Fifteen-year-old Milly Kaufman is an average American teenager until Pablo, a new student at her school, inspires her to search for her birth family in his native country.

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A gift of gracias : the legend of Altagracia - Julia Alvarez and Beatriz Vidal

Aware that their olive crop has failed and their dreams of success in their island colony may never be realized, young Maria is fearful of what is to come until she dreams of a beautiful woman who magically transforms the olive crop into a grove full of tasty oranges that completely alters the fate of her entire family!

How Tía Lola learned to teach - Julia Alvarez

Accepting a teaching job at her niece and nephew’s elementary school, Tía Lola respectively delights and disgusts Juanita and Miguel, who struggle with a tendency to dream and the absence of their father.

How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay - Julia Alvarez

Miguel embarks on a journey of self-discovery when Tfa Lola, his eccentric aunt from the Dominican Republic--who paints their house purple, drapes her lace mantilla across the windows, and puts meatballs in his lunch--comes to live with them after his Mami gets divorced.

How Tía Lola saved the summer - Julia Alvarez

When three girls and their father visit for a week in the summer, it takes ââTía Lola to make Miguel forget his unhappiness at the absence of any boys and embrace the adventures that ensue.

Return to sender - Julia Alvarez

When the family hires Mexican migrant workers to help keep the family farm from going under after his father's tractor accident, Tyler befriends the workers' eldest daughter, Mari, and learns of her great fears in getting deported if the authorities find out about them and their illegal status.

Downloadable audiobook

Brownsville : stories - Oscar Casares

A debut anthology of short stories captures the colorful lives of the inhabitants of Brownsville, Texas, a predominantly Mexican-American town along the Mexican border.

The guardians : a novel - Ana Castillo

Discovering that her brother has vanished while crossing the border from Mexico the United States, Regina, a middle-aged widow, and her nephew, Gabo, embark on a perilous search for him, joining forces with an amorous, divorced schoolteacher and his grandfather, as well as a priest losing his faith. By the author of Peel My Love Like an Onion.

I ask the impossible : poems - Ana Castillo

The author of Peel My Love Like an Onion presents an evocative new collection of poetry that celebrates the diverse strengths of women, as she writes about heroism, motherhood, the power of love, grief, loss, and the ability to overcome the impossible.

My father was a Toltec and selected poems : 1973 - 1988 - Ana Castillo

A new edition of the classic poetry collection by the author of I Ask the Impossible and Peel My Love Like an Onion presents lyrical, streetwise, frequently autobiographical poems, including an all-new, never-before-published work.

The brief wondrous life of Oscar Wao - Junot Díaz

Living with an old-world mother and rebellious sister, an urban New Jersey misfit dreams of becoming the next J. R. R. Tolkien and believes that a long-standing family curse is thwarting his efforts to find love and happiness.

Destiny and desire : a novel - Carlos Fuentes and Edith Grossman

Set apart from their peers by a shared philosophical curiosity, Mexican orphans Josué and Jericó take high-power jobs after college and are exposed to a complex web of corruption that forces them to evaluate their perspectives on free will. By Mexico’s National Prize in Literature-winning author of The Death of Artemio Cruz.

The eagle's throne : a novel - Carlos Fuentes and Kristina Cordero

In a near future Mexico, a turbulent country teetering on the very edge of utter chaos and anarchy in which all communications with the outside world have been cut off, political adversaries on all sides--an ambitious president, his scheming cabinet secretary, an unscrupulous sexual diva, and others--compete for power.

Happy families : stories - Carlos Fuentes and Edith Grossman

Sixteen short stories exploring a variety of dysfunctional families and love in all its forms in contemporary Mexico alternate with pieces that give voice to street children, beggars, rape victims, drug dealers, gang members, and others whose views are silenced.

The Agüero sisters - Cristina García

The author of Dreaming in Cuban explores the complexities of Cuban-American family life in the story of two middle-aged Cuban sisters--one living in Havana, one in New York City--who have been estranged for more than thirty years.

Dreaming in Cuban : a novel - Cristina García

Three generations of the Del Pino family--Cuban expatriates--play out their dreams and dramas in Havana, Brooklyn, and the Cuban seaside in the years between 1972-1980.

A handbook to luck - Cristina García

Follows three young people--Cuban-born Enrique, living in California with his flamboyant magician father; Marta, growing up in the violent slums of San Salvador; and Leila, enjoying an upper-middle-class youth in Tehran--over the course of twenty years as they are transformed by sacrifice, love, violence, and loss as their lives intertwine.

Monkey hunting - Cristina García

An evocative saga of a Chinese-Cuban family begins in 1857, when Chen Pan signs a contract that takes him from China to Cuba and enslavement on a sugarcane plantation and follows him as finds prosperity in Havana's Chinatown and establishes a dynasty, in a story that interweaves his life with those of two descendants, a granddaughter and great-grandson.

Beautiful María of my soul : or the true story of María García y Cifuentes, the lady behind a famous song : a novel - Oscar Hijuelos

In a part sequel and part retelling of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author's The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, the inspiration for the Mambo Kings' biggest hit, now 60 years old, reminisces about her days and nights in Havana, offering a completely different perspective on the Mambo Kings' story.

Accidental love - Gary Soto

After unexpectedly falling in love with a "nerdy" boy, fourteen-year-old Yolanda works to change her life by transferring to another school, altering some of her behavior, and losing weight.

The afterlife - Gary Soto

Chuy, a senior at East Fresno High School lives on as a ghost after his brutal murder in the restroom of a club where he had gone to dance.

Baseball in April and other stories - Gary Soto

A collection of eleven short stories focusing on the everyday adventures of Hispanic young people growing up in Fresno, California.

Chato's kitchen - Gary Soto and Susan Guevara

Chato, the coolest cat in East L.A., and his buddy, Novio Boy, prepare to serve up a special housewarming party for their new neighbors, a family of mice, in which their guests are also the main course, but the mice bring along their own guest, Chorizo, the toughest dog in the barrio.

Facts of life : stories - Gary Soto

Filled with annoying siblings, difficult parents, and first loves, a collection of short stories is a masterful reminder of why adolescence is one of the most frustrating and fascinating times in one's life.

Help wanted : stories - Gary Soto

Offers a collection of stories about a group of teens who, in their own ways, struggle to find their purpose in life and place in the world, such as the constant story-telling liar Veronica and friends Ronnie and Joey who spend their days as "Teenage Chimps" due to their feelings of alienation from everyone at their school.

Nerdlandia : a play - Gary Soto

A humorous play, in which Martin, a Chicano nerd, undergoes a transformation with the help of his friends and experiences true love, includes a glossary of Spanish words and phrases used in the dialogue.

Nonfiction and Autobiography

Once upon a quinceañera : coming of age in the USA - Julia Alvarez

A cultural exploration of the Latina fifteenth birthday celebration traces the experiences of a Queens teen who encounters anticipation and stress while preparing for her quinceañera, in an account that documents the history of the celebration's traditions as well as its growing popularity throughout America.

Harvest of empire : a history of Latinos in America - Juan González

A noted Hispanic journalist sheds new light on the history of Latinos in America, ranging from the first sixteenth century colonies in the New World through the 1998 presidential election, and offers closeup portraits of distinguished Americans of Hispanic descent who have played a key role in the ever evolving face of American life.

Inspirations - Paulo Coelho

The best-selling author of The Alchemist selects his favorite literary works and organizes them into the four earthly elements they represent, with the Earth section including Oscar Wilde and D. H. Lawrence, the Air section including Nelson Mandela and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the Fire section including Mary Shelley and the Water section including Machiavelli.

This I believe : an A to Z of a life - Carlos Fuentes

In a provocative compilation of essays, the critically acclaimed Mexican writer shares his thoughts, personal reflections, insights, and observations on topics ranging from "Amor" to "Zurich" and including political and social commentary, profiles of the writers who have influenced his work, the writer's life, and the emotions and passions of the human spirit.

Thoughts without cigarettes : a memoir - Oscar Hijuelos

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love shares insights into the people and places that inspired his best-selling works, describing his early upbringing as the son of a Cuban hotel worker in a multicultural Manhattan neighborhood, a childhood illness in Cuba and more.

A library for Juana : the world of Sor Juana Inés - Pat Mora and Beatriz Vidal

When she learned that she would not be able to pursue her dreams of an education because women were not permitted to attend university, Juana InTs dressed in disguise, succeeded in her studies, and became one of the best scholars in Mexico in the 17th century.

Brown : the last discovery of America - Richard Rodriguez

The author of Hunger of Memory and Days of Obligation concludes his "trilogy of American public life" by contemplating the many cultural associations of the color brown--toil, decay, impurity, and time--as he considers the meaning of Hispanics in American society.

Hunger of memory : the education of Richard Rodriguez : an autobiography - Richard Rodriguez

In a critically acclaimed and controversial memoir, the son of Mexican immigrants explores the American educational process and criticizes affirmative action and bilingualism as benign errors.

When I was Puerto Rican : A Memoir - Esmeralda Santiago

Magic, sexual tension, high comedy, and intense drama move through an enchanted yet harsh autobiography, in the story of a young girl who leaves Puerto Rico for New York's tenements and a chance for success.

The squatter and the don - María Amparo Ruiz de Burton and Jennifer M. Acker

Everything you need to know about Latino history - Himilce Novas

Thoroughly updated and revised, an informative reference source provides a fascinating look at Latino culture and history, showing its many contributions to world culture and including up-to-date information on Latino immigration, the role of women in the culture, current events, sports and entertainment, and political, social, and economic trends.