and redemption...only to find out that she and the endlessly aggravating Leticia will be co-captaining a team that could play in front of college scouts. But the competition might be stiffer than expected, so unless they can get their rookie team's act together, this second chance—and any hope of playing college soccer—will slip through Vale's fingers. When the growing pressure, friendship friction, and her overbearing father push Vale to turn to Leticia for help, what starts off as a shaky alliance of necessity begins to blossom into something more through a shared love of soccer. . . and maybe each other.
Nine Stray Shots by Jesús Miguel Soto | ADULT FICTION
In these nine short stories, the absurd breaks into the territory of the reality until it takes the reader into the kingdom of the extraordinary, from where there is no turning back.
Five friends establish a new country inside their apartment and set out to defend it with their teeth. The sensual voice of a jazz singer disturbs the life of a musician to the point of driving him mad. A jaded married couple receives a mysterious black box on their doorstep that will bring them together again. In the midst of a war that seemed distant, three children and their tutor repeat over and over again the same form of death. A mobster tells a crime as if it had already happened, but in reality he is anticipating it. On their honeymoon, a couple of newlyweds get lost in a remote and mysterious village that does not appear on any map and end up involved in a crime that will accompany them for years.
Between the fantastic, the absurd, the extravagant and the crude reality, these short stories are a winding path for the reader to venture into their own stray.
In Vitro: On Longing and Transformation by Isabel Zapata; Translated by Myers | ADULT NONFICTION
Medical interventions become an exercise in patience, desire, and delirium in this intimate account of bodily transformation and disruption. In candid, graceful prose, Isabel Zapata gives voice to the strangeness and complexities of conception and motherhood that are rarely discussed publicly. Zapata frankly addresses the misogyny she experienced during fertility treatments, explores the force of grief in imagining possible futures, and confronts the societal expectations around maternity. In the tradition of Rivka Galchen's Little Labors and Sarah Manguso's Ongoingness, In Vitro draws from diary and essay forms to create a new kind of literary companion and open up space for nuanced conversations about pregnancy.
Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of "Latino" by Héctor Tobar | ADULT NONFICTION
"Latino" is the most open-ended and loosely defined of the major race categories in the United States. Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of "Latino" assembles the Pulitzer Prize winner Héctor Tobar's personal experiences as the son of Guatemalan immigrants and the stories told to him by his Latinx students to offer a spirited rebuke to racist ideas about Latino people. Our Migrant Souls decodes the meaning of "Latino" as a racial and ethnic identity in the modern United States, and seeks to give voice to the angst and anger of young Latino people who have seen latinidad transformed into hateful tropes about "illegals" and have faced insults, harassment, and division based on white insecurities and economic exploitation.
Investigating topics that include the US-Mexico border "wall," Frida Kahlo, urban segregation, gangs, queer Latino utopias, and the emergence of the cartel genre in TV and film, Tobar journeys across the country to expose something truer about the meaning of "Latino" in the twenty-first century.
ON SALE MAY 16
As Brave as a Lion by Erika Meza | PICTURE BOOK
When she and her lion are together, one little girl feels like she can do anything. Whether she's afraid of the dark, or too shy to speak and in need of finding her voice, her big, bold companion always looks out for her. But one day, the inseparable pair decide to climb the new, dizzyingly high rocket slide at the playground together, and the girl discovers that even lions sometimes get afraid. Can she summon the strength to be his lion when he needs her? Joyful, expressive artwork glowing with bright primary colors brings to life the story of a special bond—and a child's discovery of unexpected courage.
Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra | YOUNG ADULT
Graduation is only a few months away, and Rubi Ramos's "recipe for success" to get into prestigious Alma University is already off track.
When Alma waitlists Rubi's application, Rubi will need to be distraction-free to make the grade and keep her parents—who have wanted this for her for years—from finding out. Which means falling for her cute surfer-slash-math tutor, Ryan, definitely won't work. And neither will breaking her mother's ban on baking—her parents didn't leave Cuba so she could bake just like them.
But some recipes are begging to be tampered with.
When the First Annual Bake Off comes to town, Rubi's passion for baking goes from subtle simmer to full boil. Add to the mix her crush on Ryan may be turning into a full-fledged relationship and Rubi's life is suddenly so different from what it was. She's not sure if she has what it takes to win the Bake Off, or where the relationship with Ryan is going, but there's only one way to find out--even if it means going against her parents' priorities.
Now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds and finding the path she's meant for.
Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliott McLemore | YOUNG ADULT
Cade McKenna is a transgender prince who's doubling for his brother. Valencia Palafox is a young dama attending the future queen of Eliana. Gael Palma is the infamous boy assassin Cade has vowed to protect. Patrick McKenna is the reluctant heir to a kingdom, and the prince Gael has vowed to destroy.
Cade doesn't know that Gael and Valencia are the same person. Valencia doesn't know that every time she thinks she's fighting Patrick, she's fighting Cade. And when Cade and Valencia blame each other for a devastating enchantment that takes both their families, neither of them realizes that they have far more dangerous enemies.
Cowritten by married writing team Anna-Marie and Elliott McLemore, Venom & Vow is a lush and powerful YA novel about owning your power and becoming who you really are—no matter the cost.
Cousins by Aurora Venturini; Translated by Kit Maude | ADULT FICTION
Cousins, widely regarded as Venturini's masterpiece, is the story of four women from an impoverished, dysfunctional family in La Plata, Argentina, who are forced to suffer through a series of ordeals, including illegal abortions, miscarriages, sexual abuse, disfigurement, and murder, narrated by a daughter whose success as a painter offers her a chance to achieve economic independence and help her family as best as she can.
Neighborhood mythologies, family, female sexuality, vengeance, and social mobility through art are explored and scrutinized in the unmistakable voice of Yuna—who stares wildly at the world in which she is compelled to live—a voice unique in contemporary literature whose unconventional style can be candid, brutal, sharp, and utterly breathtaking.
The Enchanted Hacienda by J. C. Cervantes | ADULT FICTION
When Harlow Estrada is abruptly fired from her dream job and her boyfriend proves to be a jerk, her world turns upside down. She flees New York City to the one place she can always call home—the enchanted Hacienda Estrada.
The Estrada family farm in Mexico houses an abundance of charmed flowers cultivated by Harlow's mother, sisters, aunt, and cousins. By harnessing the magic in these flowers, they can heal hearts, erase memories, interpret dreams—but not Harlow. So when her mother and aunt give her a special task involving the family's magic, she panics. How can she rise to the occasion when she is magicless? But maybe it's not magic she's missing, but belief in herself. When she finally embraces her unique gifts and opens her heart to a handsome stranger, she discovers she's far more powerful than she imagined.
ON SALE MAY 21
I Can Be... Me! by Lesléa Newman; Illustrated by Maya Gonzalez | PICTURE BOOK
In this lighthearted story, a group of six, colorfully clad children exuberantly explore— through play—the many ways they can be themselves. They are free to embrace all kinds of activities, reveling in the fun of trying new things and discovering new ways of being. They can shoot baskets, dance around a room, weave ribbons through their hair, swim like a mermaid, and more. There is no right way or wrong way. There are no binary expectations. Children explore their individuality through whatever kinds of play appeal to them.
With lively, gender-neutral rhyming verses and fun, gender-bending images, author Lesléa Newman and illustrator Maya Christina Gonzalez invite young readers into a space where creativity and acceptance are enjoyed by all, and where each child will be inspired to say, "I can be... me!"
ON SALE MAY 23
The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes | YOUNG ADULT
Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers—despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen.
Luis's attention soon turns to something more, and they have sex at a party—while Ari didn't say no, she definitely didn't say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning—thanks, she's sure, to Luis's ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Boys at school now see Ari as an easy target, someone who won't say no.
Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker that eventually leads her to a group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she'll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night—and risk everything to see justice done.
The Do-Over by Rodrigo Vargas; Illustrated by Coni Yovaniniz | GRAPHIC NOVEL
Shy Mariana is looking for her chance to shine. She's having trouble making friends after a cross-country move to Ohio, plus, her dad refuses to let her help out at his hair salon, despite the fact that she's a social media expert!
So when she meets science whiz Zoe and creative maven Everly, and the three decide to start their own hair styling studio, she finally finds the friends—and the calling—she's been searching for. The trio's studio, True Colors, is a smash hit, and the girls are having a blast. Not to mention, Mariana loves helping her fellow middle-school clients express themselves.
But with the town Harvest Fest on the horizon and a line of customers always at the door, the friends have to scale up quickly, and they don't always agree on how. Can Mariana find the courage to speak up for what she wants? And does True Colors have what it takes to succeed in business and friendship?
Austral by Carlos Fonseca; Translated by Megan McDowell | ADULT FICTION
Julio is a disillusioned professor of literature, a per-petual wanderer who has spent years away from his home, teaching in the United States. He receives a posthumous summons from an old friend, the writer Aliza Abravanel, to uncover the mysteries within her final novel. Aliza had raced to finish her work as her mind deteriorated. In her man-uscript is a series of interconnected accouncs of loss, tales that set Julio hurtling on a journey to uncover their true meaning. Austral tracks Julio's trip from Aliza's home in an Argentine artists' colony to a forgotten city in Guatemala, to the Peruvian Amazon, and through Nueva Germania, the anti-semitic commune in Paraguay founded by Elisabeth Forster-Nietzsche.
ON SALE MAY 30
Spare Parts: The True Story of Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and an Impossible Dream by Joshua Davis; Adapted by Reyna Grande (Young Readers' Edition) | MIDDLE GRADE
In 2004, four undocumented Mexican teenagers arrived at the national underwater robotics championship at the University of California, Santa Barbara. No one had ever told Oscar, Cristian, Luis, or Lorenzo that they would amount to much—until two inspiring high school science teachers convinced the boys to enter the competition. Up against some of the best collegiate engineers in the country, this team of underdogs from Phoenix, Arizona, scraped together spare parts and a few small donations to astound not only the competition's judges but themselves, too.
Adapted by Reyna Grande—author of the acclaimed memoir The Distance Between Us about her experience as an undocumented child immigrant—this young readers' edition of Joshua Davis's New York Times bestseller showcases these students' ingenuity and courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Timely and empowering, Spare Parts is an accessible introduction to STEM, immigration, and the reality of the American Dream.
Breaking to the Beat! by Linda J. Acevedo; Illustrated by Frank Morrison | PICTURE BOOK
In the 1970s, many said the Bronx was just a pile of rubble, but for a shy kid like Manolo, it was alive with rhythm and music. He grew up with salsa dance parties at home and DJs battling on turntables on the street. Inspired by these new beats and the moves of James Brown, neighborhood boys and girls started dancing with a mix of twists, slides, and shuffles. The rhythm of the Toprock. Drop of the Six-step. Wiggle of the Worm. A new dance style called breaking was on the rise, and Manolo wanted to be a part of it.
Debut author Linda J. Acevedo was inspired to write this story from the many b-boys and b-girls whose love of dance propelled them to create an innovative and groundbreaking new form of dance. Coupled with award-winning illustrator Frank Morrison's sinuous and pulsating art, Breaking to the Beat! is an energizing ode to the Boogie Down Bronx and to Hip Hop—a movement that would forever change the course of music, art, and culture.
The Moonlit Vine by Elizabeth Santiago; Illustrated by McKenzie Mayle | YOUNG ADULT
Despite her name, Taína Perez doesn't know anything about her Taíno heritage, nor has she ever tried to learn. After all, how would ancient Puerto Rican history help with everything going on? There's constant trouble at school and in her neighborhood, her older brother was kicked out of the house, and with her mom at work, she's left alone to care for her little brother and aging grandmother. It's a lot for a 14-year-old to manage.
But life takes a wild turn when her abuela tells her she is a direct descendant of Anacaona, the beloved Taíno leader, warrior, and poet, who was murdered by the Spanish in 1503. Abuela also gives her an amulet and a zemi and says that it's time for her to step into her power like the women who came before her. But is that even possible? People like her hardly make it out of their circumstances, and the problems in her home and community are way bigger than Taína can manage. Or are they?
A modern tale with interstitial historical chapters, The Moonlit Vine brings readers a powerful story of the collective struggle, hope, and liberation of Puerto Rican and Taíno peoples.
Also available in Spanish.
We Don't Swim Here by Vincent Tirado | YOUNG ADULT
Bronwyn is only supposed to be in rural Hillwoods for a year. Her grandmother is in hospice, and her father needs to get her affairs in order. And they're all meant to make some final memories together.
Except Bronwyn is miserable. Her grandmother is dying, everyone is standoffish, and she can't even go swimming. All she hears are warnings about going in the water, despite a gorgeous lake. And a pool at the abandoned rec center. And another in the high school basement.
Anais tries her hardest to protect Bronwyn from the shadows of Hillwoods. She follows her own rituals to avoid any unnecessary attention—and if she can just get Bronwyn to stop asking questions, she can protect her too. The less Bronwyn pays attention to Hillwoods, the less Hillwoods will pay attention to Bronwyn. She doesn't get that the lore is, well, truth. History. Pain. The living aren't the only ones who seek retribution when they're wronged. But when Bronwyn does more exploring than she should, they are both in for danger they couldn't expect.
