Latino Books Month
May is Latino Books Month!
Latino Books Month was launched by the Rhode Island Latino Arts and has been sponsored by the Association of American Publishers (AAP). The Latino Books Month began in 2004 and has been celebrated ever since. It is dedicated to all Latino authors, illustrators and books, including fiction, poetry, drama, autobiography and art. It is meant to inspire literacy amongst the Latino community, promoting English and Spanish reading and to highlight Latino countries and cultures. The Latino Books Month encourages librarians, teachers, educators and booksellers to promote Latino content.
It’s a month to encourage all Latino publications and to inspire the Latino community to become writers. It’s vital to recognize the importance Latino writers have in the literary community, how they’ve shaped writing techniques and styles, and how they have highlighted their countries and cultures through their prolific and revolutionary writing.
Some of the most influential authors in the Latino community are:
Gabriel García Márquez, a Colombian author who revolutionized magical realism with his book “One hundred years of solitude”. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982 for his outstanding literary works.
Why you should read One hundred Years of Solitude (great read for Latino Books Month!)
The Chilean author, Isabel Allende, is one of the most influential authors in the Latino community. She has over 30 awards, including the National Literature Prize in Chile (2010) and she is the first Spanish-language writer to receive the National Book Award medal (2018).
Among others are Carlos Fuentes, Gabriela Mistral, Julia de Burgos, José Luis Borges, Roberto Bolaño and many more.
Interesting fun ways to celebrate
- Teach children heritage through books
- Promote Latino authors
- Read both Spanish and English Latino books
Book recommendations
Here are some suggested books for Latino Books Month.
La casa de Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca| El Killer/ Josué Montijo| Como agua para chocolate/Like water for chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Los Ñeta by Josué Montijo| My Beloved World/ Mi mundo adorado by Sonia Sotomayor | Tríada de abril by Carlos Ocasio II
Unity Months
Celebrate
