In 2004, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) sponsored the Latino Books Month in May. The movement has died down with only a handful of faithful libraries still celebrating. Perhaps, this movement fell off the calendar with the popularity of the Hispanic Heritage Month -- a bigger, nationwide celebration in September and October.
A little history: Hispanic Heritage Week was established in 1968 under President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1989, President George H. W. Bush (the father) proclaimed the first National Hispanic Heritage Month via Presidential Proclamation 6021. All Presidents since have continued the proclamation. Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15.
But why wait until the Fall to celebrate Latino Books.
The Latina Book Club, along with that handful of libraries, are reclaiming May Is Latino Books Month.
Let’s start the Celebration with a list of May book releases. All wonderful choices.
Happy Reading ---mcf
NEW BOOK RELEASES
AFTERLIFE by Julia Alvarez (Algonquin)
Antonia Vega loses her job, her husband and her sister. She has no faith left, but hope can be found in the strangest places.
A BREATH TOO LATE by Rocky Callen (Henry Holt and Co.)
17 year old Ellie commits suicide, but the next day she is spectator, swaying between past and present, retracing the events that unfolded prior to her death.
BIG SEXY: IN HIS OWN WORDS by Bartolo Colón (Abrams Image)
He’s known as Big Sexy—Bartolo is a baseball icon and won the Cy Young Award and more games than any other Latin American-born pitcher. A touching memoir.
Real stories from la frontera. It’s a multicultural and bilingual collection.
THE COMPTON COWBOYS: THE NEW GENERATION OF COWBOYS IN AMERICA’S URBAN HEARTLAND by Walter Thompson-Hernández (William Morrow)
This is the tale of the other Compton, a rich legacy of black cowboys in American culture.
Once a palace prisoner, now a rebel spy, Renata becomes embroiled in royal politics and uncovers a secret that will change her life and the country’s.
LatiNEXT: THE BREAKBEAT POETS vol 4 edited by Felicia Rose Chavez, Josè Olivarez and Willie Perdomo
A dynamic poetry collection from an array of nationalities, genders, sexualities, races and writing styles.
SUBDUCTION by Kristen Millares Young (Red Hen Press)
Set on the Makah Indian Reservation, this is a tale of betrayal, grief and hope.
WE DIDN’T ASK FOR THIS by Adi Alsaid (Inkyard Press)
Two sides to every coin. For one group the school’s annual lock-in is the answer to their dreams; for the other a protest is a must. How can there be any winners?
READ LATINO LIT
READ LATINX