#SalaSundays Alia Maria Almeida

Latinx in Publishing (LxP): What do you do? 

Alia Maria Almeida (AMA): I’m a Telesales Representative for HarperCollins Publishers.

LxP: How did you get started? 

AMA: I worked at the Miami Book Fair International back-to-back for years (happening 11/19-11/21!!). My boss at the time kept telling me to consider following my dad in his footsteps as a doctor. I blatantly ignored her and kept trying to find ways to work with books. From there I picked up the odd job (or internship) at a small press, university press, literary non-profit. It took me a little over a year of living en la Nueva York and working internships before I got a job at an NYC-publishing house. Now I can go back to that former boss and tout my jazzy job as proof that I didn’t listen to her.

LxP: What do you wish you knew before getting into the industry? 

AMA: You can’t have pena if you want to work in publishing––FOR SO MANY REASONS. Use those connections to help you get an informational interview, pass that resume along, learn more about a department. If you don’t have connections, cold email or hit that person up on Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn. (HINT HINT: hit me up, chiquilings). Once you have a job, you need to continue to not have pena and ask uncomfortable questions, get over any shyness and make friends and mentors, and speak up for what’s right.

LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?

AMA: Who I’m always reading and selling: Raúl the Third, Lamar Giles, Karina Yan Glaser, Mateo Askaripour, Juana Martinez-Neal.

What I’ve read, loved, and am about to sell: Jameela Green Ruins Everything by Zarqa Nawaz, Anti-Racist Kid by Tiffany Jewell and illustrated by Nicole Miles, and Breathe and Count Back to Ten by Natalia Sylvester.

Who I’m reading for fun: Talia Hibbert, Jayne Allen, the backlist*.

 
*Listen, I gotta have a little mystery and not give EVERYTHING away.

Alia Maria Almeida is a croqueta-loving-Cuban-Miamian who works as a Telesales Representative at HarperCollins Publishers. She loves all kinds of books but is leaning towards Middle Grade and the Romance genre these days. Outside of books, she enjoys video games, scams big and small, and Chicken Kitchen. She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

A Live Reading by LxP's 2021 Mentees

The Latinx in Publishing Writers Mentorship Program is a volunteer-based initiative that offers the opportunity for unpublished and/or unagented writers who identify as Latinx (mentees) to strengthen their craft, gain first-hand industry knowledge, and expand their professional connections through work with experienced published authors (mentors).

In case you missed it, LxP streamed a live reading event on November 4th, 2021, with this year’s talented class of mentees. Agents and publishers, take note! You can view the reading here.

Here’s the line-up in order—

• 1:08—Intro + reading by Andrew Siañez-De La O (Children’s & YA)

• 11:30—Intro + reading by Saraliza Anzaldua (ya) (Poetry)

• 18:20—Intro + reading by Jassyel Gomez (Children’s & YA)

• 25:00—Intro + reading by Shabel Castro (Fiction)

• 32:00—Intro + reading by Alexandra Castrillón Gómez (Fiction, Spanish-language)

• 40:20—Intro + reading by Ariana Juarez (YA & Adult Fiction)

• 51:08—Intro + reading by Giselle Abreu (Children’s & YA)

• 1:05:23—Intro + reading by Robin St. Clare (Fiction)

• 1:15:26—Intro + reading by Kiki Tapiero (Nonfiction)

• 1:24:05—Intro + reading by Christian Vega (Children’s & YA)

• 1:36:45—Intro + reading by P.B. Nieto (Fiction)

• 1:46:46—Intro + reading by Johnny Miles (Fiction)

You can find more info about all our mentees, as well as their wonderful mentors, on our Writers Mentorship Class of 2021 page, and more about the mentorship program itself here.

We at Latinx in Publishing are so proud to have been able to connect these incredible Latinx writers with their mentors, and can’t wait to see what they all do next. Pa’lante!

Sala Sundays Chris Gonzalez

Latinx in Publishing (LxP) : What do you do?

Chris Gonzalez (CG): Right now I manage ebook production and distribution for Macmillan Publishers. But I'm also a fiction editor at the literary journal Barrelhouse and a writer myself.

LxP: How did you get started?

CG: I was the EIC of the college newspaper my junior year after holding several editor and writing roles—I loved the process of assembling the 20-page paper every week, from writing and editing to laying out each section and proofreading the whole thing. This led me down a path of trying to find a job in publishing, though I wasn't sure how close to the actual books I wanted to work, so I tried out a few internships. I held an editorial internship at Orbit Books and Yen Press, then the following summer I interned again with Hachette Book Group, in manufacturing and digital production, where I enjoyed the work a little more. What I loved most was how it seemed I could have this creative life that was separate from my office job. After the production internship, I got my full-time start at Macmillan doing ebook quality assurance. Been there for over 6 years.

LxP: What do you wish you knew before getting into the industry?

CG: How many people it truly takes to make a book. We talk a lot about editing, marketing, and publicity, which are all important.. But there are so many jobs in any given publishing house: bookmakers like production and managing editorial, audio, sales, subrights, contracts, ebooks, metadata management, business systems, IT, the mailroom and facilities, and the list goes on. There's this glitzy and glamorous side to industry, but it takes the hard, poorly-compensated labor of so many players to uphold it and keep the machine running.

LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?

CG: Currently reading Melissa Lozada-Olivia's Dreaming of You (Astra House) and Dave Housley's The Other Ones (Alan Squire Publishing).

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Christopher Gonzalez is a queer Puerto Rican writer and the author of I'm Not Hungry but I Could Eat (SFWP 2021). He is a recipient of the 2021 Artist Fellowship in Fiction from the New York Foundation for the Arts, and his writing appears in the Nation, Catapult, Best Microfictions, and Best Small Fictions, among other journals. He currently serves as a fiction editor at Barrelhouse magazine, manages trade ebook production for Macmillan Publishers, and lives in Brooklyn, NY but mostly on Twitter @livesinpages.

November Most Anticipated Reads

WILD TONGUES CAN’T BE TAMED | ANTHOLOGY

edited by Saraciea J. Fennell

Edited by The Bronx Is Reading founder Saraciea J. Fennell and featuring an all-star cast of Latinx contributors, Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed is a ground-breaking anthology that will spark dialogue and inspire hope.

In Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed, bestselling and award-winning authors as well as up-and-coming voices interrogate the different myths and stereotypes about the Latinx diaspora. These fifteen original pieces delve into everything from ghost stories and superheroes, to memories in the kitchen and travels around the world, to addiction and grief, to identity and anti-Blackness, to finding love and speaking your truth. Full of both sorrow and joy, Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed is an essential celebration of this rich and diverse community.

The bestselling and award-winning contributors include Elizabeth Acevedo, Cristina Arreola, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Naima Coster, Natasha Diaz, Saraciea J. Fennell, Kahlil Haywood, Zakiya Jamal, Janel Martinez, Jasminne Mendez, Meg Medina, Mark Oshiro, Julian Randall, Lilliam Rivera, and Ibi Zoboi.

WHEN WE WERE THEM | YOUNG ADULT FICTION

by Laura Taylor Namey (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)

From New York Times bestselling author Laura Taylor Namey comes an exquisitely crafted, heartrending novel about friendship and the bittersweetness of growing up and growing apart.

When they were fifteen, Willa, Luz, and Britton's friendship was everything.
When they were sixteen, they stood by each other no matter what.
When they were seventeen, they went through the worst.
And when they were eighteen, Willa ruined it all.

Now, it's the week of graduation, and Willa is left with only a memory box filled with symbols of the friendship she destroyed: A book of pranks. Corsages from a nightmarish homecoming. A greasy pizza menu. Greeting cards with words that mean the world... It's enough to make Willa wonder how anything could tear her, Luz, and Britton apart. But as Willa revisits the moments when she and her friends leaned on each other, she can't avoid the moments they leaned so hard their friendship began to crack.

As Willa tries to find a way back to Luz and Britton, she must confront the why of her betrayal, and answer a question she never saw coming: Who is she without them?

FAT ANGIE: HOMECOMING | YOUNG ADULT FICTION

by E. E. Charlton-Trujillo (Candlewick Press)

With unexpected internet fame, two people vying for her heart, an all-girl band, and coming to terms with her parents' failures, Angie comes home to herself in a rewarding finale.

After hitting the road with her friends last summer and taking the stage to sing her heart out in Columbus, Angie finally feels like she's figuring things out. And her next move? Finally asking Jamboree Memphis Jordan to be her girlfriend. Angie's got her speech ready on a set of flash cards, but her plans are complicated when her first love, KC Romance, comes cruising back into town. And when a video of Angie's Columbus performance goes viral, everything gets even more confusing. Kids at school are treating her with respect, she's being recognized in public, and her couldn't-be-bothered mother is . . . well, bothered is an understatement.

When she learns of an online music competition, Angie decides to start a band. With the help of her brother, Jamboree, and her town's resident washed-up rock star, Angie puts together a group and gets busy writing songs, because the competition deadline is only two weeks away. Between sorting out her feelings for Jamboree and KC, dealing with her newfound fame, and dodging an increasingly violent and volatile mother, singing seems like the only thing that Angie's really good at. Can her band of girl rockers actually win? More importantly, can Angie get it together before she loses all sense of herself yet again?

Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed is Out Today!

Saraciea J. Fennell is a Black Honduran writer and the founder of The Bronx is Reading. She is also a book publicist who has worked with many award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors. Fennell sits on the board for Latinx in Publishing as well as on the Advisory Board of People of Color in Publishing. She lives in the Bronx with her family and dog, Oreo.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Saraciea about her newly released anthology, Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed, which features 15 distinct voices from the Latinx diaspora. This anthology is the perfect mix of well-established writers and up-and-coming voices, and perfectly captures the diversity of the Latinx diaspora community.

Illianna Gonzalez-Soto (IGS): Saraciea! It’s pub day and your anthology, WILD TONGUES CAN’T BE TAMED, is out now! How are you feeling now that the anthology is out into the hands of readers?

Saraciea Fennell (SF): I’m buzzing with so much excitement. It’s been amazing to see the response from reviewers, bloggers, and social media influencers. Now I’m pumped to see what readers and my family and friends will think of the collection, plus I so can’t wait to talk to readers to see which pieces resonate with them and why.

IGS: Tell readers what this anthology is unleashing? The title itself is a statement that refuses to be ignored. How did the work of Gloria Anzaldúa influence this anthology for you?

 SF: This anthology is about to shake things up for the latinx canon! Anzaldúa’s book Borderlands was groundbreaking in its own right and I see Wild Tongues in the same vein. I think really just writers like Anzaldúa having the audacity to unapologetically write their truths and subvert stereotypes in our community is the greatest influence for this book.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Saraciea J. Fennell (@sj_fennell)

IGS: How does the word “diaspora” resonate with you and why was it important to you to make sure these15 voices from the diaspora were heard when there exist 33 Latin American countries? I can only imagine that your process for selecting these specific writers was difficult, if only for the simple but hard fact that many voices —Central & South American voices, Black Latinx voices especially—are often noticeably absent from the literary conversation.

SF: The word diaspora automatically disrupts what someone thinks when it’s next to the word Latinx. You kind of know right from the beginning that this collection is going to feature a diverse group of contributors. It was extremely hard to narrow down the list of contributors, but I wanted to make sure there was space for underrepresented voices that never receive the space they deserve, while also balancing it out with well known writers like Meg Medina, Ibi Zoboi, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, and Naima Coster. I wanted this anthology to be accessible to young people, but also to crossover to the adult space and I think it accomplishes that. Do these 15 voices cover the full latin american experience? Absolutely not, but it’s a start, and who knows, maybe one day I’ll be able to do a follow-up to this anthology and include more voices from the diaspora.

 IGS: Is there a reason that nonfiction was the genre through which you chose to funnel this anthology? Was nonfiction the best way you were able to make the discussion of Latinidad and its stereotypes more visible?

SF: There is a ton of fiction that features our community (granted there are still experiences yet to be told in fiction, especially when it comes to Central American representation), and I felt that it would be more impactful to have this be nonfiction because there’s nothing like it on the market - sure there’s nonfiction featuring specific experiences from specific countries, but nothing featuring a wide-range of writers from the diaspora. There’s also something about nonfiction and its ability to connect with readers in a direct and personal way that you don’t really get with fiction, so I hope that readers of Wild Tongues feel a deeper connection to this body of work because it’s our real life experiences and that tends to offer up validation in ways that fiction just can’t.

 IGS: Did you feel pressure to make sure that the identities reflected in the anthology were represented as accurately as possible? If so, how did that pressure create tension with your own identity as a Garifuna and as a Black Honduran?

SF: Honestly, I didn’t really feel pressure because this is a nonfiction anthology and everyone’s lived experiences are always going to vary, and I think that’s the most beautiful thing about this collection. As for me and my identities, I’m still learning about my ancestry and I felt that was important to note in my essay.

“I don’t want anyone reading this anthology to think that the experiences reflected when it comes to identity and culture is the end all be all because it isn’t, instead I want folks to know that the diaspora is vast and shapes people in our community in different ways. ”

I did feel pressure to make sure the Spanish dialects and languages were as accurate as possible though!

 IGS: How did you approach writing your essay, “Half in, Half out?” In the 4th annual Bronx Book Festival interview, you talk about how this piece was a moment in your life where identity and culture were beginning to take shape, and how knowing your roots helped you to begin to dictate your own identity. I’m wondering if writing this piece came naturally for you and how you went about exploring the topics of identity, ancestry, and culture?

 SF: Writing Half In, Half Out came naturally to me, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t challenging! It took me some time to sift through my memories from childhood and to focus on what I wanted to include in the essay and what I wanted to leave out. There are so many countless examples of experiences that I could’ve included, but ultimately decided not to. I wanted to focus on the moments where society forced me to figure out my identity and culture, because otherwise the world was going to swallow me up whole and I would just be lost not knowing where I really came from and etc.

 IGS: How does your essay align with other works you have written, and are currently working on writing? What can we expect to see from you next?

 SF: My essay touches on a lot of things I tend to feature in my writing: siblings, hair, colorism and anti-Blackness, and that sense of finding one's place in the world. I’m currently hoping to have upcoming projects featuring an adult essay collection, and eventually my debut YA novel, the future is looking very exciting!

IGS: Picture your ideal literary scene: what stories do you imagine flooding the minds and homes of readers around the world and how can authors and publishers do the work to ensure that more stories like those are published?

 SF: For me it’s not necessarily the ideal literary scene but instead representation of underrepresented people/characters that come from where I come from. Where are the Hondurans in literature? Where is the character that reflects what it’s like to be a Black Honduran growing up in Brooklyn, the Bronx, elsewhere? Where is the Latinx person who is queer and Jewish and etc.

“There are so many untold stories from our community and that’s what I want to see flooding the minds and homes of readers. I’m so tired of reading about the same Latinx experiences, we need and deserve variety. ”

IGS: What resources can you point readers to so that we can find more literature like this revolutionary anthology? If there are outside authors or works from those within this anthology that we all should add to our TBRs, drop those recommendations here!

 SF: I’m always looking for resources myself, so I would recommend of course Latinx in Publishing, We Need Diverse Books, and places like Goodreads, you’d be surprised at the diverse listicles on there, I know I certainly was, ha! You should definitely go and follow all of the contributors in this anthology and read their work, and for the others who don’t have books out yet, invest in their career by following them on social media and championing them when recommending new voices to discover.

 IGS: Do you have final advice for the next generation of Latinx and BIPOC writers and readers who will see themselves reflected in WILD TONGUES, but who are still struggling to reconcile their identities within Latinx and white spaces?

 SF: Such a great question! I encourage the next generation of writers to be kind to themselves. It’s hard navigating the world, but especially as a person of color. Trying to make it in the publishing industry is no different, stay as true to yourself as you can and set boundaries, step away when you need to and build community so you have folks to lean on to ask for advice and to help you find a way forward as you navigate these spaces.

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Visit TheBronxisReading.com and follow Saraciea online @sj_fennell & @thebxisreading.

Stay connected to the contributors in the anthology:

Mark Oshiro: https://www.markoshiro.com/

Naima Coster: https://www.naimacoster.com/

Natasha Diaz: https://natashaerikadiaz.com/about/

Meg Medina: https://megmedina.com/

Julian Randall: https://juliandavidrandall.com/

Ibi Zoboi: https://www.ibizoboi.net/

Cristina Arreola: https://www.cristinaarreola.com/

Khalil Haywood: https://twitter.com/DamnPOPS

Zakiya N. Jamal: https://zakiyanjamal.com/

Lilliam Rivera: https://www.lilliamrivera.com/

Jasminne Mendez: https://www.jasminnemendez.com/

Ingrid Rojas Contreras: https://www.ingridrojascontreras.com/

Janel Martinez: https://www.janelmartinez.com/

Elizabeth Acevedo: http://www.acevedowrites.com/

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Illianna Gonzalez-Soto lives in San Diego, CA with her dog Fluffers and her ever-growing #tbr pile. You can follow her on Twitter (@Annalilli15) and Instagram (@librosconillianna).

November 2021 Latinx Releases

ON-SALE NOVEMBER 2ND, 2021

FAT ANGIE: HOMECOMING | YOUNG ADULT FICTION

by E. E. Charlton-Trujillo (Candlewick Press)

With unexpected internet fame, two people vying for her heart, an all-girl band, and coming to terms with her parents' failures, Angie comes home to herself in a rewarding finale.

After hitting the road with her friends last summer and taking the stage to sing her heart out in Columbus, Angie finally feels like she's figuring things out. And her next move? Finally asking Jamboree Memphis Jordan to be her girlfriend. Angie's got her speech ready on a set of flash cards, but her plans are complicated when her first love, KC Romance, comes cruising back into town. And when a video of Angie's Columbus performance goes viral, everything gets even more confusing. Kids at school are treating her with respect, she's being recognized in public, and her couldn't-be-bothered mother is . . . well, bothered is an understatement.

When she learns of an online music competition, Angie decides to start a band. With the help of her brother, Jamboree, and her town's resident washed-up rock star, Angie puts together a group and gets busy writing songs, because the competition deadline is only two weeks away. Between sorting out her feelings for Jamboree and KC, dealing with her newfound fame, and dodging an increasingly violent and volatile mother, singing seems like the only thing that Angie's really good at. Can her band of girl rockers actually win? More importantly, can Angie get it together before she loses all sense of herself yet again?

 WILD TONGUES CAN’T BE TAMED | ANTHOLOGY

edited by Saraciea J. Fennell

Edited by The Bronx Is Reading founder Saraciea J. Fennell and featuring an all-star cast of Latinx contributors, Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed is a ground-breaking anthology that will spark dialogue and inspire hope.

In Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed, bestselling and award-winning authors as well as up-and-coming voices interrogate the different myths and stereotypes about the Latinx diaspora. These fifteen original pieces delve into everything from ghost stories and superheroes, to memories in the kitchen and travels around the world, to addiction and grief, to identity and anti-Blackness, to finding love and speaking your truth. Full of both sorrow and joy, Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed is an essential celebration of this rich and diverse community.

The bestselling and award-winning contributors include Elizabeth Acevedo, Cristina Arreola, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Naima Coster, Natasha Diaz, Saraciea J. Fennell, Kahlil Haywood, Zakiya Jamal, Janel Martinez, Jasminne Mendez, Meg Medina, Mark Oshiro, Julian Randall, Lilliam Rivera, and Ibi Zoboi.

ON-SALE NOVEMBER 11TH, 2021

ONE BEE TOO MANY | PICTURE BOOK

by Andrés Pi Andreu; illustrated by Kim Amate (Dragonfruit)

A Charming Children's Book About Bees and Belonging (Ages 9-12)

In the tradition of timeless fables, children and adults alike will enjoy this poetic and elaborately illustrated story. A clever tale with a completely satisfying ending, One Bee Too Many explores delicate topics, including prejudice and tolerance.

A contemporary fable about tolerance and equality for kids. There is a great commotion in the beehive. The bees are cramped, they can't play games, and after many complex calculations, it seems there is one bee too many! Who was it? Was she eating their honey? Could they identify her buzz? And once they did, what would they do with her? An essential in any shelf of diversity and inclusion books for kids, this engaging story offers a profound lesson that is sure to stay with you long after reading it.

For fans of award-winning children's books. Touching on present day issues, One Bee Too Many is an essential kids book about racism, immigration, and discrimination. Featuring surreal and elaborate illustrations reminiscent of Catalan modernism, readers are sure to find new surprising details in every read. Originally published in Spanish, it has won prestigious awards such as the White Ravens List, Golden Medal of the Campoy-Ada Award, and USA National Children Literature Award.

If you're looking for fables children will enjoy, children's books on bullying, kid's books about equality, or picture books on kindness--or enjoyed the Strictly No Elephants book, Island Born, or The Big Umbrella--then your child will love One Bee Too Many.

ON-SALE NOVEMBER 15TH, 2021

NEW MEXICO CHRISTMAS STORY | PICTURE BOOK FICTION

By Rudolfo Anaya; Illustrated by El Moisés (Museum of New Mexico Press)

Acclaimed New Mexico author Rudolfo Anaya presents a northern New Mexico Christmas tale in this third volume from his Owl in a Straw Hat series featuring the loveable Ollie Tecolote and his Wisdom School classmates Uno the Unicorn, Jackie Jackalope, Bessie Beaver, Sally Skunk, Robbie Rabbit, and Ninja Raccoon. The story begins on Christmas Eve morning in Chimayó and the students play in the snow and decorate a Christmas tree for the classroom. They are looking forward to the evening's activities. Nana, their teacher, is making posole and chile colorado and has invited some special guests to join them for dinner. After that Nana says they'll walk to El Santuario to visit the Santo Niño and promises hot chocolate and biscochitos afterward! Along the way, they will act the parts of the shepherds in Los pastores, the Shepherds' Play, which is about shepherds visiting the newborn baby Jesus and bringing him gifts. At the end of their journey, they too will visit the Nativity and bring their own gifts on this magical night.

ON-SALE NOVEMBER 16TH, 2021

SHERLOCK DOM #4 | CHAPTER BOOK

by Terry Catasús Jennings; Illustrated by Fátima Anaya

Judy Moody meets the Diary of a Future President remake in this fourth story in a chapter book series featuring a young Cuban American girl who tries to find adventure based on the classic stories she read with her beloved abuela.

Dom is excited to join her friend, Steph, for a mini vacation. They are going to visit Steph's grandmother in Virginia, where Dom hopes they can continue to have a lot of fun adventures. As soon as they arrive, they find that Gran's neighbors have lost their goat! There are some mysterious footprints near the goat pen that lead to the marsh. Dom decides to use the methods of her favorite detective, Sherlock Holmes--observing the basics, using all her senses, and talking it through with her trusty friend--to try and bring the little goat back home.

WHEN WE WERE THEM | YOUNG ADULT FICTION

by Laura Taylor Namey (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)

From New York Times bestselling author Laura Taylor Namey comes an exquisitely crafted, heartrending novel about friendship and the bittersweetness of growing up and growing apart.

When they were fifteen, Willa, Luz, and Britton's friendship was everything.
When they were sixteen, they stood by each other no matter what.
When they were seventeen, they went through the worst.
And when they were eighteen, Willa ruined it all.

Now, it's the week of graduation, and Willa is left with only a memory box filled with symbols of the friendship she destroyed: A book of pranks. Corsages from a nightmarish homecoming. A greasy pizza menu. Greeting cards with words that mean the world... It's enough to make Willa wonder how anything could tear her, Luz, and Britton apart. But as Willa revisits the moments when she and her friends leaned on each other, she can't avoid the moments they leaned so hard their friendship began to crack.

As Willa tries to find a way back to Luz and Britton, she must confront the why of her betrayal, and answer a question she never saw coming: Who is she without them?

ON-SALE NOVEMBER 23RD, 2021

¡MAMBO MUCHO MAMBO! THE DANCE THAT CROSSED COLOR LINES | PICTURE BOOK

By Dean Robbins; Illustrated by Eric Velasquez (Candlewick Press)

New York City's desegregated Palladium Ballroom springs to life with a diverse 1940s cast in this jazzy picture-book tribute to the history of mambo and Latin jazz.

Millie danced to jazz in her Italian neighborhood. Pedro danced to Latin songs in his Puerto Rican neighborhood. It was the 1940s in New York City, and they were forbidden to dance together . . . until first a band and then a ballroom broke the rules. Machito and His Afro-Cubans hit the scene with a brand-new sound, blending jazz trumpets and saxophones with Latin maracas and congas creating Latin jazz, music for the head, the heart, and the hips. Then the Palladium Ballroom issued a bold challenge to segregation and threw open its doors to all. Illustrated with verve and told through real-life characters who feature in an afterword, ¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! portrays the power of music and dance to transcend racial, religious, and ethnic boundaries.

ON-SALE NOVEMBER 30TH, 2021

I HOP | BEGINNING READERS

by Joe Cepeda (Holiday House)

This Level C book about a boy and his grandma is perfect for kindergarten readers.

A boy hops around town on his pogo stick.
I get cheese.
I get bread
I get apples.
It's all for a picnic with Grandma Easy-to-read text and fun pictures

I Hop is a companion book to I See, Up, and I Dig, easy-to-read stories about a Latinx boy and his family.

I Like to Read: The award-winning I Like to Read series features guided reading levels A through G, based upon Fountas & Pinnell standards. Acclaimed author-illustrators--including winners of Caldecott, Theodor Seuss Geisel, and Coretta Scott King honors--create original, high-quality illustrations that support comprehension of simple text and are fun for kids to read again and again with their parents, teachers or on their own

Latinx in Publishing's 2021 Holiday Gift Guide

From children’s literature to adult, there are so many special books to purchase this holiday season for your love one. Below is a curated collection of some of our favorite books published this year by Latinx authors and illustrators!

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Carolina Ortiz is an associate editor at HarperCollins Children’s. She works on a variety of projects but specializes in middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels. Before her time at HarperCollins, she worked as a marketing and publicity associate at an independent press. With a special place in her heart for Latinx and queer stories, Carolina is excitingly building a list that reflects the diverse world around us and that would allow readers to feel seen in the books they read—a feeling that she rarely experienced in her childhood. Find her on Twitter at @pushthepanorama.

Sala Sundays with Caritza Berlioz

Latinx in Publishing (LxP): What do you do?

Caritza Berlioz (CB): I'm an Editorial Assistant at Teachers College Press. It's a University Press. I work supporting the Acquisitions Department, as well as acquiring and developmental editing manuscripts on subjects in education and social justice.

LxP: How did you get started?

CB: I used to intern at Valiant, a small comic book publishing company, and they brought me on full time as a licensing coordinator. I was in this role for a couple of years before I made the switch to editorial.

LxP: What do you wish you knew before getting into the industry?

CB: To know that your background and skills are valuable, and that you don’t have to have a linear route into the editorial field.

LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?

CB: I’m currently developing a manuscript about centering and teaching Indigenous education. I’m currently reading El Olor de la Guayaba by Gabriel García Márquez in conversation with Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza.

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Caritza Berlioz is an Editorial Assistant at Teachers College Press and a recent graduate of the CUNY City College of New York MFA Creative Writing program with a concentration in fiction. She is a Honduran American, born and raised right outside of NYC in New Rochelle, NY.

October Most Anticipated Reads

Grab your fuzzy blanket, some hot apple cider, and crawl into your favorite book nook with our most anticipated reads for October! 🍂

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THIS FIERCE BLOOD | ADULT FICTION, LITERARY

by Malia Márquez (Acre Books)

A multicultural saga, This Fierce Blood follows three generations of women in the Sylte family.

In rural late-nineteenth-century New England, Wilhelmina Sylte is a settler starting a family with her Norwegian immigrant husband. When she forms an inexplicable connection with a mountain lion and her cubs living near their farm, Mina grapples with divided loyalties and the mysterious bond she shares with the animals.

In 1927 in southern Colorado, Josepa is accused of witchcraft by a local priest for using the healing practices passed down from her Native mother. Fighting for her family's reputation and way of life, Sepa finds strength in worldly and otherworldly sources.

When Magdalena, an ecologist, inherits her great-grandmother Wilhelmina's Vermont property, she and her astrophysicist husband decide to turn the old farm into a summer science camp for teens. As Magda struggles with both personal and professional responsibilities, the boundary between science and myth begins to blur.

Rich in historical and cultural detail, This Fierce Blood combines magical realism with themes of maternal ancestral inheritance, and also explores the ways Hispano/Indigenous traditions both conflicted and wove together, shaping the distinctive character of the American Southwest. Readers of Téa Obreht and Ruth Ozeki will find much to admire in this debut novel.

CERTAIN DARK THINGS | FANTASY, HORROR

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Macmillan/Nightfire)

From Silvia Moreno-Garcia, the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic, comes Certain Dark Things, a pulse-pounding neo-noir that reimagines vampire lore.

Welcome to Mexico City, an oasis in a sea of vampires. Domingo, a lonely garbage-collecting street kid, is just trying to survive its heavily policed streets when a jaded vampire on the run swoops into his life. Atl, the descendant of Aztec blood drinkers, is smart, beautiful, and dangerous. Domingo is mesmerized.

Atl needs to quickly escape the city, far from the rival narco-vampire clan relentlessly pursuing her. Her plan doesn't include Domingo, but little by little, Atl finds herself warming up to the scrappy young man and his undeniable charm. As the trail of corpses stretches behind her, local cops and crime bosses both start closing in.

Vampires, humans, cops, and criminals collide in the dark streets of Mexico City. Do Atl and Domingo even stand a chance of making it out alive? Or will the city devour them all?

EVERYTHING WITHIN AND IN BETWEEN | YOUNG ADULT CONTEMPORARY

by Nikki Barthelmess (HarperCollins/Harper)

Color Me In meets I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter in Everything Within and In Between, a deeply honest coming-of-age story about reclaiming a heritage buried under assimilation, the bonds within families, and defining who you are for yourself.

For Ri Fernández's entire life, she's been told, "We live in America and we speak English." Raised by her strict Mexican grandma, Ri has never been allowed to learn Spanish.

What's more, her grandma has pulled Ri away from the community where they once belonged. In its place, Ri has grown up trying to fit in among her best friend's world of mansions and country clubs in an attempt try to live out her grandmother's version of the "American Dream."

In her heart, Ri has always believed that her mother, who disappeared when Ri was young, would accept her exactly how she is and not try to turn her into someone she's never wanted to be. So when Ri finds a long-hidden letter from her mom begging for a visit, she decides to reclaim what Grandma kept from her: her heritage and her mom.

But nothing goes as planned. Her mom isn't who Ri imagined she would be and finding her doesn't make Ri's struggle to navigate the interweaving threads of her mixed heritage any less complicated. Nobody has any idea of who Ri really is--not even Ri herself. 

Everything Within and In Between is a powerful new young adult novel about one young woman's journey to rediscover her roots and redefine herself from acclaimed author Nikki Barthelmess.

THE LAST CUENTISTA | MIDDLE GRADE NOVEL

by Donna Barba Higuera (Levine Querido)

Había una vez . . .

There lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita.

But Petra's world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children - among them Petra and her family - have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race.

Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet - and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity's past. They have systematically purged the memories of all aboard - or purged them altogether.

Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again?

Pura Belpré Honor-winning author Donna Barba Higuera presents us with a brilliant journey through the stars, to the very heart of what makes us human.

MIOSOTIS FLORES NEVER FORGETS | MIDDLE GRADE CONTEMPORARY

by Hilda Eunice Burgos (Lee & Low/Tu Books)

Perfect for fans of Meg Medina and Barbara O'Connor, this heartfelt novel about family, pets, and other things we hold close is one that you'll never forget.

Miosotis Flores is excited about three things: fostering rescue dogs, goofy horror movies, and her sister Amarilis's upcoming wedding. School? Not on that list. But her papi cares about school more than anything else, so they strike a deal: If Miosotis improves her grades in two classes, she can adopt a dog of her own in the summer.

Miosotis dives into her schoolwork, and into nurturing a fearful little pup called Freckles. Could he become her forever dog? At the same time, she notices Amarilis behaving strangely--wearing thick clothes in springtime, dropping her friends in favor of her fiancé, even avoiding Miosotis and the rest of their family.

When she finally discovers her sister's secret, Miosotis faces some difficult choices. What do you do if someone is in danger, but doesn't want your help? When should you ask for support, and when should you try to handle things on your own? And what ultimately matters most--what Miosotis wants, or what's right for the ones she loves?

Sala Sundays with Carina Licon

Latinx in Publishing (LxP): What do you do?

Carina Licon (CL): I am an Editorial Assistant at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers.

LxP: How did you get started?

CL: I always knew I wanted to work with books in some capacity. I thought that would be studying them as a professor until I realized academia wasn't really for me. A year after graduating, I put my head down and focused on breaking into the industry. I interned at St. Martin's Press for one year and Writers House for one semester before landing the job I have now. The remote option from these companies is why I'm here today!

LxP: What do you wish you knew before getting into the industry?

CL: I wish I knew that breaking into the industry would be a marathon and not a race. I was in a slump for an entire year post-graduation working a job I wasn't happy at, completely unrelated to publishing. I was very hard on myself and really had to convince myself to try applying at all. When I finally snagged an internship, I was happy but also put pressure on myself to have a full-time job by a specific date. I would remind myself to just take it day by day, keep making valuable connections, and understand that so much of it is just timing... for the right role, right imprint, etc.

LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?

CL: I am really trying to actively build my editorial skills by being well-read so am reading both buzzy and infamous backlist books! I just finished The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill and am starting May the Best Man Win by Zr Ellor. I am also wishing on a star every day for an ARC of I Kissed Sara Wheeler by Casey McQuinston.

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Carina Licon was born and raised in El Paso, TX and is currently an Editorial Assistant at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. Carina began her publishing career as an intern with both St. Martin’s Press and Writers House before taking on a temporary Editorial Assistant position at MTV Books. Living in Austin, TX for now, Carina enjoys supporting local restaurants, listening to movie podcasts, and spending time with her very intimidating 8-pound guard dog. Follow her on Twitter @liconcarina!