Menéndez, Juliet. Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers. Henry Holt and Company: New York, 2021.
Sure, we know about Frida Kahlo, Sonia Sotomayor, and Pura Belpré, but what about Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Marta Vieira, and Berta Cáceres and other influential Latin women from the last three and a half centuries? In Latinitas, Menéndez gives us a quick glimpse into the stories of 40 Latinas from all corners of Latin America and the United States that have inspired her. Each double page spread features a very short biography and a stylized portrait of the subject as a child. Menéndez’s folk-art style and beautiful use of a limited color palette, along with the punchy and interesting biographies are just the thing to spark curiosity and encourage further reading.
Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers belongs in every elementary and middle school library, especially those schools serving Latinx students and families.
Dewey: 920.72 Interest level: Grades 3-8
Younger readers might like: Alica Alonso Dances On by Rose Vina (Illus. Glora Felix).
High school readers might like: Travesía by Michelle Gerster (Illus. Fiona Dunnett).
Fiction Pairing: Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
On the web: Check out all the happenings celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15). Discover why Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from the 15th to the 15th!