Latine Authors Longlisted For The National Book Awards

Latinx In Publishing would like to congratulate the Latine authors longlisted for the
2023 National Book Awards!

POETRY

José Olivarez, Promises of Gold
Henry Holt and Company / Macmillan Publishers

José Olivarez is the son of Mexican immigrants. His debut book of poems, Citizen Illegal, was a finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Award and a winner of the Chicago Review of Books Award for poetry. It was named a top book of 2018 by the Adroit Journal, NPR, and the New York Public Library. Along with Felicia Chavez and Willie Perdomo, he co-edited the poetry anthology The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNext. He co-hosts the poetry podcast The Poetry Gods.

NONFICTION

Cristina Rivera Garza, Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice
Hogarth / Penguin Random House    

Cristina Rivera Garza is the award-winning author of The Taiga Syndrome and The Iliac Crest, among many other books. A recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize, Rivera Garza is the M.D. Anderson Distinguished Professor in Hispanic Studies, and director of the PhD program in creative writing in Spanish at the University of Houston.

FICTION

Justin Torres, Blackouts
Farrar, Straus and Giroux / Macmillan Publishers

Justin Torres is the author of We the Animals, which won the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, was translated into 15 languages, and was adapted into a feature film. He was named a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree, a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University, and a Cullman Center Fellow at the New York Public Library. His short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, Granta, Tin House, and The Washington Post. He lives in Los Angeles, and teaches at the University of California, Los Angeles.

TRANSLATED LITERATURE

Stênio Gardel, The Words That Remain
Translator, Bruna Dantas Lobato
New Vessel Press

Stênio Gardel was born in 1980 in the rural northeast of Brazil. The Words That Remain is his first novel.

Juan Cárdenas, The Devil of the Provinces
Translator, Davis
Coffee House Press

Juan Cárdenas is a Colombian art critic, curator, translator, and author of seven works of fiction, including his novel Los estratos, which received the Otras Voces Otros Ámbitos Prize. He has translated the works of such writers as William Faulkner, Thomas Wolfe, Gordon Lish, David Ohle, J.M. Machado de Assis, and Eça de Queirós. Cárdenas currently coordinates the masters program in creative writing at the Instituto Caro y Cuervo in Bogotá, where he works as a professor and researcher.

Pilar Quintana, Abyss Translator, Lisa Dillman
World Editions

Pilar Quintana is a Colombian author. In 2007, Hay Festival selected her as one of the most promising young authors of Latin America. Her previous novel, The Bitch, won an English PEN Translates award and was a Finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Translated Literature. It also won the Colombian Biblioteca de Narrativa Prize, and was chosen as one of the most valuable objects to preserve for future generations in a marble time capsule in Bogotá. Abyss, her latest novel, was awarded the Alfaguara de Novela Prize.

Fernanda Melchor, This Is Not Miami Translator, Sophie Hughes
New Directions Publishing Corporation

Born in Veracruz, Mexico, in 1982, Fernanda Melchor’s novel Hurricane Season was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, Longlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature, and was a New York Times Notable Book.

#SalaSundays with Carla Benton

Carla Benton hosted our Instagram, on August 20, 2023 for our weekly #SalaSundays series. Below are a few questions that we asked Carla.

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

Carla Benton (CB): I am a full-time freelance copy editor and proofreader. Previously, I worked in-house in production editorial roles at Penguin, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster.

LxP: How did you get started?

(CB): I attended college in New York City; during this time I held publishing internships, and I continued to follow that career path once I graduated.

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

(CB): I graduated in 2009, when the recession was still in full swing and jobs were scarce, so I was very preoccupied with making sure I majored in something that would likely land me a job, even though I wasn't entirely sure what type of job I wanted. I wish I'd known just about any writing-focused concentration in the humanities would have prepared me to take the same career path so I would have felt more inclined to choose a course of study purely because it interested me.

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

(CB): I just wrapped up proofreading a compelling memoir called My Side of the River by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez. A recent read I enjoyed was R. F. Kuang's latest novel, Yellowface, and on the nonfiction side I just started reading sports journalist Jemele Hill's memoir, Uphill.

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I am full-time freelance copy editor and proofreader and have been based in Chicago for seven years now. I mostly work on adult books and the Big Five publishers continue to be my primary clients. In my spare time, I am an avid long-distance runner, and I enjoy traveling. I recently returned from an outdoor retreat in Alaska that was organized by one of the authors I worked with last year!

Book Review: Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina, illustrated by Mel Valentine Vargas

If you’re reading this review, you probably know just how petrifying high school can be. Not fitting in, not feeling good enough, getting good grades, romance, friendships, body image. High school is a lot, on top of the struggles with family and identity that are often prevalent as you make the transition into a young adult. Add social media and cyber-bullying into the mix and high school? Yeah, it’s hell.

Meg Medina’s award-winning novel, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, is expertly transformed by Mel Valentine Vargas into a graphic novel that is pertinent to teens of today. It takes elements that were strongest in Medina’s 2013 prose and brings them to life in a revitalizing way. We still feel the yearning, loneliness, and vulnerability that Medina crafted for us through Piddy Sanchez’s story, but Vargas expertly gets us to know Piddy through their contemporary art.

“Meg Medina’s award-winning novel, “Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass”, is expertly transformed by Mel Valentine Vargas into a graphic novel that is pertinent to teens of today. It takes elements that were strongest in Medina’s 2013 prose and brings them to life in a revitalizing way. ”

Piddy Sanchez feels herself slipping, and she feels alone.

Her mom Clara works late, and is doing the best she can to raise Piddy as a single mom. And despite her mom doing everything she can for Piddy, Piddy still feels like a piece of her is missing. Her father is no longer in the picture, choosing instead to live with a second family in the Dominican Republic. Her best friend Mitzi is actually fitting in at her school, and forgetting about Piddy. Her grades are falling, she's skipping class, she’s had to move, and oh yeah, Yaqui Delgado wants to kick her ass.

Though the title is centered around Yaqui, we actually get to know her very little, except that she hates Piddy for being the new girl at school. She can’t stand the way that Piddy shakes her hips when she walks. Piddy isn’t the stereotypical Latina, but she’s just as Latina as the rest of the girls at school. Still, she knows she doesn’t fit in because of her accentless Spanish, her light skin, and her adeptness in the classroom. And Yaqui blames Piddy for talking to Alfredo, a boy that Yaqui has her eyes on.

So, after weeks of bullying, Yaqui finally kicks Piddy’s ass. And posts the fight online for the whole school to see.

We know today just as we did back in 2013 (when Meg Medina’s prose novel was first published) about the intensity of cyberbullying. The fact is, social media has become even more of a staple in young teens’ lives than it was ten years ago. It is proof that young readers, young Latine readers, need Piddy’s story now more than ever.

Yes, Piddy Sanchez is going through it. Kids her age can suck, and the pressure to succeed and fit in threatens to make her head explode. But, the most important thing that Piddy learns through all of this is that she is never alone. She learned how to play piano from her mom, how to dance and shake her hips from Lila, and how to make new friends and try new things from her best friend Mitzi. She has friends and family who love her and will stick up for her no matter what she is going through. With a strong community around her, Piddy learns to stick up for herself and gathers the strength to not give up, even when it feels like the entire world is against her.

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Meg Medina is the current National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. She is the author of the Newbery Medal–winning book Merci Suárez Changes Gears, which was also a 2018 Kirkus Prize finalist, and which was followed by two more acclaimed books about the Suárez family: Merci Suárez Can’t Dance and Merci Suárez Plays It Cool. Her young adult novels include Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, which won the 2014 Pura Belpré Author Award, and which will be published in 2023 as a graphic novel illustrated by Mel Valentine Vargas; Burn Baby Burn, which was long-listed for the National Book Award; and The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind. She is also the author of picture books Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez, Jumpstart’s 2020 Read for the Record selection; Mango, Abuela, and Me, illustrated by Angela Dominguez, which was a Pura Belpré Author Award Honor Book; and Tía Isa Wants a Car, illustrated by Claudio Muñoz, which won the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award; and the biography for young readers She Persisted: Sonia Sotomayor. The daughter of Cuban immigrants, she grew up in Queens, New York, and now lives in Richmond, Virginia.

Mel Valentine Vargas is a Queer Cuban-American graphic novelist based in Chicago. They hope to draw the kind of illustrations that their younger self, and others like them, could have seen to feel less alone. Mel Valentine Vargas loves singing in Spanish, playing farming video games, and eating lots of gyoza with their friends.

Illianna Gonzalez-Soto lives in San Diego, CA with her dog Fluffers and her ever-growing #tbr pile. She currently works with ReedPop as a Marketing Coordinator. Follow her on Twitter & Instagram @iliannagsoto.

Review and Author/Illustrator Q & A: Cool Green: Amazing, Remarkable Trees by Lulu Delacre

Cool Green: Amazing, Remarkable Trees begins with a question.

“¿Por qué, abuelo? Why?”

A young girl asks her grandfather why he’s in awe of trees. He’s a landscaper who believes trees are astounding. He begins to share why.

There’s the General Sherman, considered the “world’s biggest clean air machine,” and the monkey puzzle—“a living fossil and cousin of trees from long ago.” And there’s the coconut palm, which author-illustrator Lulu Delacre wanted to include because it was a big part of her upbringing in Puerto Rico.

Out now by Candlewick Press, Cool Green: Amazing, Remarkable Trees is a tender and lyrical ode to the trees of the world, with a strong backbone in research. With each page, the Latino landscaper guides readers through the wonders of a select group of trees. We learn about the umbrella thorn acacia, which “dresses its branches with needles and hooks,” and we take in the baobab—“an upside-down tree with a trunk like a sponge.”

Delacre’s illustrations, like the trees she features, brim with life. For this particular book, she opted for a mixed media—embedding live specimens like seeds, fronds, and leaves, into the art. Once she was done with the pages, the publisher photographed it in such a way that readers can see shadows on the page from the specimens. The art as a whole will likely nurture greater curiosity about the world’s trees.

By the end of the book, readers are left with more knowledge about trees and the uniqueness each brings. It’s also humbling to learn that more than seventy-three thousand species of trees inhabit Earth. Cool Green: Amazing, Remarkable Trees only scratches the surface, but it’s a quality introduction for both readers of all ages.

The root of this book is a love for nature and learning. Delacre, a big nature lover herself, dedicated it to the young stewards of the Earth.

On behalf of Latinx In Publishing, I spoke with Delacre recently about the inspiration behind Cool Green, her research and illustration processes, and more.

“By the end of the book, readers are left with more knowledge about trees and the uniqueness each brings. It’s also humbling to learn that more than seventy-three thousand species of trees inhabit Earth. ”

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Amaris Castillo (AC): Congratulations on the publication of Cool Green: Amazing, Remarkable Trees. What inspired you to write and illustrate this story?

Lulu Delacre (LD): It goes back to 2019, when I first saw an exhibit on trees, and specifically on the symbiotic nature between fungi and trees. That, paired with the fact that I’ve loved trees all my life. It’s a place of peace for me—walking in the woods and working in the garden.

So all the love of nature, paired with that exhibit and a love of learning—because I absolutely adore to learn—gave way to what happened next. I saw this exhibit in 2019, and then in 2020 we were on lockdown. My safe place again became walking the woods of national parks, gardening, and research. I also noticed how essential workers were thanked and how, all of a sudden, they became visible. I noticed that some people who worked in essential jobs know much more than what you think they do. That’s what made me appear the Latino landscaper who knows a lot more than what you would expect somebody that comes in and does work in your lawn might know. I wanted to share with children my awe of trees, through the voice of this landscaper.

AC: In your book, this Latino landscaper teaches his granddaughter about the different kinds of trees all over the world. Can you talk about your decision to make him a landscaper? Why was that important?

LD: For me it was important that the grandfather is a landscaper, because I have always admired the work of Latinos that come (here). . . When I had this home that I needed to take care of, I did have the help of someone who worked for me. He did the basic lawn care for many years. Talking to him, I realized that he knew so much more than what was apparent. I wanted to showcase that to children, because sometimes a reader might dismiss these essential workers. They might dismiss these people, and I feel that, that is an incorrect way of seeing life, because all of us have something to contribute to society.

A landscaper may not have the degree that a professor may have, but at the same time his knowledge is in the knowledge of the land, in the knowledge of plants, in the knowledge that perhaps came in ways that are not taught in the classroom—that are taught by nature itself. And that is valid knowledge, too.

AC: Your text in Cool Green is both poetic and informative. What was it like to balance both in order to tell a compelling ode to trees?

LD: That’s a great question. First and foremost is research, which I adore. And I did tons of it. Because I wanted the young reader to fall in love with these trees, I searched for what I call the “cool facts.” I literally made a list. If I were looking at these as a young reader, what facts would I find really interesting? What is it that I find cool about this tree? And that’s what I wrote.

After I had all my facts, then I went back and tried to weave these facts in a way that was lyrical. For me, it’s a succinct way of saying a very important thing in very few words that perhaps has more of a chance to stay in the young brain because it’s short. Perhaps it has a way of telling him, or her, or they, just enough that they feel compelled to turn the pages and find more about this specific tree.

AC: In your notes at the end of the book, you write that there are more than seventy-three thousand species of trees that inhabit the Earth. How did you decide which ones you wanted to feature in Cool Green, like the monkey puzzle or the coconut palm?

LD: I’m sorry, but I found out about the coconut palm as soon as I could because I wanted to somehow feature it. It was so much part of my upbringing, and knowing that it was the second largest seed, I said ‘OK, this is the fact. I’m not going to go with the largest seed. It’s going to be the second one, because I want to feature the coconut palm.’ Besides, it has a lot of uses.

For some young children, it’s about the champion tree—the tallest tree, or the tree with the largest girth, like the Ahuehuete from Mexico. This is a champion tree that takes literally 17 adults holding hands to go around its girth. So I wanted to have the champion trees, as well as some amazing trees that I didn’t know about until I started doing the research. Like the Eucalyptus deglupta—the rainbow gum—which literally seems that it couldn’t exist. I do sessions about this book to kids and, when I show them the illustration of the rainbow gum, I ask them, “Do you think that this tree is real, or do you think I made up those colors?” Of course, many of them think that it’s all made up. So I show them photos, and the kids are amazed.

My vision was not only to showcase trees that kids could relate to, but also to do it in a global fashion. I wanted to show readers that you have these amazing trees all around the globe. You have to be in awe. You may have one that is right in your backyard, and you don’t know that it’s there.

AC: I understand that, as part of creating the illustrations, you searched for live specimens of trees. Can you share more about your process?

LD: It’s a mixed media. You can go to my site and see some of the pictures of the process. I used soft acrylics for flat colors. I decided to blend graphic shapes with accurate height and girth of specimens. I represented the surrounding animal life to hint of tree size scale. In an echo of scientific observation I collected on my own, or sought from arboretums, leaves, twigs, cones, bark, and flowers of each species. I used some of the collected specimens to create textured hand printed papers. Finally, I selected a few chosen specimens to adhere to the art. It’s my own way of modeling for readers to do the same with trees they particularly like.

Then after everything was done, the publisher did a very good job of photographing it in such a way that you can see those shadows. So when I show the book to young people, I ask them, “Where is the specimen—the dry leaf that I collaged?” They can pinpoint it. That part was very well done by the publisher. It’s a whole process. Art for a book like this takes me about six months.

AC: What are you hoping young readers take away from Cool Green?

LD: My hope is that, by reading one of these poems, they feel compelled to know more about the specific tree that spoke to them. That it instills in them a little bit of awe for trees, and for what they do for us, humans and the Earth. Maybe they can also become collectors of specific leaves of their favorite trees. They might also be compelled to write their own poem based on facts about the tree that they particularly love.

Doing these books, for me, is like sowing seeds. You don’t know what is going to speak to a child and young minds are really where you want to sow these seeds. If you want to create stewards of the Earth, you must start with the youngest of children. Sometimes it’s just by picking up a book like Cool Green or Verde Fresco, reading a couple of pages and just telling your kid, “You know what? Let’s go out to the park nearby. Let’s go check the trees out there. Let’s see if we can find those leaves, and then let’s see if we can find oak leaves. And what kind of oak leaves do you see?” It’s a bridge to asking questions. And kids are just so curious. It’s really when they are young that you can, like I say, sow seeds that later on grow into amazing people.

AC: You have a new book titled Veo Veo, I See You. What can you share about this story?

LD: I am very excited about Veo Veo, I See You. It celebrates essential workers, but it does it for the youngest of children—to the point that the children that might be playing the veo veo game may not remember what the world went through in 2020. It’s a very joyful book. It’s told in the voice of Marisol, a young girl who discovers the true meaning of the word “essential” on an outing with her mother and her younger brother as they go on errands in the city. She’s playing veo veo and learns who is essential in her surrounding community.

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Three-time Pura Belpré Award honoree Lulu Delacre has been writing and illustrating children's books since 1980. The New York Times Bestselling artist was born and raised in Puerto Rico to Argentinean parents. Delacre says her Latino heritage and her life experiences inform her work. Her many titles include Arroz con Leche: Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America, a Horn Book Fanfare Book in print for over 30 years. Her bilingual picture book ¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z! Descubriendo el bosque nublado; Olinguito, from A to Z! Unveiling the Cloud Forest and her story collection Us, in Progress: Short Stories About Young Latinos have received multiple starred reviews and awards. Among her latest works are the art of Turning Pages by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Cool Green: Amazing, Remarkable Trees. Delacre has lectured internationally and served as a juror for the National Book Awards. She has exhibited at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, The Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators in New York, the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico, and the Zimmerli Art Museum among other venues. Reading is Fundamental honored her with a Champion of Children’s Literacy Award. For more visit her at www.luludelacre.com.

Amaris Castillo is an award-winning journalist, writer, and the creator of Bodega Stories, a series featuring real stories from the corner store. Her writing has appeared in La Galería Magazine, Aster(ix) Journal, Spanglish Voces, PALABRITAS, Dominican Moms Be Like… (part of the Dominican Writers Association’s #DWACuenticos chapbook series), and most recently Quislaona: A Dominican Fantasy Anthology and Sana, Sana: Latinx Pain and Radical Visions for Healing and Justice. Her short story, “El Don,” was a prize finalist for the 2022 Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writers’ Prize by the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival. She is a proud member of Latinx in Publishing’s Writers Mentorship Class of 2023 and lives in Florida with her family and dog, Brooklyn.

Most Anticipated September 2023 Releases

September brought us some exciting book releases! Between picture books, fun and heartfelt romances, or a memoir that redefines the American Dream, there is something for everyone. Scroll below for a list of my most anticipated reads for September.

¡1,2,3 Baila! Series by Delia Ruiz | Illustrated by Graziela Andrade | On Sale September 5

Ever since I caught a glimpse of this series at the LA Times Festival of Books, I’ve been so excited for the official release! The ¡1,2,3 Baila! Series is a trio of bilingual books that teach children primary concepts through Latin music and dance. Merengue introduces Latin instruments and the sounds they make, Salsa teaches to count to 10, and Cumbia explores common manners like consent. 

I might not be a child, but the series features adorable illustrations and is such a creative and refreshing way to teach these concepts, and also introduce diverse settings and characters to kids.

First Gen: A Memoir by Alejandra Campoverdi | On Sale September 12

Sometimes I’m drawn to memoirs because the story seems so different from my own, other times it's the similarities in someone else’s tale that lure me in. With First Gen, it's a bit of both—it’s the familiar themes that draw me in to read about a story so unlike my own. In the same lifetime, Alejandra Campoverdi has been a child on welfare, a White House aide, a Harvard graduate, a gang member's girlfriend, and a candidate for U.S. Congress. Sharing her experience as a first generation Latina navigating social mobility, Campoverdi lays out a personal and intimate story of her journey though a life of contradictions. Always the trailblazer, Camporverdi redefines the narrative of the American Dream and brings to light the struggles of what it means to be a “First and Only.”

As Long as You Love Me by Marianna Leal |On Sale September 12

Long-term school nemesis, Catalina Diaz Solis and Gabriel Cabrera, find themselves in the biggest competition yet: the battle for a full-time job offer. Cata is desperate for the job, hoping it will guarantee her visa renewal; meanwhile, Gabriel finds himself preoccupied elsewhere, desperate for a date to his brother’s wedding. The solution? Gabe offers to step aside from consideration of the full-time job if Cata will be his plus-one. As Catalina grows closer to Gabe, she discovers there is more to him than she ever imagined. When things become complicated, she must decide what she is willing to do to make her dreams come true. 

Academic rivals? Enemies to lovers? Fake dating? Marianna Leal has got it all in this fun and emotional romance.

A British Girl's Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak by Laura Taylor Namey | On Sale September 26

The beauty of a good YA book is that it can carry so much depth and maturity while still maintaining a fun and accessible read. Laura Taylor Namey’s newest novel seems to be on this exact path. 

After losing her mother, Flora finds herself struggling with her grief, unable to control the inner chaos. While her family expects her to apply to university and take on more responsibility at their tea-shop business, Flora decides to head to Miami without telling anyone. There she finds a safe space in her surroundings, the Cuban-American culture of the city, and Baz Marín, a Miami Cuban who shares her love for photography. When her best friend, Gordon also finds his way to Florida, Flora realizes she must confront the “hurricane” of emotions, unable to hide in a city full of them. 

#SalaSundays with Kiara Valdez

Kiara Valdez hosted our Instagram, on August 27, 2023 for our weekly #SalaSundays series. Below are a few questions that we asked Kiara.

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

Kiara Valdez (KV): I am an editor at First Second, Macmillan's graphic novel imprint.

LxP: How did you get started?

(KV): I got hired right after graduating college and have been working at First Second for more than seven years.

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

(KV): That if you're an editor your desire to read books outside of work actually decreases, haha. Or maybe it's just me.

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

(KV): I'm working on a few but one I'd like to highlight is Call Me Iggy. It's a YA coming of age story about Ignacio "Iggy" Garcia, an Ohio-born Colombian American teen who relies on the outdated dating advice and terrible spanish lessons from his abuelito's ghost while trying to find a place he belongs—both in high school and in the general political climate of America.

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Kiara Valdez is an Afro-Dominican writer and graphic novel editor from New York City (shout out to Washington Heights). She graduated from Williams College with a double major in English Literature and Japanese, and spends her free time reading, writing, and enjoying a long list of other hobbies she can't keep up with. She is currently an editor with First Second, where she has edited several award-winning and best-selling graphic novels.

Though she is proud of every book she’s worked on at First Second, she especially enjoyed working on the Check, Please! series, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, Snapdragon, Himawari House, and Frizzy. For her own list she is only looking for graphic novels and is mostly focused on middle grade and young adult. She is open to all genres but is especially interested in magical realism, memoir, #ownvoices stories (especially those from Latinx and Black creators), and stories with LGBTQ+ characters and romance. She likes stories that feel contemporary, real, and are grounded in our world regardless of the genre it’s in, and is a sucker for well-done resolutions/happy endings.

Book Review: Chupacarter and the Haunted Piñata by George Lopez and Ryan Calejo, illustrated by Santy Gutierrez

Chupacarter and the Haunted Piñata by George Lopez and Ryan Calejo, illustrated by Santy Gutierrez is the second book in the ChupaCarter series. Chupacarter and the Haunted Piñata focuses around Carter, the chupacabra, and his unlikely friendship with Jorge.

The reader finds Jorge in the midst of a town mystery that is decades old and seems to have come to life claiming many of the towns businesses through fires. The fires come every six years, caused by what most in the town believe is a haunted piñata. The piñata is part of a curse that was put on the small town, decades ago, by a rich boy who could no longer stand the cruel treatment that he received from his classmates. They had humiliated him for the last time and Boca Falls will forever know the day that they spoiled his birthday party.

“Lopez, Calejo and Gutierrez weaved together a story full of small town folklores, fires, suspects, a talking chupacabra, and a haunted piñata with colorful illustrations and witty banter to keep the reader and the listener engaged. ”

As the story moves forward, Jorge is pleasantly surprised that Carter has returned, from what was supposed to be a more permanent vacation, just in time to help him solve the mystery of the fires that threaten to doom Boca Falls. Liza and Ernie, friends of Jorge, retell the story of the Miguel Valdez Blackbriar, the rich boy who started the curse, to catch Jorge up to speed on just why Boca Falls is experiencing visits from a haunted piñata.

Along the way, we meet many peculiar characters that become main suspects as the mystery behind the fires start to unfold. The story will keep you guessing and rooting for Jorge, Liza, Ernie and ChupaCarter.

Though Chupacarter and the Haunted Piñata can be read as a stand alone story, if you are interested on more context, I do recommend getting your hands on the first book of the ChupaCarter series, where you are introduced to Carter and how he meets Jorge.

There’s a strong comedic tone throughout the story and not only are the authors able to reach the young reader but parents/guardians as well. Lopez, Calejo and Gutierrez weaved together a story full of small town folklores, fires, suspects, a talking chupacabra, and a haunted piñata with colorful illustrations and witty banter to keep the reader and the listener engaged.

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George Lopez's multifaceted career encompasses television, film, stand-up comedy, and late-night programs. He currently stars in and executive produces the NBC sitcom Lopez vs. Lopez, and he can also be seen in his Netflix original comedy special, We'll Do It for Half. His autobiography Why You Crying? was a New York Times bestseller. He has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was named one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America by TIME magazine and one of the Top Ten Favorite Television Personalities by Harris Poll. ChupaCarter is his first series for children. Visit him online at GeorgeLopez.com.

Ryan Calejo is an award-winning author born and raised in South Florida. His critically acclaimed Charlie Hernández series has been featured on half a dozen state reading lists and is a two-time gold medal winner of the Florida Book Awards. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @RyanCalejo.

Santy Gutiérrez grew up in Vigo and now lives in Corunna (La Coruña), both seaside cities in Spain. In his career, he has won acclaim as the Best Spanish Young Editorial Cartoonist and Best Galician Caricaturist, and he founded BAOBAB Studio Artists' Collective. His wife and son are his personal inspirations. Follow him on Instagram @SantyGutierrez_Art.

Angela “Angie” Ybarra is a senior student enrolled in the Nontraditional Degree Program (NDP) at Northeastern Illinois University. She hopes to work as a grant writer to assist local nonprofit organizations that address the issues of gentrification within Chicago's NorthWest side and help them find funding for their work. Angie loves to give her audience the opportunity to formulate their own views by presenting the facts or points of interest with the hope to move her audience into action.

“Journalism is what maintains democracy. It’s the force for progressive social change.” —Andrew Vachss, Author

Erika Meza Confronts Fear in ‘As Brave as a Lion’

As Brave as a Lion opens to a beaming little girl with wild dark hair. She rides a bicycle, chases birds, and jumps on a bed. By her side is a lion about five times her size, with a fiery orange-red mane.

“No matter how fast I go or where I end up,” the girl narrates, “my brave lion sticks with me—my lion’s always there!”

The girl believes the lion helps her find her voice when she’s too shy or too nervous. He helps her feel brave. He’s on her team.

Then one day, the duo set out to try a new “rocket-fast” slide at the playground. The giant cat follows the girl up the ladder. But once atop the slide, she learns that lions, too, can be afraid. Can she find her own bravery to become her lion’s lion this time?

Erika Meza, the author and illustrator of As Brave as a Lion (out now by Candlewick Press), brings readers a touching picture book about fear, friendship, courage, and how to show up for others. Meza’s expressive artwork and color choice add tremendous warmth. Valiente como un León, the Spanish edition, is also available.

“For me, the book was all about fear, and how you face fear when you’re that little—and even when you’re a grown-up,” said Meza, who was born in Mexico and now resides in North London. “It’s all about how, anytime that you’re afraid, you basically have to hold your fear by the hand and go, ‘You know what, fear? I know you’re there, and it’s OK. We’re going to do this, and we’re going to do this together.’”

“Erika Meza, the author and illustrator of “As Brave as a Lion” brings readers a touching picture book about fear, friendship, courage, and how to show up for others. Meza’s expressive artwork and color choice add tremendous warmth. ”

Meza explained that, in a way, this is what happens with her main character and the girl’s furry companion. “Throughout the book, the lion is kind of this embodiment of bravery,” she said. “But once they’re on top of this slide, it is actually the lion that is completely afraid.”

As an example, the artist brought up the magic feather in Dumbo, the 1941 Disney animated fantasy film about a circus elephant with far-oversized ears. In the film, Dumbo believes that a feather will allow him to fly.

“He thought it was the thing that made him fly, but actually the feather was a feather all along. And he had it in him,” Meza said. “It’s kind of the same (in As Brave as a Lion). At first, you think that the lion is the thing that is making her brave, or making her able to pretend that she’s brave. But actually she’s been brave all along.”

As Brave as a Lion is Meza’s first book as an author-illustrator. But at one point, there wasn’t a story—not even a lion. Initially, Meza’s watercolor pencil illustration was of a little girl and a huge bear. The artist thought it would be a nice game of contrast. According to Meza, her agent suggested making the bear a lion instead.

So Meza started over.

“And funnily enough, a lot of the stuff that had felt like it was good in the first one, came out better. I think it was because I had already done it once, and I knew what had worked and what hadn’t,” she said. “Then when I repainted it, it kind of became a little bit more free and a little bit more expressive. And I love that.”

Earlier this year, Meza offered a behind-the-scenes look into the making of As Brave as a Lion on Instagram. It took her several years and hurdles to create the book, including when Storm Eunice damaged her original artwork when water flooded her London studio.

““But at the end of the day, if you don’t move and do something about it, then it’s not going to happen because you’re not actually taking action. You’re standing still...””

One of the most intriguing elements to this story is the lion itself. It’s unclear whether the lion is real to others, or if it’s derived from the girl’s imagination. Growing up, Meza said she read a lot of Gabriel García Márquez, and recalled a story by the Colombian author about an angel who appears in a town and is caged. People come from all over to see him. Meza said there was never any kind of explanation by García Márquez of how the angel appeared.

“You never really have to explain the rules of the magic,” she said. “It just is.”

So when it came time to discuss with her editor whether the lion in her picture book was real or not, Meza came to a realization.

“Putting an explanation behind it kind of confined the imagination of the reader, and so I quite like the idea of: ‘It just is.’ The lion just is,” Meza said. “Why should we question that? Why should we put an explanation? And if you want to give it an explanation, then why not make your own? Why not have your own take of how this lion came to be? On that part, I quite like the idea of ambiguity, just to give the reader—both the adult and the child—the space of interpretation.”

Meza said it’s taken her about 30 years to learn what she hopes young readers will take away from As Brave as a Lion.

“We see people and we think, ‘They’re so impressive. How did they manage to do that? How have they gotten to where they are?’” she said.

The author-illustrator said it can be anything from overcoming shyness, to moving to another country, or daring to do something you’re passionate about. And in the case of her character in As Brave as a Lion, it can look like pushing through fear to go down a very tall slide.

“But at the end of the day, if you don’t move and do something about it, then it’s not going to happen because you’re not actually taking action. You’re standing still,” she said. “If you dare, maybe sometimes it’ll backfire and you’ll know that it was a horrible idea. But more often than not, the one thing that you can get is a ‘yes’ or a positive result. So, for me, it would be a matter of just not letting fear control your life, and keep it still and stationary.”

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Erika Meza was born in Mexico, fell in love with animation on the border with California, and developed a taste for eclairs in Paris before moving to the UK to teach at Nottingham Trent University. She is the illustrator of My Two Border Towns by David Bowles, Salsa Lullaby by Jen Arena, and Arthur Wants a Balloon by Elizabeth Gilbert Bedia. She lives in north London.

Amaris Castillo is an award-winning journalist, writer, and the creator of Bodega Stories, a series featuring real stories from the corner store. Her writing has appeared in La Galería Magazine, Aster(ix) Journal, Spanglish Voces, PALABRITAS, Dominican Moms Be Like… (part of the Dominican Writers Association’s #DWACuenticos chapbook series), and most recently Quislaona: A Dominican Fantasy Anthology and Sana, Sana: Latinx Pain and Radical Visions for Healing and Justice. Her short story, “El Don,” was a prize finalist for the 2022 Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writers’ Prize by the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival. She is a proud member of Latinx in Publishing’s Writers Mentorship Class of 2023 and lives in Florida with her family and dog, Brooklyn.

Book Review: Borderless by Jennifer DeLeon

Borderless, by Jennifer De Leon is a young adult book that explores life in the writer’s South American homeland of Guatemala. The book follows the day-to-day life of Maya, our main character. Maya, a young woman of seventeen, is an inspiring fashion designer who creates unusual fashion out of the unexpected. Maya uses her talent to make her dreams a reality.

Having come from immigrant parents myself, I felt that I was quickly going to relate to the story. However, I was unprepared for the twists and turns that Maya and her mother experienced. The mix of characters within Maya’s retelling of the book’s events gives the overall story interesting layers. The major points in the story are alluded to, but are only revealed when necessary; leaving the reader wishing to know more.

The school that Maya is attending is a very prestigious design school. Maya is entered into a contest, sponsored by the school, that could change her life forever. To complicate matters, her best friend doesn’t make it into the contest. She then meets a boy, and though this should be an exciting time for Maya, it is anything but that. So much happens in this story in such a short span of time, that the reader is left wondering what comes next with each turn of a page. Borderless will have you running alongside Maya and her mother, both whom are just trying to find a home away from gang violence in Guatemala.

“Those who read “Borderless” will find solace and create an intimate connection to Maya and her journey. ”

De Leon has Maya and her supporting characters share some very authentic moments, which build the story up to its climatic events. The reader watches Maya’s life turn upside down. She is no longer able to hide behind her youth or naïveté and is forced to grow up quickly. From her first crush, to her first kiss, and ultimately, her first time witnessing a murder. We see Maya flee from her home with nothing but the clothes on her back, and cross the Rio Grande, which leads her to a detention center and finally to the realization that there are many challenges that she will have to overcome.

As I read Borderless, I started to understand why so many people seek asylum in the United States. The events of the book, at times, only give us a glimpse of the treatment that many people experience when entering the U.S.; enduring dehumanizing situations. These scenes are heart-wrenching. They heavily resemble events that are taking place in today's world; events that are not receiving the attention that they deserve in the media.

Those who read Borderless will find solace and create an intimate connection to Maya and her journey.

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Jennifer De Leon is an author, editor, speaker, and creative writing professor who lives outside of Boston. She is the editor of Wise Latinas: Writers on Higher Education, the 2015-2016 Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public Library, and a 2016-2017 City of Boston Artist-in-Residence. She is also the second recipient of the We Need Diverse Books grant. She is the author of Don't Ask Me Where I'm From and Borderless.

Angela “Angie” Ybarra is a senior student enrolled in the Nontraditional Degree Program (NDP) at Northeastern Illinois University. She hopes to work as a grant writer to assist local nonprofit organizations that address the issues of gentrification within Chicago's NorthWest side and help them find funding for their work. Angie loves to give her audience the opportunity to formulate their own views by presenting the facts or points of interest with the hope to move her audience into action.

“Journalism is what maintains democracy. It’s the force for progressive social change.” —Andrew Vachss, Author

#SalaSundays with Caritza Berlioz

Caritza Berlioz hosted our Instagram, on August 13, 2023 for our weekly #SalaSundays series. Below are a few questions that we asked Caritza.

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

Caritza Berlioz (CB): I am currently an Assistant Acquisitions Editor at Teachers College Press. In this role, I edit and acquire academic books at the intersection of education and social justice across a range of topics and disciplines. I also support the overall department. When I am not acquiring and editing academic books, I write. I graduated from City College of NY MFA Creative Writing program with a concentration in Fiction in 2021.

LxP: How did you get started?

(CB): I started in the publishing industry when I was in college through internships! My first publishing internship was at Valiant Entertainment—a comic-book publisher. Once I graduated, I was hired full-time as a Licensing Coordinator and worked closely with all departments. From there, I knew I wanted to get into editorial, so I made the switch to Teachers College Press.

In other news, I recently accepted an Editor position at another publisher, but more news on that later!

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

(CB): Uff! I wish I knew many things, but I'll describe a few top things that I believe are most important:

1. Be your own advocate—don't feel you're unqualified if you have at least some experience in the profession, and speak up when you want the promotion, professional development, guidance, etc. The editorial career is an apprenticeship, and you are always learning with each new step in your professional career.

2. Weighing the costs vs. benefits—we are reckoning with the cost of living (especially in NY) versus the notoriously low pay in the publishing industry, especially if you intend to be in editorial. I have stayed in companies for, perhaps, a bit too long in hopes of a promotion that would lead to a higher salary. Ultimately, it was being my own advocate and job hopping that led to my career growth.

3. Networking—I wished I had networked earlier in my career to have people to rely on for advice when things were tough at the outset.

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

(CB): I am currently reading In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado. I highly recommend it!

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Caritza Berlioz is an Assistant Acquisitions Editor at Teachers College Press and a CCNY MFA Creative Writing program graduate. When she is not acquiring or editing books on social justice and equity in education, you can find her reading at waterfront parks in Queens, biking through Brooklyn with her husband, or writing her WIP novel and essays.