July 2024 Latinx Releases

 

On Sale July 2

 

The Curse of the Flores Women by Angélica Lopes |Translated by Zoë Perry | ADULT FICTION

Eighteen-year-old Alice Ribeiro is constantly fighting--against the status quo, female oppression in Brazil, and even her own mother. But when a family veil is passed down to her, Alice is compelled to fight for the rights of all womankind while also uncovering the hidden history of the women in her family.

Seven generations ago, the small town of Bom Retiro shunned the Flores women because of a "curse" that rendered them unlucky in love. With no men on the horizon to take care of them, the women learned the art of lacemaking to build lives of their own. But their peace was soon threatened by forces beyond any woman's control.

As Alice begins piecing together the tapestry that is her history, she discovers revelations about the past, connections to the present, and a resilience in her blood that will carry her toward the future her ancestors strove for.

 

A Blind Salmon by Julia Wong Kcomt |Translated by Jennifer Shyue | POETRY

Tusán writer Julia Wong Kcomt's sixth collection of poetry, A Blind Salmon is her first full-length collection available in English. Written while she was living in Buenos Aires, the collection crosses borders between Berlin, Buenos Aires, Chepén, Tijuana, and Vienna. It takes up sameness and difference, shot through with desert sand.

In these poems, Wong Kcomt renders homage to writers such as the Peruvian poet and visual artist Jorge Eduardo Eielson, who died in Milan as she was writing them. She fingers the filmy line between poetry and narrative prose to build a lyrical menagerie all her own.

 

Stars in My Crown by Antonio Michael Downing |Translated by Richy Sánchez Ayala| PICTURE BOOK

Little Tony is full of love for his grandmother, his home in Trinidad and delicious pholourie. But he's also full of other big feelings, including anger. His grandmother tries to teach him to be patient -- patience is a star in his crown, she says -- but it's hard.

He tries to keep his anger in, but when he loses at ping-pong to his brother or he has to come in from playing . . . Yaaarrgh!

When Little Tony and his brother move away from their beloved Trinidad, there's even more for him to be upset about. His new home is cold, full of new people, and there's no pholourie anywhere! Yaaarrgh!

But then he remembers his grandmother's lessons, and a surprising thing happens . . .

A charming and heartwarming story based on the author's own childhood, Stars In My Crown is an ode to big feelings but even bigger triumphs.

 

I Am La Chiva!: The Colorful Bus of the Andes by Karol Hernández | Translated by Lorena Alvarez Gómez | PICTURE BOOK

This joyful and rhyming picture book written by a debut author and illustrated by the beloved creator of Nightlights and Hicotea, follows the iconic bus, or chiva, as it navigates the rugged Andes mountains, celebrating the rich culture and landscape of Colombia that was so beautifully showcased in Disney's Encanto.

 

Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías | Translated by Heather Cleary | ADULT FICTION

In a city ravaged by a mysterious plague, a woman tries to understand why her world is falling apart. An algae bloom has poisoned the previously pristine air that blows in from the sea. Inland, a secretive corporation churns out the only food anyone can afford--a revolting pink paste, made of an unknown substance. In the short, desperate breaks between deadly windstorms, our narrator stubbornly tends to her few remaining relationships: with her difficult but vulnerable mother; with the ex-husband for whom she still harbors feelings; with the boy she nannies, whose parents sent him away even as terrible threats loomed. Yet as conditions outside deteriorate further, her commitment to remaining in place only grows--even if staying means being left behind.

An evocative elegy for a safe, clean world, Pink Slime is buoyed by humor and its narrator's resiliency. This unforgettable novel explores the place where love, responsibility, and self-preservation converge, and the beauty and fragility of our most intimate relationships.

 

Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream by Tehlor Kay Mejia | ADULT FICTION

Cash Delgado has a good life in the quaint town of Ridley Falls. She has Joyce's Bar, where she manages a familiar group of regulars and emcees the ever-popular Karaoke Thursday. She has her six-year-old daughter, Parker, whose spunky attitude always keeps life interesting. And she has her best friend, Inez O'Conner, who improves Cash's sometimes overly responsible outlook with one full of joy and potential.

But change is on the horizon when Chase Stanton, the former bar manager at Joyce's (not to mention Cash's last hookup), returns to town with business prospects that could threaten the local institution and all of Cash's plans to someday bring new life to the place. And if that isn't enough, Cash starts having very intimate dreams of Inez. Dreams that could threaten the foundation of her well-ordered life.

As Cash embarks on a reluctant journey of self-discovery, she's forced to confront all the ways she's been hiding in her own life. But will she choose to remain the same, or will the desire for love (even a love that looks different than she ever imagined) prove worth the risk?

 

Kamau and Zuzu Find a Way by Aracelis Girmay | Translated by Diana Ejaita | PICTURE BOOK

One day, young Kamau and his grandmother ZuZu wake up to find themselves on the moon. Kamau doesn't remember Back Home, but Grandma ZuZu does, and she misses it terribly. Together, through cloth scraps and dance, letters and song, Kamau and ZuZu find a way to make a new life for themselves in this strange land: a new life which is not only rooted in the stories, memories, and traditions that ZuZu always carries with her, but which also lovingly reaches out across the vast expanse of space to connect and communicate with the family from which they've been separated.

Acclaimed poet Aracelis Girmay and illustrator Diana Ejaita together weave a powerful story inspired by the African diaspora, in which--despite the shock of being uprooted into this alien world, without being given any choice or explanation, and the sorrow that comes from the unfathomable distance separating them from their beloved community--Kamau and ZuZu find a way to live, as people do.

 

Pizza Face by Rex Ogle | Illustrated by Dave Valeza | YA GRAPHIC NOVEL

It's time to face facts!

On the first day of seventh grade, Rex encounters a bump in the road -- a big angry pimple right in the center of his forehead. And this is only the beginning of his problems. What follows is a frustrating battle with stubborn acne, body odor, and other embarrassments of puberty. Still struggling with a home life edging on the poverty line, Rex can't afford to buy the acne medication or deodorant he needs, and bullies are noticing Rex's awkward transformation. On top of it all, things have gotten weird with his friends, making Rex feel like he can't do or say anything right. So far, seventh grade stinks!

 

The Murmuration Carlos Labbé | Translated by Will Vanderhyden | ADULT FICTION

On the eve of the 1962 World Cup in Chile, a retired sports commentator with a secret ability to influence living beings with his voice encounters one of the directors of the Chilean national team--a feminist with a covert agenda--on an overnight train ride to Santiago. The director convinces the commentator to return to broadcasting in order to call Chile's matches and to utilize his unique vocal power to determine their outcomes.

Later, when Chile is facing off against Brazil in the semifinal match, the plan diverges from one of conventional victory and the narrative bifurcates, simultaneously tracking the action on the field and a startling sequence of events that is unfolding in one of the stadium's luxury boxes, and what initially looks like a story of intrigue and action and an exploration of class warfare, representation, and social justice, emerges as a novel that enacts the notion that art can only transcend through collective creative action.

 

On Sale July 9

 

Yum, Yum, Mexico!: Mexican Food from A to Z by Diane de Anda| Illustrated Emily Mendoza | PICTURE BOOK

Some foods are spicy, and some are sweet.
Take a bite. . . . You're in for a treat
of many delicious things to eat!

Kids love learning about food, they need to learn their ABC's, and this mouth-watering alphabet book about Mexican food covers both in the most delicious way! You'll see so much more than tacos as you flip through food from albóndigas to zanahoria. Each dish is brought to life with playful rhyming text, side-by-side phonetic pronunciation, and bright, engaging illustrations. Available in Spanish.

 

Braba: A Brazilian Comics Anthology Edited by Rafael Grampa and Janaina de Luna | ANTHOLOGY

American audiences have grown familiar with international comix through an influx of European bande dessinee and Japanese manga that has been translated into English over the past two decades. But there are vivacious creative scenes happening worldwide, notably in Brazil, the largest country in South America and fifth-largest country in the world. Braba aims to rectify this cultural blind spot with a single-volume showcase of innovative Brazilian comics, curated by acclaimed artist Rafael Grampá and comics editor Janaina de Luna. Produced by Fantagraphics in collaboration with Brazilian publisher MINO, this extraordinary collection of 13 short stories created by 16 pioneering Brazilian cartoonists encapsulates a thriving and thrilling comics scene.

Braba unites a diverse array of voices and styles under a unifying theme: deeply personal stories from experimental cartoonists. Each artist has uniquely interpreted this concept, creating all-new work for English readers, resulting in a collection that encapsulates the intensity, political gravitas, and avant-garde spirit of the Brazilian comics community during one of the country's most challenging socio-political periods. The contributors to Braba include Amanda Miranda, Bruno Seelig, Diego Sanchez, Gabriel Goes, Jefferson Costa, Jéssica Groke, Sirlene Barbosa, João Pinheiro, Cris Eiko, Paulo Crumbim, Pedro Cobiaco, Pedro Franz, Rafael Coutinho, Shiko, and Wagner Willian.

 

Tell It to Me Singing by Tita Ramirez | ADULT FICTION

Monica Campo is pregnant with her first child when, moments before being wheeled into emergency heart surgery, her mother confesses a long-held secret: Monica's father is not the man who raised her. But when her mother wakes up and begins having delusional episodes, Monica doesn't know what to believe--whether the confession was real or just a channeling of the telenovela her mother watches nightly.

In her despair, Monica wants to speak with only one person: her ex-boyfriend of five years, Manny. She can't help but worry, though, what this says about her relationship with her fiancé and father of her unborn child.

Monica's search for the truth leads her to a new understanding of the past: the early eighties when her parents arrived from Cuba on the famous Mariel boatlift, and the tumultuous seventies, a decade after Castro's takeover, when some people were still secretly fighting his regime--people like her mother and the man she claims is Monica's real father. Tell It to Me Singing is a story that takes readers from Miami to Cuba to the jungles of Costa Rica and, along the way, explores the question of how and to whom we belong, how a life is built, and how we know when we're home.

 

Gloriana, Presente: A First Day of School Story by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris | Illustrated by Doris M. Rodríguez-Graber | PICTURE BOOK

On the first day of elementary school, Abuela soothes Gloriana's nerves by telling her stories from their family home in la República Dominicana. But as soon as Gloriana enters the classroom, the tropical scenery crumbles and la música is replaced with English phrases she does not understand. When other kids approach her to play at recess, she freezes, uncertain about how to exist between her two homes, or how to make new friends between her two languages. Abuela recognizes echoes of her own immigration journey on this challenging day at school, and she gently guides Gloriana towards newfound confidence. This beautifully painted, imaginative picture book celebrates the magic of existing in-between, and the transformative power of self-soothing to build confidence.

 

The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez | ADULT FICTION

Librarian Marcela Ortiz has been secretly in love with her best friend for years--and when he gets engaged, she knows it's long past time to move on. But before she gets the chance, she has a bigger problem to contend with in the form of Theo Young, ex-NFL player and older brother of the man she's in love with. When she discovers Theo's plans to confess his feelings for his brother's fiancée at their engagement party, Marcela is quick to stop him--despite how tempting it is to let him run away with the bride-to-be. She manages to convince Theo to sleep off his drunken almost-mistake at her place and when they arrive at a family brunch the next day together, everyone wrongly assumes they hooked up.

Since Theo needs a cover for his feelings for the bride and Marcela needs a distraction from her unrequited feelings for the groom, they decide to roll with the lie. Until one late night at a bar, they take it a step further and discover a layer of attraction neither realized existed. Soon, they find themselves exploring the simmering chemistry between them, whether in library aisles or Marcela's bed. There are no boundaries for the rebound relationship they form--just a host of complicated feelings, messy familial dynamics, and uncovered secrets that threaten to tear them apart before they can even admit to themselves that their rebound is working. Maybe a little too well.

 

Quincas Borba by Joaquim Maria Machado De Assis | Translated by Margaret Jull Costa and Robin Patterson | ADULT FICTION

Hailed in his lifetime as one of Latin America's greatest writers, Machado de Assis (1839-1908) was a storyteller known for his wholly innovative narrative techniques and uncanny talent for unraveling the social and political milieu of nineteenth-century Brazil. These signature traits are on full display in Quincas Borba, a novel that sees Machado satirize a rapidly changing Rio de Janeiro.
Originally published in 1891, the story begins with the death of its titular character, a mad philosopher infamous for spouting pessimistic theories of "Humanitism." Borba leaves his fortune--including his dog, also named Quincas Borba--to Rubião, his loyal caretaker and a schoolteacher by trade. Bestowed with opulence beyond his wildest dreams, Rubião is quickly coaxed into the comforts of a rich man's life--the only stipulation being that he continues to care for the canine Quincas Borba with the same dedication he once did the human. Adrift in the big, bad, bustling world of late-1860s Rio de Janeiro, it isn't long before Rubião is targeted by the city's sycophants, who can smell his naïveté from a mile away.

 

Invisible Isabel Sally J. Pla |Illustrated by Tania de Regil | PICTURE BOOK

Isabel Beane is a shy girl who lives in a home full of havoc and hubbub and hullabaloo. With five siblings, there is always too much too much-ness.

At school, there's a new girl who is immediately popular, but she's also not very nice to one person--Isabel.

Isabel has never felt more invisible. She begins to get bombarded by fears, like being abandoned by her classmates and taking the upcoming Extremely Important standardized test. Her fears feel like worry-moths that flutter in her belly. With every passing day, they seem to get stronger and stronger. How can Invisible Isabel make people listen?

 

On Sale July 16

 

The Day's Hard Edge by José Antonio Rodríguez | POETRY

In his fourth poetry collection, José Antonio Rodríguez investigates how one constructs a relationship to the self, to community, and to poetry itself. The Day's Hard Edge is composed of three sections, the first of which situates the reader in the speaker's world, one marked by multiple forms of trauma. Here are the contours of the Texas/Mexico borderlands where the speaker's initial sense of self and community emerges. The second section broadens in scope and considers the potential and limitations of poetry as a site for meaning-making. The third section brings the speaker to a new understanding of the poem as it relates to the transformative and destabilizing experience of trauma. Ultimately this book lays bare an individual and, in doing so, shows how poetry acts as a place of succor and vulnerability for one's very identity. Together these poems explore what it means to be queer, immigrant, and Chicano.

 

María Mariposa by Karla Arenas Valenti | Illustrated by Ana Ramírez González | PICTURE BOOK

A gift from Mexico alights on María Mariposa's windowsill on her first day of school in a brand-new country: "¡Una mariposa!" / "A butterfly!" And with the butterfly, in comes magic. Filled from her toes to her new butterfly wings with memories of home, María knows exactly who she is. But when everything at school is different and strange, doubt begins to make María's confidence fade away. The place she comes from, the community she loves, the magic inside her . . . does any of it really belong in her new life?

With courage and compassion, this picture book confronts the most difficult moments--and feelings--of being new, sweeping readers up in a powerful celebration of the magic we each contribute to the world.

 

How to Eat a Mango by Paola Santos | Illustrated by Juliana Perdomo | PICTURE BOOK

Carmencita doesn't want to help Abuelita pick mangoes; she doesn't even like them! They're messy, they get stuck in her teeth, and it's a chore to throw out the rotten ones.

But Abuelita adores mangoes, and patiently, she teaches Carmencita the right way to eat them. Together, they listen to the tree's leaves, feel its branches and roots above and below, and smell and feel the sweet, smooth fruits. Each step is a meditation on everything Mamá Earth has given, and in the Earth's love, Carmencita feels the love of her Mami, her Papi, her little brother Carlitos, and of course, Abuelita.

When they finally bite in, the juice running down their arms, Carmencita understands. The mangoes are more than just mangoes... and she's ready for another!

Inspired by her own childhood in Venezuela, Paola Santos's mango-sweet story is a grounding, life-affirming take on gratitude for nature's gifts and connection with family and culture. Juliana Perdomo's cheery artwork brings Carmencita, Abuelita, and their mango tree to life with all the warmth of golden fruit under the sun.

Simultaneously released in Spanish as Cómo se come un mango.

 

¡Vamos! Let's Celebrate Halloween and Día de Los Muertos: A Halloween and Day of the Dead Celebration by Raúl the Third | PICTURE BOOK

Little Lobo is celebrating two big holidays this fall!

On Halloween, Little Lobo and his friends dress up in costumes, trick-or-treat for candy, and share spooky stories. Then everyone in the town prepares food, drinks, and other gifts and decorates the cemetery with ofrendas so they can enjoy Día de los Muertos with the spirits of the people they love. Join Little Lobo and his friends as they celebrate!

Full of easy-to-remember Spanish vocabulary and packed with cultural details, this colorful story of two fall holidays brings the celebrations of this border town to readers everywhere!

 

My Broken Language: A Theater Jawn: A Play Based on the Author's Memoir by Quiara Alegría Hudes | PLAY

Quiara Alegría Hudes' stage adaptation of her much-lauded memoir is a joyous celebration of Puerto Rican womanhood in 1990s West Philadelphia.

In this memoir-turned-play, Hudes showcases a handful of key life moments that mark subtle changes in her sense of self and her place in the world. Interlaid between these vignettes are moments of song, dance, and ritual that evoke her boisterous girlhood in a house run by the Perez women. Through this piece, we come to understand the collaborative art that was Hudes's coming of age, and the communal nature of autobiography.

 

You're a Good Swimmer by Christopher Rivas |Illustrated by Ariel Boroff | PICTURE BOOK

"Appropriate for preschool picture-book enthusiasts, this is also the sort of resource every middle- and high-school counselor should display prominently in their office." -- American Library Association's Booklist

Dive into the journey of life with You're A Good Swimmer, a captivating picture book that answers the age-old question: Where do babies come from?

Readers will quickly discover it's not just about the birds and the bees; it's a celebration of the astounding journey that each person takes towards their first breath.

This picture book will bring families together, engaging readers across ages as it explores the miracle of life alongside the complexity of reproduction, birth, and biology. The story reminds us that the journey to our existence is nothing short of a miracle.

With timeless and inspiring artwork alongside straightforward and lively text, You're A Good Swimmer emphasizes that taking our very first breath is the grand prize of the greatest race of all.

 

The Fourteen Sisters of Emilio Montez O'Brien by Oscar Hijuelos | Foreword by Gary Soto | ADULT FICTION

Irish American Nelson O'Brien fell passionately in love with the poetess Mariela Montez while photographing the ravages of battle in Mariela's native Cuba during the Spanish-American War. After marrying, they moved to the United States to start a new life, settling in a small Pennsylvania town where Nelson took over the Jewel Box Movie Theater. Together, they had a remarkable fifteen children: fourteen daughters and one lone son.

In Oscar Hijuelos's The Fourteen Sisters of Emilio Montez O'Brien, the lives, loves, and tragedies of this sprawling Irish Cuban family unfold. Over the course of a century, each member moves in and out of each other's lives, traversing Cuba, New York, California, Alaska, and Ireland, while Margarita--the Montez O'Brien's eldest daughter--ruminates on the nature of femininity, sex, love, and earthly happiness. And as Margarita learns and grows in an overwhelmingly female environment, she can't help but contrast her experiences with those of Emilio, her intensely masculine brother, whose B-movie career in the 1950s has left him adrift and frustrated, with little hope of success.

 

Johnny, the Sea, and Me by Melba Escobar | Illustrated by Elizabeth Builes |Translated by Sara Lissa Paulson | MIDDLE GRADE

Pedro has always dreamed of going to the sea. So when his mom takes him on a special trip to a small island in the Caribbean, he's so happy that he grows an extra inch! But the troubles at home--bullying from classmates and an absent father--find a way to follow Pedro, even on vacation... Overwhelmed, the boy takes to the beach and runs away, hoping to leave his worries far behind.

That's when he meets Johnny, an islander descended from pirates. At first, Pedro is frightened by Johnny's imposing appearance and brusque manners. But Johnny, along with his chatty parrot Victoria, takes young Pedro under his wing and shares his island and his stories with him, thereby changing Pedro's life. Because sometimes, like Pedro, you have to lose yourself to find yourself.

 

On Sale July 23

 

Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio | ADULT FICTION

When Catalina is admitted to Harvard, it feels like the fulfillment of destiny: a miracle child escapes death in Latin America, moves to Queens to be raised by her undocumented grandparents, and becomes one of the chosen. But nothing is simple for Catalina, least of all her own complicated, contradictory, ruthlessly probing mind. Now a senior, she faces graduation to a world that has no place for the undocumented; her sense of doom intensifies her curiosities and desires. She infiltrates the school's elite subcultures--internships and literary journals, posh parties and secret societies--which she observes with the eye of an anthropologist and an interloper's skepticism: she is both fascinated and repulsed. Craving a great romance, Catalina finds herself drawn to a fellow student, an actual budding anthropologist eager to teach her about the Latin American world she was born into but never knew, even as her life back in Queens begins to unravel. And every day, the clock ticks closer to the abyss of life after graduation. Can she save her family? Can she save herself? What does it mean to be saved?

 

Hart & Souls by Lisa Schmid |Illustrated Carolina Vazquez | MIDDLE GRADE

After getting bullied at Figueroa Elementary, Stix Hart wants nothing more than to fly below the radar at middle school. He's heard all the horror stories, but none involved ghosts.

On Stix's first day of sixth grade, his anxiety is off the charts. It doesn't help when he spots a kid who reminds him of his old bully, Xander Mack. Soon after, he encounters two other students who take a keen interest in him. He quickly learns the spooky truth--the trio are lost souls in need of a solid. When the ghosts tell him they've been stuck in middle school for decades, it's up to Stix to figure out how to help these not-so-normal new friends.

Solving this paranormal predicament will take some serious sleuthing and tremendous bravery. Can Stix solve this mystery and help these spirits move on before it's too late?

 

The Deading by Nicholas Belardes | ADULT FICTION

In a small fishing town known for its aging birding community and the local oyster farm, a hidden evil emerges from the depths of the ocean. It begins with sea snails washing ashore, attacking whatever they cling to. This mysterious infection starts transforming the wildlife, the seascapes, and finally, the people.

Once infected, residents of Baywood start "deading" collapsing and dying, only to rise again, changed in ways both fanatical and physical. As the government cuts the town off from the rest of the world, the uninfected, including the introverted bird-loving Blas and his jaded older brother Chango, realize their town could be ground zero for a fundamental shift in all living things.

Soon, disturbing beliefs and autocratic rituals emerge, overseen by the death-worshiping Risers. People must choose how to survive, how to find home, and whether or not to betray those closest to them. Stoked by paranoia and isolation, tensions escalate until Blas, Chango, and the survivors of Baywood must make their escape or become subsumed by this terrifying new normal.

 

Grow Up, Luchy Zapata by Alexandra Alessandri |MIDDLE GRADE

Luchy Zapata is starting middle school, and she's muy excited. She and her two best friends, Cami and Mateo, will finally be at the same school. Luchy and Mateo will be in art class together, and she and Cami can try out for the same soccer team! As long as they're all together, Luchy can handle anything.

But Cami has been acting weird ever since she got back from visiting family in Colombia. She's making new, "cool" friends who just seem mean. And suddenly, everything about Luchy and Mateo is too immature for her.

Luchy is determined to help Cami remember how special their friendship is. They've been BFFs their whole lives, and that can't just disappear in a poof of glitter! But...what if Cami doesn't even want to be friends anymore?

 

Bodega Cats: Picture Purrfect by Hilda Eunice Burgos | Illustrated by Siara Faison | MIDDLE GRADE

Miguel Rosado wants nothing more than to see and draw the world... or, at least anywhere beyond the four walls of his family's bodega in Washington Heights. Too bad his mami and papi have him working long hours after school, hoping he'll appreciate the sacrifices they've made to keep the store afloat. For street-savvy and newly-adopted cat Lolo, that sounds just perfect if it means he's far, far away from the hungry, lonely nights he once spent in the freezing cold outdoors.

But when Miguel ditches his responsibilities and lies to his parents about joining art club, his dream of juggling it all comes crashing down. Lolo will have to decide if he's willing to be there for his new friend Miguel through anything--even venturing back into the frightful outdoors and busy New York City sidewalks. Can they trust each other enough to take on this adventure together?

 

Unexpectedly Wed to the Heir by Lydia San Andres | ADULT FICTION

His vow?
To protect her!


After dressmaker Aura Soriana's father passes away, her home and livelihood are left on the line. With only herself to count on, she's cautious when she meets handsome Eduardo Martinez, heir to a shipping empire, and has no time for his easygoing attitude and showy gestures!

When Eduardo discovers Aura's home has been broken into, and the dangerous men pursuing her are linked to his family, the only way to keep her safe is to claim she's his fiancée! Yet if independent Aura's to meet him at the altar, Eduardo must face his past and show her she can rely on him...

 

When Beavers Flew: An Incredible True Story of Rescue and Relocation by Kristen Tracy |Illustrated by Luisa Uribe | PICTURE BOOK

In 1948, the town of McCall, Idaho was growing rapidly. World War II was over, and the little town tucked away in the mountains began to boom. There was only one problem. As the town expanded, they found beavers everywhere. A beaver here, a beaver there, and it didn't take long to realize that humans and beavers weren't great cohabitators. But one clever and resourceful Fish and Game Warden named Elmo Heter had an idea.

Heter knew that the beavers were integral to the wetlands, so keeping the well-being of the beavers in mind he set out to find a way to relocate them. After a few failed attempts, he finally landed on a wild idea... parachutes. Using a surplus of parachutes left over from WWII and creating a special box with air holes designed to pop open when it hit the ground, Heter devised a way to parachute the beavers into Idaho's backcountry, an area that beavers hadn't inhabited in decades.

 

On Sale July 30

 

My Mother Cursed My Name by Anamely Salgado Reyes | ADULT FICTION

For generations, the Olivares women have sought to control their daughters' destinies, starting with their names. In life, Olvido constantly clashed with her carefree daughter. Then teenage Angustias discovered she was pregnant and left her mother's home in search of her own. Ten years later, Felicitas finally meets her estranged grandmother and is terribly disappointed when Olvido is nothing like a grandmother should be. She is strict, cold, and...dead.

Now, Olvido is convinced the only way her spirit will cross over is if she resolves her unfinished business--to make sure Angustias is in a better place regarding family, job, husband, and God, but maybe not in that order--and Felicitas is the only person who can see or hear her. Heartbroken about her mother's passing and desperate to put Olvido's tiny Texas home in her rearview mirror as quickly as possible, Angustias doesn't understand why suddenly everyone in town seems to be conspiring to set her up with every eligible bachelor in town, offer her jobs, and invite her and Felicitas to church every Sunday.

 

Castle of the Cursed Romina Garber | YOUNG ADULT

After a mysterious attack claims the lives of her parents, all Estela has left is her determination to solve the case. Suffering from survivor's guilt so intense that she might be losing her grip on reality, she accepts an invitation to live overseas with an estranged aunt at their ancestral Spanish castle, la Sombra.

Beneath its gothic façade, la Sombra harbors a trove of family secrets, and Estela begins to suspect her parents' deaths may be linked to their past. Her investigation takes a supernatural turn when she crosses paths with a silver-eyed boy only she can see. Estela worries Sebastián is a hallucination, but he claims he's been trapped in the castle. They grudgingly team up to find answers and as their investigation ignites, so does a romance, mistrust twined with every caress.

As the mysteries pile up, it feels to Estela like everyone in the tiny town of Oscuro is lying and that whoever was behind the attack has followed her to Spain. The deeper she ventures into la Sombra's secrets, the more certain she becomes that the suspect she's chasing has already found her . . . and they're closer than she ever realized.

 

Ghostly, Ghastly Tales: Frights to Tell at Night by Anastasia Garcia | Illustrated by Teo Skaffa | MIDDLE GRADE

Each tale in this magical collection pulls you into a dark world of contemporary stories based on myths and legends from around the world. Haunted battlefields? Talking heads? Ghosts? Nefarious creatures in the night? Read all about spooky field trips, ghostly omens, cautionary tales, and more. Featuring stories inspired by folklore from Nigeria, the Philippines, the Caribbean, Iceland, England, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Ancient Egypt, Germany, Mexico, and the American South.

 

Nana Lupita and the Magic Sopita by Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz |Illustrated by Carlos Vélez | PICTURE BOOK

Luna and her little brother Sol are out to solve a mystery! They suspect that their grandmother uses magic to create her remedies because she says that she uses a "magic" ingredient.

At the beginning of the story Luna and Sol catch colds so their grandmother makes a healing soup. Luna overhears Nana singing a classic Spanish children's song about frog tails while cooking the soup, so Luna secretly thinks that frogs are the magic ingredient. The children explore the enchanted garden in search of frogs until it is time to eat, in which Nana reveals the real secret ingredient. Can you guess what it is?

This sweet semi-bilingual story includes a seek-and-find of traditional plants used in curanderismo and includes the recipe for Nana's magic soup!

 

Angélica and la Güira by Angie Cruz Illustrated by Luz Batista | PICTURE BOOK

Angélica has spent the summer in the Dominican Republic with her tías and primas, her grandparents, and their parrot, but soon she’ll have to say goodbye. The end of summer means returning home to start school on another shore. Before she leaves, her grandfather gives her the perfect gift. It’s something with the power to make people dance as fast as the wings of a hummingbird: a güira. Angélica falls in love with this musical instrument, though nobody shares her enthusiasm at first. “What is that sound,” they say, “pennies inside a tin cup?” But on a hot, sunny day, in the land of Washington Heights, where the frío frío woman scrapes ice for a long line of customers and the men on the corner plunk dominoes on a makeshift carboard table, Angélica shows her neighbors the power of la güira. 

Simultaneously released in Spanish as Angélica y la güira

 

A Terrible Place for a Nest by Sara Levine |Illustrated by Erika Meza | PICTURE BOOK

Juno and his mom have just moved into a new home, and he hates everything about it - the new school, his new classmates, his new room.

Just outside his window, Juno notices a family of mourning doves have started a nest atop the fence, and they seem to be struggling to make it work, too. Sure enough, Juno concludes this new place is a terrible place to build a nest.

But, as winter turns to spring and the doves grow, so does Juno. And while this new place may be scary and sometimes lonely, they will all make it work, together.

Lyrical and hopeful, A Terrible Place for a Nest is a tender and uplifting tale about facing new experiences with empathy and courage.